Din l-Art Ħelwa said it agreed with the government’s decision to seek alternative means of transport, to improve the state of roads and to minimise traffic.
The NGO welcomed the publication of studies on a permanent link between Malta and Gozo but said it was concerned about the implications of a cruise liner terminal and airstrip.
The 150 per cent reduction of taxable value donations to heritage would go a long way towards encouraging sponsors, the NGO said, welcoming the cut.
Din l-Art Ħelwa said the initiative to save traditional skills and invest in their teaching was positive but called on the government to also direct this towards Gozo.
Malta Tourism Society
More emphasis needs to be made on growth in value added areas, the Malta Tourism Society, MTS, said in its statement on the Budget speech on Monday. It said experiences which reflected a sustainable socio-cultural activity could have been given more prominence.
On the environmental tax to be collected from tourists, the society said this could have a direct and indirect effect on tourism activity.
“The direct effect will be reflected in the perception and experience of the visitor and depends on how much attention we give to broadening that experience,” MTS said. The indirect effect depended on the objectivity given to those areas benefitting from this tax revenue.
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
The measures announced during Monday’s Budget speech lacked a holistic and courageous vision, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, FAA, said.
The NGO said the Budget included a number of positive measures but the preservation of water, green areas, trees and environmental health could have been addressed more.
Several positive grants were announced to encourage the purchasing of low-emission cars and motorcycles in an attempt to reduce air pollution but measures to reduce traffic lacked, FAA said.
“Bicycle use cannot be genuinely promoted through the adoption of random grants without providing the necessary infrastructure of cycling lane networks and traffic education drives.”
FAA also welcomed the upgrade of the Floriana botanical garden and the commencement of the Marsascala nature park. However no mention was made of funding promised for afforestation projects, the NGO added.
Medical Association of Malta
The Malta Medical Association commended the government’s increase in tax on cigarettes and lowering of VAT on sports and gyms, efforts to decrease waiting lists and to increase beds at Mater Dei Hospital. MAM said it was concerned by the lack of information on the proposed widespread privatisation of the Gozo, Karin Grech and St Luke’s hospitals and the Kirkop Health Centre.
Such changes could potentially impact the standards of patient care and health care professionals’ working conditions, MAM said.
Gozo Tourism Association
The Gozo Tourism Association, GTA, said it believed the measures announced in the Budget speech were generally balanced and reflected economic growth.
GTA said it would be seeking further clarifications on the environmental tax to be collected from tourists. It also called for a special fund to collect the revenue from nights spent in Gozo, which would then be spent on upgrading the tourism product there.
Several budget proposals put forward by GTA were not catered for, the association said.
Gozo University Group
The Gozo University Group, GUG, welcomed the €300 increase which would be given to University students from Gozo but said this was not a long-term solution and more sustainable measures would have to be taken for the future.
GUG also said it was pleased that the project on the Gozo national pool would be moving forward.
This was one of the group’s pre-Budget proposals.