€1.3m for employing 264 disabled persons

In 2008, 99 Gozitan enterprises benefited from €1, 310,438 in the Gozo Employment Aid Scheme launched in 2007 by the Employment and Training Corporation.

The scheme offered an incentive of half the annual salary for employing disabled and disadvantaged persons, payable one year after such employment.

Originally the scheme countenanced the employment of five such persons, but in 2008 the incentive was broadened to any number of such employees.

By September, the amount of such aid paid out in 2009 with regard to 126 employments was €630,967. Since January 2009 the scheme has been completely handled by the ETC and the incentive was broadened to take in Maltese enterprises too. The scheme is currently partly financed by the European Social Fund.

The information was given by Economy Minister Tonio Fenech in reply to a parliamentary question by Anton Refalo (PL).