University Students Council applauds budget measures

The University Students' Council (KSU) has applauded the Lm102 (€242.76) million budget vote towards education, an increase of Lm9 (€21.42) million, and the allocation of Lm8.3 (€19.75) million for student stipends.

The student body said it "gratefully acknowledges" the increase of Lm1.2 (€2.85) million in the recurrent vote and Lm5.3 (€12.61) million in capital investment for the university.

KSU said it applauds the Lm5.2 (€12.37) million devoted to Mcast as well as the Lm200,000 (€476,000) allocated for scholarships at Masters and PhD levels.

The budget addressed the importance of e-learning, the KSU said, lauding the government's measure to provide stipends for Maltese students who would like to undergo undergraduate degrees abroad.

The home ownership schemes, the equity sharing and shared ownership initiatives, as well as the reduction of tax on the purchase of property were welcome initiatives in light of current demographical trends.

KSU also agreed with the measure to reduce the five per cent tax on property that is inherited for personal residential use.

It also agrees with the decision to provide aid to families, such as children's allowance and the increase in the allowance for parents of children with a disability, which will help to facilitate the life of those children and their families.