• Income tax savings of between €150 and €840 for parents of children up to young adulthood with the creation of a new tax band.
• Minimum rate of children’s allowance to go up to €350.
• Increase in maximum tax reduction of between €100 and €700 for parents of children in private schools.
• Proposal to increase maternity leave by four weeks.
• Grants for investment in roof insulation and double glazing; extension of solar panel grants.
• Removal of TV licence fee, not applicable to arrears.
• Social benefits to increase by the COLA amount.
• Those living in government-built, post-war properties in Valletta and Cottonera will be able to buy their residence.

Patients

• Colorectal cancer screening programme.
• Focus on reducing waiting list for hip replacement operations.
• Information campaign on proper use of medicines.
• Refurbishment of a number of health centres.
• New mental health care day centre and clinic in Gżira.
• New community care service for adolescents with mental health problems.
• Free medicines for treatment of dementia.

Disabled

• No loss of severe disability pension for those earning up to minimum wage or because of wife or husband’s income.
• New branch of Sapport agency in Pembroke.

House owners

• Several fiscal incentives for restoration or conservation of Grades 1 and 2 scheduled buildings or in urban conservation areas.
• Widening of permitted uses for these types of properties.

Students

• Specialised secondary school to be established for athletes, where they will also receive their education.
• Interactive Science Centre to encourage interest in science.
• €100 reduction on taxable income for cultural education costs.
• Higher allowance for Gozitan students studying in Malta.
• Government funding for improvement of services, facilities and professional development in private schools.
• Recurrent expenditure to increase at University of Malta, the Junior College and Mcast.
• Financial assistance to band clubs for music education.

Elderly

• Full cost-of-living increase for pensioners.
• €300-a-year grant to help every person over 80 carry on living at home.
• Removal of VAT on private nursing or help at home.
• Income tax exemption to increase to €2,500 for relatives helping parents live in private nursing homes.
• €200 extension on service pensions measure.
• Pensioners working part-time with the government to pay 15 per cent tax rate.
• One-year extension of entitlement to fixed pension rate for remarrying widows/widowers.
• Two new day care centres.

Business

• Scheme giving 90-per-cent guaranteed loans to small businesses.
• Incentives for energy saving by heavy users.
• Incentives for foreigners and Maltese returning from abroad to important industry sectors.
• Investment and tax credits for digital gaming development.
• Extension to January 15, 2013 for payment of VAT arrears plus reduction of fines and interest.

Car owners

• Work on upgrading residential and arterial roads to continue.
• Scrappage scheme to be renewed on purchases of low-emission cars but higher car registration tax for those with older engines.
• Vehicle licence or administration fees in arrears can be regularised.

Workers

• Cost-of-living increase of €4.66 a week.
• Government workers to benefit from 15 per cent tax rate on part-time work.
• Deadline on payment of 15 per cent tax on part-time work extended to June 15.

Tourism operators

• More funding for MTA.
• €3 million for marketing.
• €4.5 million for opening of new air routes.
• €4.2 million for archaeological sites.
• €3.3 million to embellish localities.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.