VALLETTA, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Malta's government committed on Wednesday not to raising the retirement age, which was recommended by the European Commission (EC).

The European Commission has recommended that Malta safeguards the sustainability of its health care and pension systems by raising retirement age and restricting early retirement.

In a press statement, Malta's government said "it is committed to retain free health care for its citizens and to continue to work towards a more sustainable pension system without changing the pensionable age".

The European Commission proposed a package of recommendations for 2018 and 2019 issued to all member states as part of an ongoing review of reform programs.

Meanwhile, the Commission has told Malta to strengthen the supervision of its financial services industry, enforce anti-money laundering framework rules and step up the fight against corruption.

The Commission said governance shortcomings in the anti-corruption framework may have a negative effect on the business climate and discourage investment.

In its reaction, the government said it "takes note" of the European Commission's country-specific recommendation.

Efforts to consolidate the Maltese legal framework and strengthen the country's infrastructure would continue, read the statement.