Health Minister Chris Fearne said on Tuesday that the government had always followed the advice of public health experts on COVID-19 measures.
Taking reporters’ questions, Fearne said at a press conference about the 2021 Budget that the government had not over-ruled Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci when drafting new measures aimed at containing the spread of the virus.
“I speak to the superintendent and her team every day, multiple times a day. Since the start of the pandemic, the public health officials' brief was to put health first, and not to worry about any other matters. This does not mean there aren't other considerations, but then we receive advice from others; economists, financial experts, and so on, and then political decisions are taken,” he said.
He added that whenever political decisions had been taken with regards to the pandemic, they were always based on the advice of public health experts.
Finance Minister Edward Scicluna, who also addressed the press conference, skirted a question on whether this was his last budget as finance minister.
Government sources have said Scicluna is expected to step down as finance minister in the coming weeks. No official comments have been made on the matter.
On Tuesday, Scicluna told reporters they would have to ask Prime Minister Robert Abela as it was his prerogative to decide who forms part of his cabinet of ministers.
Meanwhile, Fearne was also asked about the European Commission’s decision to start launch infringement proceedings against Malta over the controversial cash for passports programme.
He said the government would continue to defend the programme. Asked whether he felt PN MEPs had been responsible for Brussels’ tough stand - a claim made on Monday by the prime minister - he said “they certainly have not helped”.
Scicluna said Malta had won infringement proceedings in the past. He said the government had long been in dialogue with the European Commission on the matter and discussions were ongoing.
He was confident that changes to the programme would be met positively by the commission.
Brussels has come out strong against the sale of citizenship saying it goes against the spirit of European identity.
Earlier during the press conference, Scicluna said Monday’s 2021 Budget must be assessed within the context of the pandemic.
“Today’s reality is that the country has been hit by a major economic and heath blow due to the pandemic. And we must keep this in the forefront of our thinking when analysing the budget,” he said.