L-aġenzija internazzjonali ta’ kreditu Standard & Poor’s ikkonfermat rating fi klassi A tal-ekonomija ta’ Malta u b’hekk ir-rating ta’ A- baqa’ l-aqwa rating għall-ekonomija ta’ pajjiżna fl-aħħar għaxar snin.
F’rapport dettaljat dwar il-qagħda ekonomika ta’ Malta, l-esperti magħrufa li ma jħarsu lejn wiċċ ħadd qalu li anki jekk is-settur turistiku jdum ma jaqbad xi ftit, qed jistmaw li l-ekonomija ta’ Malta se tikber b’5% din is-sena u bi kważi 6% is-sena d-dieħla.
“Despite the slow recovery in tourism, we forecast Malta’s real GDP will expand 5% in 2021, mainly thanks to the rebound in private consumption.”
Filwaqt li qalu li l-ekonomija Maltija hija t-tieni l-iktar ekonomija miftuħa fiż-Żona Ewro, l-esperti ta’ Standard & Poor’s innutaw ukoll li f’pandemija żdiedu d-depożiti tal-familji fil-banek.
“Malta is the second most open economy in the euro area.”
“Household savings rate increased to about 28% of disposable income at end-2020 from 20% at end-2019 according to the Central Bank of Malta’s latest estimates.”
L-aġenzija internazzjonali ta’ kreditu rrimarkat ukoll kif riżultat ta’ programm b’saħħtu ta’ tilqim, issa pajjiżna qiegħed f’fażi li jneħħi iżjed restrizzjonijiet marbuta mal-pandemija u anki qed jiżdied il-konsum tal-familji.
Dwar it-tilqim, Standard & Poor’s fakkret li Malta għandha l-ogħla rata ta’ tilqim kontra l-Covid-19.
“Malta continues to lead the EU in COVID-19 vaccinations, with more than 90% of its adult population fully inoculated. The vaccination rollout has enabled the authorities to gradually phase out social distancing requirements, supporting the release of the demand pent up since March 2020.”
Issemmiet wkoll iż-żieda tal-parteċipazzjoni tan-nisa fis-suq tax-xogħol u kif is-settur tal-arti u d-divertiment ra żieda qawwija mill-bidu tas-seklu u issa qed ikun kontributur għall-ekonomija Maltija.
Hawnhekk issemma wkoll is-settur tal-logħob diġitali u kif dan ħoloq impjiegi.
“Also noteworthy is the increase in female participation in the labor force to 66% in 2019 from about 36% in 2004.”
“For example, the arts, entertainment, and recreation sectors are strengthening, representing more than 8.0% of Malta’s GDP last year compared with 2.5% in 2000. E-gaming and online betting are important parts of this sphere. The structural shifts in the economy created employment opportunities.”
L-esperti ta’ Standard & Poor’s innutaw ukoll l-għaqal tal-Gvern li fl-aħħar snin naqqas id-dejn tal-Gvern u rreġistra surplus wara l-ieħor u b’hekk seta’ jwieżen lin-negozji u lill-familji waqt pandemija.
“We think that the reduction in general government debt to about 40% of GDP in 2019 well below the EU’s Stability and Growth Pact benchmark from about 70% in 2011 gave Malta fiscal headroom to withstand the economic shock associated with the pandemic.”
Minkejja li d-dejn tal-Gvern issa reġa’ żdied għax il-Gvern kien ta’ spalla u għen mhux ftit permezz ta’ bosta miżuri fosthom il-Covid Wage Supplement, ir-rapport ta’ Standard & Poor’s jgħid li sa tliet snin oħra d-dejn tal-Gvern se jkun ta’ 47.1% tal-prodott domestiku gross.
Standard & Poor’s saħansitra qalet li l-previżjonijiet tagħha għat-tkabbir ekonomiku huma inqas konservattivi minn tal-Gvern u qed tistma iżjed tkabbir fl-ekonomija.
“Our forecast differs from the government’s because we factor in higher economic growth and the corresponding cyclical impact on government revenue.”
Standard & Poor’s semmiet ukoll ir-rapport tal-FATF u rrimarkat għall-impenn politiku tal-Gvern li jaħdem ma’ din l-istituzzjoni u l-Moneyval.
Hawnhekk issemma wkoll ir-rapport tal-Moneyval u kif Malta għamlet progress sinifikanti fil-ġlieda kontra l-kriminalità finanzjarja.
“We note that MONEYVAL acknowledged in May 2021 some significant progress that Malta has made over past years with respect to its AML framework by assigning the country higher international compliance assessments.”
B’rabta ma’ dan ir-rapport pożittiv, il-Prim Ministru Robert Abela laqa’ dan iċ-ċertifikat għal pajjiżna filwaqt li nnota kif l-esperti internazzjonali faħħru r-rispons effettiv tal-Gvern, l-istess bħal ma għamlu l-aġenziji Moody’s, DBRS u Fitch.
After Moody’s, DBRS and Fitch now is the turn of S&P Global to confirm Malta’s top rating this decade. They praise MaltGov’s effective fiscal response, saying it underpins 🇲🇹 recovery. – RA
— Robert Abela (@RobertAbela_MT) September 14, 2021
Il-Partit Laburista wkoll nnota li dan kien ċertifikat lill-politika ekonomika tal-Gvern.
Fi stqarrija qal li r-rapport jistona mad-diskors tal-Oppożizzjoni Nazzjonalista li mheddija xxerred id-dlam u tattakka bl-aħrax il-politika ekonomika tal-Gvern.
“Waħda mir-raġunijiet għaliex l-esperti ta’ Standard & Poor’s ħadu din id-deċizjoni kienet minħabba r-rispons tal-Gvern Malti għall-pandemija”, innota mir-rapport il-Partit Laburista.
“Malta will contain the long-term adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on its economy and budgetary position thanks to an effective policy response.”
Il-Partit Laburista qal li l-Oppożizzjoni ta’ Bernard Grech tikkritika l-miżuri li ħa l-Gvern u ssejħilhom tberbiq u ħela u tikkampanja favur politika ta’ awsterità iżda l-esperti ta’ Standard & Poor’s jgħidu l-kontra u jisħqu li kieku l-Gvern ineħħi l-għajnuna, l-irkupru ekonomiku jbatti.
“Although the sizable fiscal stimulus has led to a sharp rise in government debt, prematurely withdrawing policy support could slow the recovery”.
“Huwa ċar li l-politika ta’ awsterità li jridu l-esponenti tal-Partit Nazzjonalista tista’ twassal biex pajjiżna ma jirkuprax, eżatt kif kien ġara wara r-riċessjoni tal-2008”, saħaq il-Partit Laburista.
