Employers propose children's 'travelling allowance'

The Malta Employers’ Association said part of the children’s allowance should be set aside into a personal account that the child will only be able to spend on “travelling abroad, for study or leisure.” Children will only be able to make use of these funds once they turn 14. 

“This will ensure a better likelihood that the funds spent on children’s allowances will be used to improve children’s welfare rather than, as happens in some case, being spent by the parents on cigarettes and nail technicians.”

“This will also address a social imbalance whereby children who have never travelled to other countries stand at a disadvantage compared to those who have.”

This is one of the MEA’s proposals for the 2015 National Budget.

They also proposed a reduction in the public workforce.

“The prevailing welfare-shopping mentality in our society has to be stamped out,” the Malta Employers’ Association said. “A job in the public sector is not necessarily the apex of a person’s career and the increase of 2000 posts in the public sector is sending the wrong messages.”

“Was there really a need to employ more people at the Water Service Corporation, for example?”

The MEA said that, by employing more people within the public sector, the government is creating labour shortages in the private sector. Private companies have to address this problem by hiring more foreign workers.  

They also said that the increasing popularity of online shopping is creating problems for the retail sectors and that the ongoing crisis in Libya “can create new openings for Malta”.

The MEA also said that maternity leave should be paid ‘through taxes’ and that the minimum wage should not be topped up.  

The full list of the MEA's proposals can be accessed from:
http://www.maltaemployers.com/Portals/22/Proposals%20for%20National%20Budget%202015.pdf