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[LIVE] Income tax cuts for lower income earners, increase in pensions
Gozo permanent link feasibility done: Prime Minister says tunnel more feasible than bridge
12 October 2015, 5:46pm
Miriam Dalli
Miriam Dalli
Gozo permanent link feasibility done: Prime Minister says tunnel more feasible than bridge
A Spatial and Mapping Service project will be set up to analyse sites of national importance.
The Maltese seas will be monitored for pollution.
MEPA will be split up into two separate authorities – one focused on the environment and the other focused on planning.
Government will launch a public consultation over the possibility of designing a new law that will regulate food waste, particularly from large establishments such as supermarkets.
The Floriana Botanical Gardens will be beautified and converted into “a centre of environmental recreation”.
Studies on a new system for the management of farm waste will continue. The animal cemetery will be extended.
Identification chips will be installed on Pitkali crates, so as to render them traceable.
A PPP will be set up to reduce waiting lists for people who require hip and knee replacements.
A new block at Mater Dei will add 68 new beds to the national hospital, medical tourism facilities will be set up at the Gozo General Hospital, and the Karen Grech hospital will be developed into a hospital for the elderly.
A new dermatology centre will be built, with 12 beds for inpatients.
St. Luke’s will be developed into a hospital for medical tourism, a project that is projected to create 1,000 new jobs.
A pilot project will be launched that will see medicines delivered directly to people’s homes.
A request for proposals will be issued for the operation of the Hal-Kirkop medical centre.
A specialised paediatric emergency service will be introduced for children. A plan for the upgrading of Mount Carmel will be launched in the coming months.
New medicines to treat diabetes will be added to the government’s formulary list.
The monthly vouchers handed out to coeliacs will increase from €30.
Scicluna has promised to publish a copy of the report.
The Marsa horse-racing track and Marsa sports complex will also be upgraded.
A White Paper will be launched aimed at finding means through which sports organisations can attract further investment in their facilities.
Sports facilities will be built at the Gudja Youth Village.
Works will begin on relocating the military academy to the Pembroke Barracks, and €0.5 million will be spent on the training of soldiers.
Investment through the EU’s 2014-2020 internal security fund will commence – including €38 million on a new offshore patrol vessel, €7 million on the upgrade of the P 61 vessel, and €1.5 million on the purchase of a robot and van for the Explosive Ordinance Disposal.
The Economic Crimes Unit will be expanded – both through the allocation of police officers and through the employment of non-police professionals.
Technical and geological studies will be commissioned on the creation of a tunnel that will link Malta and Gozo. The proposal for a bridge linking the two islands has been scrapped, as a tunnel potentially financed by the private sector has been deemed more feasible.
A St George’s Bay Regeneration Cooperation will be set up to synergise private development works around the popular St. Julian’s bay.
He says, little action was taken by the previous government while the Labour government had completed a number of main initiatives.
The government will re-introduce a scheme to encourage people to dispose of vehicles over ten years old and to purchase vehicles with lower emissions. People who scrap an old vehicle and purchase a new electric one will be eligible for a €7,000 grant, people who purchase an electric vehicle without scrapping an old one will be eligible for a €4,000 grant, and people who purchase an electric quadricycle will be eligible for a €2,000 grant.
Owners of hybrid vehicles with carbon dioxide emissions between 50 and 65g/km will be eligible for a €2,000 grant. Owners of plug-in hybrids with CO2 emissions between 1 and 50g/km will be eligible for a €3,000 grant.
Owners of vehicles with CO2 emissions lower than 100g/km will be entitled to a €900 grant, while owners of vehicles with CO2 emissions between 101 and 130g/km will be eligible for a €700 grant.
Hybrid and electric vehicles will be exempted from Valletta’s Controlled Vehicular Access parking scheme.
Businesses that purchase hybrid or electric vehicles will be entitled to a one-off tax return of 50% of the purchase price of the vehicle.
Cars that have clocked up over 160,000km will be obliged to undergo an annual Vehicle Roadworthiness Test.
Motorcycle licenses
License fees for small 125cc motorcycles will be slashed to €10 per years. Registration tax will be removed for electric motorcycles.
Road disciplineHigher fines will be dished out to drink-drivers and people caught using their mobile phones while driving.
New laws will clamp down on people with unregistered foreign cars.
€13 million on roadworks
Transport Malta will invest €13 million in roadworks, €3 million more than it invested in 2015. Works will commence on Vjal ix-Xarolla in Zurrieq and on Triq Patri Pelagju and Triq Anthony Aquilina in Haz-Zebbug. A tidal system pilot project will be introduced in a number of roads.
‘Masterplan’ for Mriehel
A ‘masterplan’ will be announced to regenerate the Mriehel Industrial Estate into a business hub.
Investment in Identity Malta
A new system will be set up to improve the research of lands, contracts and other legal documents within the Lands Registry of Identity Malta. Software will be updated and more investment will be poured into the Single-Permit Front Office.This measure attracts the attention of the Opposition, as some lift up their heads to look at each other and ‘joke’ over the recent happenings involving the entity, including the visa racket.
New laws regulating shop opening hours will be announced before the end of the year.
Tax credits for businesses that employ doctorate holders
Businesses that employ people who hold or are reading for a doctorate in science, IT or engineering will be given a maximum €10,000 tax credit.
Financial assistance to SMEs in manufacturing sector
SMEs that rent out space from the private sector for manufacturing purposes will be granted a maximum €10,000 in financial compensation over a two-year period.
Tax credits for female-controlled companies
Self-employed women and businesses in which women enjoy a majority equity will be granted a maximum €50,000 tax credit.
Rehabilitation of reservoirs
A plan will be set up to rehabilitate water reservoirs across the island, with the aim of making better use of rainwater and reducing flood-related dangers.
One-tablet-per-child
Tablets to be launched in October 2016; teachers will meanwhile receive training and technical infrastructure will be strengthened.
Schools
St Paul’s Bay to get a new school while the Mariam Al Battol to receive financial support to construct a new floor. A new residential and community centre for the University of Malta; works for Gozo campus to start soon.
Childcare centres
Three new childcare centres will be opened on Haz-Zebbug, St Julian’s and Floriana.
Regularisation of irregular migrants’ work
A consultation process will be launched for the setting up of an Immigration Work Office. The system will be managed through a PPP and will regularise the employment of irregular migrants.
Tourists aged 18+ to pay €0.50c per day, capped at €5. This will also include Maltese citizens travelling to Gozo.
Looks like the measure didn’t go down well with a number of MPs from the Opposition benches, while the Opposition leader commented “they [government MPs] didn’t clap” – the government MPs then clapped.
Scicluna says the measure would generate €6 million and would go into the tourism foundation, in PPP with the MHRA. The aim is to use the funds to regenerate main tourist areas.
Petrol and diesel prices to decrease as from January 2016. Price of petrol to decrease by 3c while diesel to decrease by 4c. The decrease includes duty raise. LPG prices to remain unchanged until April.
First-time buyers to save up to €5,000 for their first home, backdated to 1 July 2015.
Withholding tax
15% withholding tax on residential rents extended to commercial properties.
Final withholding tax on property in urban conservation areas down to 5%.
Vacant properties
The litigation period of heirs caught in a dispute over the selling of inherited property to be reduced from 10 to 3 years. Therefore, if 51% of the heirs are in agreement, the property can be sold after 3 years.
Property registration tax
Registration tax on property bought in an urban conservation area to be halved (2.5%). Contracts must be finalised between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2016.
Government to launch consultation on vacant commercial premises and what sanctions should be introduced.
Government to subsidise the salary of a carer employed to take care of an elderly at home, currently on a waiting list. The subsidy will be equivalent to up to half of the minimum wage.
12,000 pensioners on minimum pension to receive an increase of between €4.15 and €8.92 per week, the highest receivers being those aged over 75.
Married couples on minimum pension not affected by the measure to receive a weekly increase of €4.15 per week over and above COLA adjustment.
Additional €300 for elderly aged 75 and over.
Earners with an income of €6,600 up to €15,000 to receive €1,200 for every child. Working couples earning between €10,000 and €20,000 to receive up to €1,000 per child. The same benefit will be given to second parent joining the workforce.
Families with one working person earning between €6,600 and €12,700 to receive up to €150 per child.
7% VAT on sports activities including gym memberships, fitness centres, football nurseries. Coaches and professional sportsmen to benefit from a 7.5% income tax rate.
Extra duty carried out by police officers to be taxed separately at a 15% rate.
Single declarations up to €9,100, joint declarations up to €12,700, and parent declarations up to €10,500 won’t be taxed.
Single declaration up to €19,5000 to benefit from an annual €90 tax cut; €105 tax cut for a parent with single declaration up to €21,200; €120 tax cut for €28,700 couple’s joint declaration;
Working married couple with single computation can save up to €180; Working married couple each earning up to €21,000 can save up to €210;
Minimum wage earners will not be taxed.
Growth, he says, was also registered in manufacturing; full-time work has incrased by almost 13,450 jobs. The proportion of jobs in the public sector is 26.1% of total full-time jobs. The rate under the previous administration was of 26.7%.
The government side claps as Scicluna says the Labour administration was the first to curb social benefits abuse.
He lists the work carried out to encourage more women and persons with disability to join the workforce.
His introduction is setting the tone for tonight’s speech. The government is on track for a 1.6% deficit by end of year.
The question revealed that 38 of 53 visas issued to North Korean citizens were issued for employment purposes while 15 others for commercial reasons.
PN MP Paula Mifsud Bonnici has taken umbrage at the Family Minister's refusal to provide the complete list of consultancies/direct order awarded by his ministry.
Michael Farrugia claims that this was "a waste of time and resources". He insists that he has no problem in providing any specific information but “he won’t waste time and money going through every single file”.
Today also happens to be Edward Scicluna's birthday.