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The Nationalist Party has criticised the Labour government for what it described as an explosion of national debt and a failure to address the country’s ongoing problems, despite record levels of spending. In a statement, the PN said that under Prime Minister Robert Abela, Malta’s national debt is expected to triple, reaching €14 billion, a record high. The party said this budget “spreads money around, but debt explodes and problems remain.” The PN noted Finance Minister Clyde Caruana himself admitted that debt will continue to rise in the coming years, with projections showing it will increase from €11 billion today to €14 billion by 2028. “That means Robert Abela and Clyde Caruana will triple the country’s debt, while the Maltese and Gozitans will continue paying almost €1 million a day in interest,” Opposition leader Alex Borg told journalists in a press conference. Borg said although the government tried to copy its proposal to reduce taxes for parents with children under 16, the actual increase offered fell short of what the PN had suggested. It also noted that no tax reductions were announced for single people, couples without children, or pensioners, who continue to face rising living costs. The PN said the government’s budget failed to address Malta’s main challenges, including traffic congestion, infrastructure strain, and population growth without proper planning. “We will continue to hear about traffic jams,” the PN said, criticising Caruana’s comments on public transport reform. Borg also said the fact that no mass public transport measures were announced, meant Clyde Caruana “got his way.” It also accused the government of cutting €100 million in capital expenditure at a time when the country’s infrastructure “continues to crumble.” The PN described the budget as a “show of money without solutions,” saying that while the government spends heavily, essential services such as healthcare, education, and transport remain plagued with problems.
