LOCAL NEWS
Update by Ministry of Health
Three new cases were reported in the past 24 hours, out of 851 tests. As no person recovered during the same timeframe, the total number of active cases has risen to 29.
Malta welcomes EU recovery plan but challenges distribution criteria and taxation plans
Finance Ministers got together online to discuss the EU’s proposed Recovery Plan, intended to kickstart the European economies after the challenges brought out about by the coronavirus pandemic. During his intervention the Minister for Finance and Financial Services Edward Scicluna welcomed the idea of a Recovery Package as a needed instrument to kick start the economy of the EU Member States and assist those Member States who have been hit hard by the pandemic.
However, he expressed a number of Malta’s concerns, including the main allocation criteria and nature of funding. The ECOFIN meeting, held by videoconference, focused on the Commission’s proposal of a 750 billion euro plan, two-thirds of which would be distributed in the form of non-repayable cash grants.
With regard to the allocation criteria, Malta insisted that there should be a forward- looking approach which considered the impact of Covid-19, rather than considering the pre-Covid economic situation. Scicluna said that criteria should not rely on unemployment rates as the only indicator. “Such an indicator is not sophisticated enough to catch the peculiarities of countries where there are some sectors which survive the ravishes of the pandemic while having one important economic sector, devastated – as is the case with tourism.”
The Maltese Government welcomed the provision of a modest volume of grants in the spirit of solidarity, however considers the ratio of grants to loans allocated to some countries as too high. The Minister insisted that the way the present grants to loans ratio is structured, it will turn a number of Member States, including Malta, from net beneficiaries to net contributors and having a multiplier effect which is difficult to understand let alone explain to others.
In the Commission’s proposal, Malta would set to receive just under one billion euro, a third of which would come in the form of loans.
Malta has also raised the issue of taxation, suggesting to go for non-confrontational and controversial means of taxation, such as on non-recyclable plastics and similar products. The Minister argued that the proposal to extend the Emission Trading System into taxation of air and sea travel, not only impinges on the welfare of the Member States which rely heavily on tourism, but also believe that these taxes are the last to consider, in this unique situation and has been dealt a significant blow.
Investment in the upskilling and reskilling of the labour force crucial for a stronger economy
Upskilling and reskilling of the labour force are crucial for a more competitive and resilient economy. The Skills Development Scheme, which will see an investment of €5m for in-house training of employees and the €5,000 grant for companies to re- engineer their business models are initiatives which will instil the necessary skills in our workforce to further boost economic growth.
Speaking during a virtual Informal Ministerial Meeting of Employment and Social Policy Ministers, Minister for Education and Employment Owen Bonnici said that the synchronisation between national employment and social policies requires a holistic approach, with the ultimate aim being to learn from the opportunities which have surfaced and see how these can be adapted.
#MALTA-24: LOCAL NEWS
Timesofmalta.com
UĦM seeks clarifications about ‘vulnerable’ workers told to return to work
The UĦM has asked a number of questions to the Superintendent of Public Health about her decision to tell workers who had been considered vulnerable to Covid-19 to return to work.
The workers had received a letter from the superintendent, Charmaine Gauci, telling them they could now return to their places of work. The UĦM said that Gauci’s letter to the workers mentioned guidelines that people could consult but these guidelines had been removed from the health promotion department’s website.
It further transpired that only people who were of working age had received this letter. Elderly people and children have not received such a letter.
Independent
Outbound tourism bookings lacking, but should pick up in the near future – travel agents
Outbound tourism bookings are still lacking since the government announced the re- opening of the airport for commercial flights to select destinations, according to the Federated Association of Travel and Tourism Agents Malta (FATTA), however, the association’s president Iain Tonna believes that it should improve in the coming weeks.
On 1 July, Malta is set to reopen its doors to 19 destinations after Health Minister Chris Fearne announced that “we have won the war” against the Covid-19 pandemic. FATTA President Tonna said that there has been a bit of movement in incoming tourism but the same does not apply to outbound tourism.
He said that there is interest for tourists to come to Malta, however, it is mostly coming from Free Independent Travellers (FITs); meaning individual trips, not group ones. In these cases, FATTA and its members are informing their customers with any approved protocols for hospitality establishments, sites, museums and the like, which travellers will need for their trip.
“With regards to outbound tourism, the situation is very modest, people’s confidence is not yet quite there,” Tonna said.
Maltatoday
‘Exceptional outbreak’ of COVID-19 in ENT ward, investigation underway
A cluster of COVID-19 cases traced back to Mater Dei Hospital’s ENT ward is being investigated by the health authorities to determine the source of this “exceptional outbreak”.
There were 18 positive cases of coronavirus linked to the ENT ward, which deals with ailments related to the ear, nose and throat. Mater Dei CEO Celia Falzon confirmed the outbreak to MaltaToday on Sunday, adding that investigations were underway to determine the cause.
Falzon dismissed the claims of inertia, insisting that contact tracing efforts started immediately after the first positive case was registered.
Printed
The Times reports that employees of Turkish construction company TACA are on hunger strike. The builders working on the new Fortina site in Tigne said that they have not received their wages for five months and now fear eviction without pay.
Malta Today says that Fortina is in talks with building contractors TACA over its employee conditions. Fortina Investments director Edward Zammit Tabona said that the group has paid all its dues to the Turkish company.
The Independent speaks to the president of the travel agents’ association who said that bookings for outbound tourism are still slow but expects them to pick up soon. Malta is set to reopen its borders to 19 countries on 1 July.
In-Nazzjon reports that former Minister Konrad Mizzi returned to Malta on a flight from London on Tuesday afternoon. The paper says that the government MP has been away since 13 March.
L-Orizzont speaks to General Workers Union secretary general Josef Bugeja about the economic regeneration plan announced by the government. Bugeja said that the package injects confidence into the economy.
The Times quotes a survey among 58 diving centres who said that they find themselves in a dire situation because of the pandemic. The diving industry has generated €38 million last year, attracting eight percent of incoming tourism.
Malta Today reports that Malta’s permanent representative in Brussels, Daniel Azzopardi, was dismissed after failing to gain support for a migrant-sharing agreement from other EU members. He will be replaced by predecessor Marlene Bonnici.
The Independent reaches out to PL deputy leader Chris Cardona following claims by the state witness Melvin Theuma linking him to the Caruana Galizia murder. The former minister said he would not allow the party to be harmed by any attempted frame-ups.
In-Nazzjon says that PN MPs will not take part in the parliamentary grilling of the nominated Police Commissioner because it disagrees with the selection process and appointment conditions set out by the government.
Editorials
The Times of Malta welcomes the regeneration plan announced last Monday as a much- needed boost to the Maltese economy. However it raises concern on the fact that no information was given on how such measures will be financed. The Editor highlights the danger of a “money no problem” mindset. It is something Labour had challenged effectively when in opposition. But in the rush to turn the economic lead of the pandemic into the gold of revived prosperity, care must be taken not to risk the long- term well-being of this generation and the next.
Maltatoday also takes a generally positive approach to this plan but insists that discipline and vigilance will remain important as we go forward to ensure the virus remains under control. The Editor argues that it is also time to get the economic wheel turning so that jobs are protected, people can earn a decent living and the country can return to a state of normality. The Editor looks at some of the key initiatives launched last Monday, expressing belief that the recovery plan goes a long way to achieve these objectives.
The Independent welcomes the general gist of the recovery plan, while highlighting a few areas which it considered as disappointing. One major criticism is that the reduction in energy tariffs was not extended to households. While helping businesses is good and will of course preserve and create more jobs in the future, the people do need help now, and one way of doing that would be by reducing energy tariffs. People have taken wage cuts, have stopped taking overtime, have paid their dues to help in these trying times. Creating incentives for people to go out and spend is not enough if they don’t have the extra money to spend in the first place.
L-Orizzont describes the initiatives launched last Monday as unprecedented. It looks at three different elements included in such plan, namely support to businesses, a push to families to resume their consumption patterns and support to the supply side. The Editorial argues how such a massive investment plan was possible as the country found itself in a strong financial position following the diligence shown in the previous years.
In-Nazzjon takes a critical approach to Government’s plans noting how around 100,000 employees, having already been sidelined during the crisis, were receiving no forms of support. It also expresses disappointment that while efforts at incentivising domestic consumption were prioritised, there is no planning and proposals to entice foreigners to visit Malta once routes are-opened.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Which countries lifted their travelling and border restrictions?
Corporate Dispatch has collated information from around Europe on the opening of travel and removal of border restrictions.
EU Corner – by Comuniq.EU
EU to speed up trials for coronavirus vaccines from GMOs
European officials aim to speed up trials for coronavirus vaccines containing genetically modified organisms, two EU sources told Reuters, in a move that could help shots developed by companies like AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.
The European Commission is expected to put forward the plans as early as next week. They are part of a wider EU strategy aimed at securing enough doses of a possible vaccine for the bloc as it fears lagging behind the United States and China.
The reform is expected to reduce member states’ power to impose extra requirements on drug companies when they conduct clinical trials on medicines and vaccines containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs), according to the sources.
In some countries like Italy and France, for example, treatments must receive authorisation from government environment or research departments, as well as from health and drug authorities, under rules that are up to 20 years old and also cover the more publicly sensitive area of GMO crops.
This has long caused bottlenecks in a pharmaceutical industry that increasing relies on genetic engineering.
This daily update bulletin is being compiled for the Chamber of Advocates by CI Consulta from Corporate ID Group. CI Consulta delivers policy research and analysis, evaluations and impact assessments up to policy implementation and integration.
