The government has announced a series of measures aimed at helping the employment of disadvantaged people or people with disabilities.
Finance Minister Edward Scicluna said, would open 10 homes in the community for persons with disability, starting in Siggiewi. Respite services would also be improved.
Trusts left as inheritance for persons with disability would be exempt from tax.
The finance minister said employers would be given up to €5,000 when they employed socially disadvantaged people, who would be defined in the law.
Representation of persons with disability in government boards would also be increased.
Persons with disability who found a job would still continue to receive their social benefits.
The government would insist that employers engaged a person with disabilities for every 20 employees, as already laid down in the law. They would get a tax credit of €4,500 for each employee with a disability.
When they did not employ people with disabilities, despite the legal requirement, they would have to pay a penalty of €2,400 per year for each disabled person they were supposed to employ, up to a maximum of €10,000. This measure would be enforced in full within three years. The funds would go into a fund for the training and integration people with disabilities.
The government would engage 80 persons with disability on document scanning work in Gozo.
LONG TERM UNEMPLOYED
Those who employ the long term unemployed will be given €2,750 over three years.
The minister said the system of community work for such people will be removed. Instead of being engaged in local councils or similar bodies, these people will be employed in a Social Enterprise Agency and deployed from there. They would be paid a minimum wage.
With regard to other self-employed, he said people would no longer be able to declare they wanted jobs which there was actually no demand for, thus ensuring they stayed in receipt of unemployment benefit. Their choices would henceforth have to be based on demand as well as their capabilities.