Finance Minister Edward Scicluna has said measures to provide childcare and the reopening of primary schooling will have the biggest impact on the recovery of the Maltese economy.

“Childcare has the biggest impact on the whole economy and the labour force,” he said on yesterday’s edition of Lovin Malta’s show #CovidCalls, referring to how the provision of childcare frees their parents up to go to work.

Childcare is currently closed down as a restriction to combat the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, while parents have been advised not to send their children to their grandparents on account of their old age placing them at higher risk of the virus.

Scicluna said childcare will have to be included in Malta’s recovery strategy, whilst ensuring that children can maintain physical distance from each other and the services are kept optional.

The Finance Minister said that although various sectors of the economy have been brought to a grinding halt since the outbreak of COVID-19, Malta’s diversified economy means that sectors such as construction, services, iGaming, and financial services have allowed us to survive.

However, he warned the question remains as to how long Malta can survive without incurring serious debt.

Watch the full episode here: