VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Prime Minister Robert Abela has pledged that next month’s budget will introduce “unprecedented” measures to ensure that financial pressures do not discourage Maltese families from having children.
Speaking during an interview, Abela said the government’s aim was to empower people “to have as many children as they wish,” stressing that the state must step in when financial obstacles hold families back. The pledge comes amid growing debate about Malta’s low birth rate, with concerns that rising living costs are discouraging larger families. Abela hinted that the upcoming budget will include significant new investment to address these concerns, but he gave no details of the measures being considered. The prime minister underlined that the budget would also cater for families hoping to have three children, saying it would help them “fulfil their wish”.
The opposition Nationalist Party has proposed a new tax band for parents with more than one child, arguing that raising a child costs between Ç7,000 and Ç9,000 per year. Abela did not indicate whether this idea forms part of the government’s plans, insisting instead that people should “not feel constrained” when making family choices. Details of how the government intends to deliver on its promise are expected to be revealed when the budget is presented next month.
– photo Malta Laburist Party –
(ITALPRESS).
