Tag: Economy
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The 2025 Maltese economy was hot: but structural problems are becoming larger and riskier
2025 was a relatively good year for the Maltese economy but government finances seem to have taken a step back. The government was successfully reducing the deficit by increasing tax revenues and next year aims to get closer at cutting off the deficit completely. However, this year, government finances broke the positive trend. At the…
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The US economy contracts for the first time since the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine
According to figures released yesterday by the US Bureau of Economic Analysis, the US contracted for the first time since the first quarter of 2022. The GDP contracted by 0.3% owing to a surge in imports which are calculated negatively by the BEA. The surge in imports probably came due to stockpiling to premeditate US…
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Malta’s economy to keep outperforming European peers but structural risks remain: IMF
The International Monetary Fund has released its latest Country Report about Malta arguing that Malta’s economy is set to keep outperforming its European peers but structural risks remain. Malta’s economic growth is being mainly driven by export-lead services mainly online gaming and also tourism. It also stated that tourism and an increasing number of foreign…
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There’s nothing wrong with making lots of money if you do it without stealing or destroying the country
Perceptions about money, profit and capitalism, have been warped, abused and distorted to a great extent after decades of rampant rent-seeking, Jungle Rules and impunity. There’s nothing wrong in making lots of money and big profits, only that in Malta we have been accustomed with the idea that riches and big profits come from the…
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What national interest is Viktor Orban defending, actually? Hungary is the second poorest country in the EU
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has recently said that the EU is suffering from “Viktor Orban fatigue”. EU leaders are tired of having to strong-arm Hungary into accepting its united positions on foreign policy, especially on Ukraine and Russia. Hungary has taken an altogether different position from the EU on Russia and Ukraine, and apart…
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Food prices: another problem “solved” by throwing money at it
Prime Minister Robert Abela has solved the food price inflation problem like he solves any other problem, that is by throwing money at it. A new scheme has been announced whereby food importers and distributors will be subsidised to reduce the prices of some of their imported products. Robert Abela has been issuing subsidies for…
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The IMF is telling the Maltese government to adopt fiscal austerity
I have no doubt that Robert Abela doesn’t understand the economic and financial reports he receives if he reads them at all. I don’t say this to meaningfully insult him, but I mean literally what I say in a truthful manner. I also think he believes his own bullshit and the propaganda he is given…
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Higher for longer with recessionary vibes
This is a depressing speech from EU Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde citing recessionary vibes in Europe, prolonged inflation, and slowing demand (both European demand and international demand for European products). Personally, I assumed Christine Lagarde was going to give a hawkish pause but the Central Bank increased the interest to 25 BPS (0.25%). Her…
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Aleander Balzan writes an O-level essay on economics for Robert Abela
The economic pain will only increase and the beatings will ensue until our country gets a normal government with normal adults who can properly manage the economy and lead the country. So far, we have a criminal organisation in government that pretends to govern. Aleander Balzan, Robert Abela’s propagandist wrote an O-level essay on economics…
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Big problems often have simple solutions
Finance Minister Clyde Caruana is stating that due to the problem of his own making and by basing the economy on cheap labour (Clyde Caruana around 7 years was the chief bureaucrat responsible for the importation of foreign workers), Malta will have an estimated amount of 800,000 people by 2040 if it was to retain…
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The economic wreckage left behind
Robert Abela will be forever remembered as one the worst Prime Ministers in Maltese history, only comparable to Karmenu Mifsud-Bonnici and Lawrence Gonzi in the history of economic wreckage that he will leave behind. The collapse of the rule of law and the rise of the Mafia State have direct and negative economic impacts on…
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No idea and no plan: just platitudes (2)
So, Clyde Caruana has finally realised that he needs a plan for the economy, but the only problem is that Baldrick the Prime Minister doesn’t even have a clue. They have no plan and no idea. Clyde is simply in management by crisis mode, fulfilling the orders of the Prime Minister to scour one billion…

