Surveyed a couple of days (October 19-21) after the presentation of the 2007 Budget, just over half (50.7%) of the Maltese do not believe that the economy is getting stronger as the Prime Minister insists, The Sunday Times Opinion Survey revealed.
33.7% agreed with Dr Gonzi, while 15.7% did not express an opinion. After the presentation of the 2006 Budget last year, only 20.7% had endorsed a similar claim.
Asked how they would vote if an election were to be held tomorrow, 24% said they would vote Nationalist, 17% would vote Labour, and 2.3% would vote Alternattiva Demokratika. However, 36.3% did not reply, while 20.3% said they would not vote.
The relative figures for the same question asked after the presentation of the Budget last year were: 19.3%, 21%, 2.3%, 39.3% and 18%. In 2005 the PN was the choice of 20.3%, MLP 24.3%, AD 3.3%, don't know 35.3% and would not vote 16.7%, while in 2004 the same question elicited the following result: PN 23.3%, MLP 25%, AD 3.3%, don't know 5.3% and would not vote 43%.
These are some of the findings of the latest public opinion survey carried out by sociologist Mario Vassallo on behalf of The Sunday Times. As usual, 300 households in Malta and Gozo, were interviewed by telephone for the survey.
A major feature of the 2007 Budget is income tax relief. However only 9.3% said they were "very satisfied" with the cuts in income tax; 27.3% are satisfied; 25.7% were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, while 30.3% are dissatisfied and 7% are very dissatisfied. Only 0.3% gave no opinion.
The highest percentages of those who are satisfied belong to the 51-65 age bracket (32.4%) and to the AB social category (39.5%). The least satisfied are those in the 36-50 age bracket (35.3%) and in the C2 category (37.3%).
A good majority (58.3%) think that the incentives given to part-time workers will attract more people to work part-time, while 55% think that they will entice part-timers to pay social security contributions.
Regarding the halving of the airport departure tax, 75.3% think this will encourage Maltese to travel more; 19.7% disagree.
As many as 80% do not consider the effective cost of living adjustment of Lm1.75 a week to be enough to cope with the cost of living; 17.3% say it is enough, and 2.7% gave no opinion.
As many as 53% do not consider the non-taxable portion of property inherited by widows or widowers from their spouses (raised from Lm10,000 to Lm15,000, with changes in the rate of duty on the remaining amount) to be enough given the current prices for property; only 25.3% said it was fair; 21.7% gave no opinion.
There was overwhelming approval of four measures announced in the Budget, The Sunday Times further reported. Allowing disabled persons to enjoy a pension for the first five years of marriage had 95% of respondents in favour; 88.7% welcomed the tax exemption for child-minding expenses; 86.7% approved the decision to allow widows and widowers to continue enjoy their pension for five years after remarriage; while 77.7% reacted positively to the doubling of the tax-free allowance for parents sending their children to private schools.
Asked whether the 2007 Budget will encourage persons who want to work to actually do so, 40.3% said it would, 41% said it wouldn't, and 18.7% did not commit themselves.
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