Labour unveil 70 proposals in sports, culture vision statement

The Labour Party is proposing to increase by 15 per cent the number of persons over 16 taking part in sports activities over a period of five years.

In a vision statement for sports and culture, launched yesterday by Labour leader Alfred Sant, the MLP makes 34 proposals for the sports sector and 36 for culture.

The party is promising to allocate funds for the upgrading of existing sports facilities in schools and the building of new ones.

The Malta Sports Council would be asked to hold an audit of existing facilities and their conditions in each town and village.

A Labour government would ensure there were more open spaces or spaces for sports facilities in urban communities. The way playing fields were developed would also be explored.

Mepa would be asked to submit sites in every locality where sports-related development could take place.

The national minimum curriculum would be amended to better reflect the importance physical education and sports should have in schools.

Sports and cultural organisations wanting to undertake capital projects would get a VAT exemption or a reduced rate. VAT would be removed or reduced on entrance tickets to sports and cultural activities. Venues used for sports and cultural activities would be charged reasonable electricity rates.

Dr Sant said that private companies financing or giving donations for sports and culture in excess of Lm15,000 a year would be exempt from tax and given extra points when submitting public tenders.

The party was proposing that athletes and sportsmen would be exempt from paying the airport tax when going abroad for sports purposes.

A Labour government would also commit itself to the development of another athletics course, a rugby ground and a circuit of a certain level to be used for car racing.

In the case of culture, the MLP proposed the setting up of a National Council for Maltese Artists. This would be made up of Maltese and Gozitan artists representing various artistic forms in order to promote their interests. The council would be affiliated to the European Council of Artists.

Another proposal is for local artists to be recognised as full-timers and get an exemption from the payment of national insurance contributions for the first year after opening their own studios. There would also be schemes to encourage artists to employ apprentices.

They would be exempt from VAT when organising exhibitions and publishing literary work. Fees for any form of art education will be VAT-free.

A special scholarship fund for promising students would be set up and government amenities, such as school halls, would be made available to artists and organisations in order to hold cultural activities.

The possibility to find a site to house the National Orchestra would be explored.

The MLP proposed the drawing up of a strategy to spread music teaching, involving the National Orchestra together with Maltese and Gozitan bands. The opening of a Carnival Village and a museum for the arts in Gozo was also being proposed.

The vision statement was drawn up by Labour MPs Carmelo Abela and Justyne Caruana.