What's in the budget for you
Taxpayers
• €16.31 levy on credit cards to be removed.
• Registration fees to be reduced substantially for boats with engines over 10 HP.
• Duty on cigarettes to rise by just under seven per cent, or by €0.15c; similar rise on other tobacco products.
• Information on individuals to be shared among newly merged tax institutions to strengthen enforcement and allow for set-offs.
• No refunds to be paid on VAT or income tax if the due returns under both systems are not sent.
• Abuse of deficiencies or lack of clarity in fiscal laws to be addressed.
• Taxpayer's Charter to spell out rights and level of service and obligations to be expected from tax departments.
Enterprises
• Further grants to enterprises to boost their international competitiveness, research, innovation and e-business capabilities.
• Reserve fund to help viable enterprises see themselves through temporary difficulties.
• Refund of 15.2 per cent on expenses on approved research projects.
• Tax exemption on royalties and revenue resulting from patents on inventions.
Small businesses
• Up to €25,000 to be available as micro-credit for purposes of investment, at advantageous rates of interest and easier collateral.
• A 40 per cent tax credit (60 per cent for Gozitan businesses), up to €25,000, when upgrading facilities or employing new workers from today.
• Transport provision to increase workplace accessibility for new employees with a disability.
• Simplification of business licensing system.
• Consultation on opening hours of government departments to meet business needs.
Job seekers
• Full-time training in basic skills, earning them a recognised qualification as well as a stipend, for 16-20 year olds who are not studying, training or in work.
• New schemes to give unemployed persons work experience.
• New employment centre for youths in Birkirkara.
• Community work scheme to be extended.
• Better advisory services for the unemployed.
• Coaching scheme for persons with substantial or severe disabilities to integrate in workplace.
• Unemployed mothers seeking to get training to be assisted with childcare costs.
Working mothers
• New childcare centres in Siġġiewi, Pembroke, Sta Venera, Floriana, Msida and Żejtun, as sell as new SmartKids centres.
• After-school hours service in two more schools.
• Training to those offering childcare services in their homes.
• An extension of €1,000 in the tax reduction to those with children over three who attend summer schools.
Property owners
• Acceleration of payments on property expropriated before 1994.
• Extension of choice to seven years on whether to pay normal rates on capital gains or 12 per cent final withholding tax.
Consumers
• A new entity to be tasked with educating and protecting the consumer against unjustified price levels and with strengthening the price watch mechanism.
• New mechanism for the mandatory, instead of voluntary, control of medicine prices.
• Ministry of Finance to continue to report on causes and trends in prices and discuss with social partners.
• College of Regulators to be established to coordinate functions of different entities connected to the market.
Energy users
• Families that do not consume more than 10,000 units of electricity (nearly 97 per cent) will receive compensation, in the form of a cheque, ranging from €55 for one-person households to €205 for families of seven.
• 28,000 low-income families to receive the Energy Benefit.
• Aid to enterprises and hotels if utility rates cause them to face genuine difficulties.
• Grants on photovoltaic systems and solar water heaters.
• Smart meters to give more control over use of energy.
• Prizes for sustainable enterprise and houses.
Road users
• Completion of road to Marsascala, construction of Valletta Road to Żurrieq and of Żabbar-Smart City road.
• Improvement of road to Marsa Menqa, Gozo's Mġarr Road and European Council Road from Marsa to Luqa.
• Maintenance and reconstruction of many roads in towns and villages.
• Lower registration tax and licence fees for commercial vehicles with low pollution.
• Supply of parking facilities in various places using Mepa's Commuted Parking Payment Scheme fund.
Bus users
• Under the reform of public transport, new bus terminals to be established in Valletta, Victoria and Buġibba, as well as hubs in 10 other localities.
• Extension of Blata l-Bajda's Park and Ride and development of one in Marsa and another in Pembroke.
Gozitans
• Seashore promenade in Żewwieqa, Mġarr.
• Rehabilitation of Villa Rundle gardens.
• New facilities at Gozo General Hospital, including Radiology Unit and new ambulances.
Students
• More government funding for Church schools wishing to extend primary or secondary school levels.
• Continued improvement of government school facilities, including IT and sport.
• Increased allocations to University, Junior College, Institute of Tourism Studies and Mcast.
Elderly
• Full cost-of-living increase to pensioners.
• Extensions of homes in Mtarfa and Msida.
• New day care centres planned in Mellieħa and Siġġiewi.
• New pilot project to support elderly to live in the community.
Children
• Child-in-care benefit to rise to €70 a week and age of assistance to 21 years.
• Tax deductions to be extended for child alimony given by foreign courts.
• Studies on playgrounds to improve safety.
Patients
• Reduction of waiting lists to acceptable levels over three years.
• New medicines in the government's formulary.
• Pharmacy of your choice scheme to be extended.
• National debate on reform of primary care.
Workers
• €5.82 cost-of-living increase.
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18 Comments
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Herbert Borg
Nov 11th 2009, 16:16
How will Fgura be affected by the new road from Zabbar to Smart City? Isn't it enough that we suffer already frrom high traffic? Fgura Local Council, please wake up!! Hello, are you listening?!?
Galea. L
Nov 11th 2009, 14:47
Since the water and electricity tariffs were not mentioned because the Minister was ashamed of what EneMalta (or rather the Government) wants them to be, we can look at what was stated that about 93% would benefit from the subsidies that are going to be given for this reason. This means that the tariffs are going to be so high that nearly all the people of Malta will have to receive the subsidies. This government is going to drive people MAD if they are not already.
Alfred Grima
Nov 11th 2009, 11:49
@P Fenech t (P Fenekch)
It is surprising that the government has reduced boat licences when a year ago he had made a mess regarding the vehicles’ licences. One need to remember that in last year’s budget all commercial vehicles licences had doubled.
charles zammit
Nov 10th 2009, 22:38
this article is one of the most biased propoganda exercise that we have been fed in recent times. where are the electricity and water tariffs hikes why had the author deliberately left out these hard hitting measures that will bring maltese society to its knees . what is the motive for this 85 million euro ommission. this sum has to be forked out by you and me my friend.
joe camenzuli
Nov 10th 2009, 21:12
What cost of living increase? To begin with the person's income will increase hence more tax on income earned and what is left plus more will be taken by the coming water and electricity increase from January 2010. Hence this budget took from the man in the street three times what the Finance Minister has given. Where are the Unions?
C.Curtis
Nov 10th 2009, 20:37
Have noted very very few PL bloggers have commented below!!!!!!!!!! What happened?? Anyway the few did better than their Kappu, at least, who did not want to comment when faced by journalists.
AZammit
Nov 10th 2009, 18:52
In spite of the current negative financial situation we have to admit that this is a great budget and I strongly feel that it should somewhat boost the sagging fortunes of the Nationalist Party
Joseph Brincat
Nov 10th 2009, 18:21
As I predicted some days ago on another article, this budget is all "Parole, parole, parole"
Here P Fenech seems to like this budget, however he doubts whether
the government is serious, so much so that he wants it to deliver.
I was always taught that there is a calm before a storm. Come January and you'll know what I mean.
EGauci
Nov 10th 2009, 17:22
@ P Fenekch
we're silent because we are waiting for what was not written or mentioned in the budget. Like these past years, come January or February when new acts and prioce increases start roilling out we will be able to assess if the budget was a good one or otherwise.
A. Borg Cardona
Nov 10th 2009, 17:08
I do not think the environment got the required share of attention from a modern day budget. For example, why reduce the registration fees on boats (heavy pollutants and almost a luxury) and why limit the availability of grants to those who wish to install solar water heaters, so important for the environment and the reduction of our dependence on fossil fuels ?
P.Farrugia
Nov 10th 2009, 15:49
The budget was ok overall. It was all the good things the government can afford giving rolled into one. All the other bad things will be diluted from the first of January till the budget of next year. Very predictable!
P Fenekch
Nov 10th 2009, 15:16
Xi kwiet! You can always tell the impact of a budget by the general feeling all around. There is no doubt that this budget has delivered - it is not all things to all men but it is the right budget for the time. And all the PL bloggers have gone suddenly silent. Joe Muscat's speech last night was a sham - he knows it, the PL knows it and we know it. Well done PN - now deliver!
Alexander Morana
Nov 10th 2009, 14:39
Luke Rocco looks like it's not that bad after all, considering both the local and international economic situation. However the Government failed to address the core problem of the deficit - over spending in which in itself causes inflation.
How is this going to go down with Brussels in light that the Economic Directive to Malta was to bring down the deficit to 3% of the GDP by 2010? Bearing mind that the Minister 'projected’ a growth of 1.1% next year, which might not be enough to create jobs and thus more revenues for the treasury. Somehow there was nothing gained and nothing lost, unless the Minister is postponing the inevitable, when the axe falls on government spending or the increase of taxes.
John Camilleri
Nov 10th 2009, 13:18
When the minister went throughthe commercial trucks registration and stated that the euro 4 and above do not pay registration tax, at a glance i thought it was a relief for those of whom are self employed as a one man band and do not afford to buy a new commercial truck especially those in the services industry. This would give them the chance to either invest in a new one or at least buy a second hand with low years and Euro 4 and above certifiacte.
I sieved through the budget and went to Appendix C and to my astonishment i realized that for a commercial car that is less than 12,000 kgs will cost you at least 1/3 more than at present.
For an N1 Euro IV or more the formula is as follows
vetturi b’massa massima awtorizzata ta’
aktar minn 1,706 kg sa 3,500 kg
Kg x 60% + cc x 65% x €1
At present you pay 57.5% on the purchase value but not less than 3500 euro
Hmmm this should have been for free to help the enviroment. PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG. !!!!!!!!!
SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE BUDGET SPEECH.
laurence schembri
Nov 10th 2009, 12:52
Cigarettes up 0.15 cents. Water and Electricity hike in January, the rest, we heard it all before.
COLA is an incentive to the employer, he will get it all back by putting up prices.
Lawrence Attard
Nov 10th 2009, 12:28
I would be happy to see someone following year by year the promises that have been made throughout these last years in the budgets speeches regarding the infrastructure. I remember Valletta road, Zurrieq and il-kunsill tal- ewropa being mentioned in the last 5 budgets.
Ha ndumu nidhku bin-nies?
Imbaghad Ganni taghna jmur jivvota ghax jaghtuh 100lira rebate meta nefaq 1000! Kemm ghadna fjakki fil-mentalita....
Nafu li qed jixtruna bix-xejn u nibqghu nibelghu il-lixka.
Luke Rocco
Nov 10th 2009, 11:37
hmmm... according to this summary... this budget was a godsend... a miracle in the midst of an economic crisis... now, anyone care to explain, What's WRONG in the budget for You??
mario scerri
Nov 10th 2009, 11:06
Fil-budget kont nippretendi li l-gvern jindirizza l-issue ta dawk l-eluf ta nies li xtraw propjeta li ghanda cens tempranju dovut lil ufficju kongunt.
Hafna minn dawn in-nies applikaw biex jifdu c-cens peress li huwa temporanju. Kieku l-gvern jindizza din l-issue b gebla wahda jkun qed jolqot zewg ghasafar. Ghax ikun qed isolvi parti mill-problema tal-cash flow minghajr ma jzid jew jintroduci taxxi godda.
Hon Tonio Fenech Please Note