Budget Day

Finance Minister Edward Scicluna’s seventh Budget included another tax rebate for employees, an increase in the children’s allowance and pensions, an additional leave day, a higher rental subsidy, a higher tax rebate for children at private schools, an increase in the minimum wage, a weekly cost of living increase of €2.33 and the removal of Matsec exam fees. Prof. Scicluna said the economy is forecast to grow by 5.3 per cent in 2019 and to enjoy a budget surplus for the third consecutive year. While welcoming these measures the social partners and the Nationalist Party said the Budget lacked the vision necessary to tackle Malta’s long-term challenges.

What made the headlines

Property owners win €610,000 in damages: The co-owners of the building housing the King’s Own Band Club in Valletta were awarded €610,000 in damages by the European Court of Human Rights. The Strasbourg Court ruled that the 24 co-owners of the band club, a bar and a restaurant in Republic Street were receiving rent that was far below the market standard. In a a 29-page judgement, it concluded that the way the rent laws were drafted violated their fundamental right to the peaceful enjoyment of property.

Tribute to ‘frontline soldier’: A portrait of slain journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was unveiled at the European Parliament to mark the first anniversary of her assassination. The work by Swedish artist and Malta resident Marie Louise Kold was unveiled in Strasbourg in the presence of European Parliament president Antonio Tajani and Mrs Caruana Galizia’s family members. Mr Tajani called Mrs Caruana Galizia a “frontline soldier”. He said the European Parliament would continue doing its utmost to uncover the truth.

Population swells in north: Many localities in the northern part of the island are experiencing double-digit growth rates in their population, according to new statistics. With the exception of Marsascala, where the population grew by 12 per cent since 2015, all the other major localities that experienced heavy growth rates are situated in the north, with St Paul’s Bay topping the list at 26 per cent. Next were Msida (23 per cent), St Julian’s (21 per cent), Gżira (21 per cent) and Swieqi (20 per cent) and Sliema, (19 per cent). An exercise conducted by the Times of Malta showed that the official total population of Malta and Gozo reached 475,701 on January 1, an increase of 36,000 compared to three years ago.

Foreign investors’ concerns on Malta: Foreign investors in Malta are getting more concerned about the stability and transparency of the island’s political, legal and regulatory environment, according to the latest Ernst & Young Attractiveness Survey. Investors gave Malta a score of 44 per cent on the transparency scale, a considerable 37 per cent drop over the past two years. The EY survey also found that a perceived lack of specialised skills and talent in the island’s labour market was among foreign investors’ main worries.

Senior tax officials probed: Two senior government employees at the Inland Revenue Department are being investigated by a board of inquiry following claims of serious irregularities, the Times of Malta revealed. This newspaper was told that the allegations, which involve tax issues and possible fraud, were made to the Finance Minister in writing and include details of individuals.

Seventh ARMS head resigns: John Attard, the CEO of ARMS Ltd., the public utilities billing company, who was appointed last May, resigned shortly after being placed on long leave, the Times of Malta revealed. He is the seventh CEO of ARMS to resign since Labour came to power in 2013. A spokeswoman for Energy Minister Joe Mizzi, who is politically responsible for ARMS Ltd, initially did not reply to questions on the matter, saying only that Mr Attard was CEO. However, soon after this newspaper contacted Mr Attard the spokeswoman said that “Mr Attard submitted his resignation letter”, without giving any reasons for his decision.

PM claims he has not read Egrant report: Prime Minister Joseph Muscat claimed in court that he had not read the entire Egrant magisterial inquiry report despite saying that his entire career depended on its conclusion. Dr Muscat said that apart from him, other people who had a copy of the inquiry were Justice Minister Owen Bonnici, who had a soft copy, his lawyer Pawlu Lia and his communications chief Kurt Farrugia. Dr Muscat was testifying after constitutional proceedings were instituted by Opposition leader Adrian Delia, who is challenging the Attorney General’s decision to deny him a full copy of the Egrant inquiry, which runs into some 1,500 pages.

What trended

Gozo’s Bermuda Triangle

You would imagine that it’s pretty hard to get lost on an island 14 kilometres long by seven kilometres wide.

But it turns out many of our compatriots – or at the very least, their vehicles – have mysteriously gone missing when visiting Gozo over the past eight years. More than 100,000 of them, in fact.

That’s 30 cars every day, J. was quick to point out.

“There must be a natural phenomena equivalent to the Bermuda Triangle,” he mused. “Perhaps this may make up to attract tourists much more than the Azure Window”.

Be it a Bermuda Triangle or a “Three Hills triangle”, as Joe suggested, the numbers suggest “somebody made a lot of money from the return tickets”, Paul noted.

Perhaps the Malta-Gozo tunnel has been secretly open all along, a namesake of his theorised.

Somebody made a lot of money from the return tickets

While many took a stab at guessing just how 100,300 vehicles could just vanish into thin air, others were more interested in finding a solution.

George suggested using data Gozo Channel had already collected to root out the culprits.

“Every car that is transported on the Gozo ferries has its number plate recorded,” he wrote. “So a quick check if the cars that only made a one way trip are still licensed and on the road, will solve the problem”.

If the ferry operator is not all that keen on dusting off the paperwork, it might take up Antoine’s very Maltese solution instead.

“Reverse it and start charging [for tickets] in Malta instead of Gozo,” he wrote. “Then 100,000 will disappear in Malta after seven years. This will balance the books, problem solved”.

You could have worked at Enron, Twanny.

Lonely deaths

Every year, around 20 people breathe their last with nobody around to comfort or even bury them.

The poignant story prompted some heartfelt expressions of dismay from readers.

“Sad that some have no one, and others have families that will just never know what happened to those who just disappeared from the face of the Earth,” wrote Paul.

Gordon’s musings were especially disturbing.

“I am 71 without a single living relative, a tiny number of friends and prostate cancer,” he wrote. “No help, no phone calls. A remote and lonely existence, sadly. My death will be a blessing”.

What they said

“We need to go abroad and convey the message that the PN can restore the country’s reputation.”

Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia speaking at the PN Mqabba club, on how Malta’s image has suffered under the Labour government.

“There’s a servility, a timidity, a limpness in the artistic community in Malta that’s quite bemusing, with some notable exceptions, of course.”

Andrew Galea, a screenwriter based in Ireland, who commissioned the song and video We Are Daphne commenting on the artistic community’s passivity in the aftermath of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder. 

“The [Alfred Mizzi] Foundation would like to support Valletta residents to continue living within the capital, sustaining its soul.”

Julian Sammut, a trustee of The Alfred Mizzi Foundation, speaking during the launch of the Community Worker Initiative, which aims to flag the specific social needs of Valletta residents.

“What is next for our country? We have a choice, to be scared and hold on to the status quo and hope that nothing happens or to tread forward carefully but in a robust manner.”

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat addressing the EY Annual Attractiveness Event, which this year focused on ‘the transformative age’.

“Is the growth of the economy bringing things that Maltese people want? This might include longer, healthier lives. More leisure. Better public facilities. Cleaner air.”

David Pilling, Africa editor of the Financial Times, speaking to the Times of Malta ahead of his visit to Malta to address the EY Attractiveness Event.