LOCAL NEWS
Update by Ministry of Health
Malta is fast approaching Covid-free status, with three persons recovering during the past 24 hours.
As there were no new cases during the same time frame, the number of active cases has now gone down to 13.
Just under 900 swab tests were carried out throughout yesterday.
#MALTA-24: LOCAL NEWS
Timesofmalta.com
British tourist bookings ‘on same level’ as last year – Julia Farrugia Portelli
Bookings by British tourists have “spiked” over the past two weeks and arrivals from the UK should be at par with those of last year’s, Julia Farrugia Portelli said on Thursday.
Answering questions on BBC Breakfast, the Tourism Minister said Malta had “good ties with the British government and statistics are showing us that we had a spike in the past two weeks.”
“Travel agents in the UK told us that we have practically reached the same level of bookings by British tourists as we had last year,” she added.
Farrugia Portelli was asked what would happen if tourists who make it through the airport temperature check fall ill at the hotel.
The tourists would be isolated until the arrival of the medical team. “All the patients will be cared for in an appropriate manner,” Farrugia Portelli added.
Maltatoday.com.mt
Retail sector struggles to survive in post-COVID limbo as Sliema trumps Valletta
Sliema was the shopping destination to have fared best in the run-up to Father’s Day two Sundays ago but sales only averaged 40% of last year.
Valletta is the locality where retailers appear to be the worst hit, with coffee shops in the capital believed to have averaged as low as 15% of their normal turnover on the same Sunday.
Industry insiders said numerous retailers have been forced to lay off employees and in some cases, close down the business, as measures imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible for them to meet financial obligations, especially high rent. The vouchers form part of the government’s stimulus package for the coming three months. Four of the €20 vouchers can be spent on restaurants and accommodation, while one other €20 voucher can be spent in retail shops and services forcibly closed during the pandemic. Meanwhile, business owners eligible for the scheme will receive a registered letter from the government with an activation code.
The Malta Business Weekly
‘The consequences of being grey-listed by MONEYVAL could be as devastating as the COVID crisis’ – MEA president
In her address during the 55th Annual General Meeting of the Malta Employers’ Association, the president Doris Sammut Bonnici focused on the governance issues and reputational damage being faced by Malta and their consequences.
She stressed that: “Malta should never have come to a state where MONEYVAL is breathing down our necks to put our house in order. Our financial services and igaming sectors built a formidable competitive advantage over the years through a well-designed combination of fiscal incentives, reputation building and overall infrastructure.” Unfortunately, Malta’s image has been devalued as the country has been rocked by a successive series of scandals that have drawn the attention of the international media. The consequences of being grey- listed by MONEYVAL could be as devastating as the COVID crisis’.
She added that: ‘No matter how resilient our economy is, it will not be able to withstand a contraction of the financial and igaming sectors, an ailing tourism industry and a fall in manufacturing output simultaneously. Businesses and people will suffer if this scenario becomes a reality’.
Newspaper Review
The Malta Business Weekly reports on the arrival of the first commercial flight in Malta since the airport was shut down in March. More than 80 flights are expected this week, carrying 1,300 visitors on the first day.
The Independent says that Tourism Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli and Economy Minister Silvio Schembri welcomed the passengers aboard the first Air Malta touch- down in Malta since flights were suspended.
Business Today says that the ports have reopened after the Covid-19 shutdown, but the first cruise liner passengers are not expected to arrive in Malta before mid-August.
L-Orizzont quotes Tourism Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli who said that the reopening of the airport is vital for thousands of jobs in the tourism sector. The paper says that special measures are in place to detect any virus cases among passengers.
The Times follows the Caruana Galizia public inquiry during which former police AC Ian Abdilla failed to reply when asked about reasons why Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi were not investigated for their involvement in the Panama Papers.
In-Nazzjon quotes Judge Joseph Said Pullicino who asked former Economic Crimes Unit Head Ian Refalo whether he was instructed in writing by the Attorney General that Panama Papers investigations would create unrest in the country.
L-Orizzont carries a statement by Attorney General Peter Grech who rejected claims that he had ordered the police to ‘tread carefully’ in their Panama Papers investigations and accused PN MP Jason Azzopardi of spreading lies.
The Malta Business Weekly quotes Opposition MP Jason Azzopardi who called for the Attorney General’s resignation following revelations in court that he had advised the police to ‘go slow’ on the Panama Papers investigations.
The Independent reports that Satabank has had its licence withdrawn by the European Central Bank on recommendation of the Malta Financial Services Authority, Satabank has been under charge of Ernst & Young since October 2018.
Business Today reports that retail business is struggling to survive, and some workers have already been laid off. Business in Valletta is down to around 15 percent of last year while retailers in Sliema report a 60 percent drop in sales.
The Times says that migrants have been evicted from the open centres to make room for newly arrived asylum seekers. Human rights foundation Aditus reports that many of the evicted are sleeping rough.
In-Nazzjon picks up comments by Employers’ Association president Doris Sammut Bonnici who said that Malta should never have found itself risking grey-listing by Moneyval. She warned that the consequences would be as devastating as the Covid-19 crisis.
L-Orizzont quotes government whip Glenn Bedingfield who questioned links by MPs on the opposition side with businessman Yorgen Fenech. Bedingfield asked who in the PN turned to Fenech for a conference room or held events at his property.
Editorials
The Times of Malta focuses on the upcoming Moneyval (the Council of Europe’s anti- money laundering body) test. The Editor argues that putting our house in order to combat financial crime may result in some operators deciding to relocate to other jurisdictions more lenient with enforcing international anti-money laundering standards. But Malta cannot expect special treatment in a context where some countries already consider it a less than reputable jurisdiction in the EU. The Editorial insists that the long- term benefits of implementing robust anti-money laundering processes outweigh the short-term costs to the country.
The Independent discusses the charges brought against a number of police officers regarding overtime abuse, insisting that this should be just the beginning. The Editor argues that trust in the police has suffered over recent years, and this scandal did not help in the slightest. A complete investigation into the whole Force should, if it has not already taken place, be launched to see if any other sections of the Force were involved in any wrongdoing.
Business Today looks at the vouchers that will be sent to the general public to spend in Malta’s catering and retail outlets, and it welcomes the innovative IT-based system that they will be based upon. At times like these, it becomes imperative that public sector responses are quick and effective to reduce uncertainty and mitigate the pressure caused by the pandemic crisis.
The Malta Business Weekly argues that for a full recovery handouts are not enough. People have been generally thankful but the help is running out. And those especially who have been relying almost exclusively on the help coming from the state now face the threat of trying to survive without this. The Editor hopes that the structures of social assistance can be widened and enlarged so as to be able to offer real help to those in need, this side of assistentialism. The Editorial also claims tht SMEs are suffering the bigger brunt, and they have been swallowed up in a black hole.
In-Nazzjon focuses on the rule of law and proposals put forward by the Venice Commission. The Editor says that in picking and choosing which initiatives to actually implement, Government is seeking the best of both worlds, which ultimately will not suffice to enhance Malta’s reputation.
L-Orizzont describes the re-opening of Malta’s airport as another stop towards normality, which was possible thanks to the way the pandemic was managed in Malta. The Editorial refers on estimates that 700,000 tourists would visit Malta by the end of the year, which would give a timely boost to Malta’s businesses.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS (By corporatedispatch.com)
Microsoft to help 25 million people worldwide acquire new digital skills needed for the COVID-19 economy
Microsoft Corp. this week announced a new global skills initiative aimed at bringing more digital skills to 25 million people worldwide by the end of the year.
The announcement comes in response to the global economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Expanded access to digital skills is an important step in accelerating economic recovery, especially for the people hardest hit by job losses.
This initiative, detailed on the Official Microsoft Blog, includes immediate steps to help those looking to reskill and pursue an in-demand job and brings together every part of the company, combining existing and new resources from LinkedIn, GitHub and Microsoft.
Reports UK to ditch travel quarantine for 75 countries including Malta
The British government will effectively ditch its air bridge plans and simply end the quarantine rules for those arriving from 75 countries so that people can go on holiday, The Daily Telegraph reported.
The newspaper said the UK would shortly lift a ban on non-essential travel to nearly all EU destinations, the British territories including Bermuda and Gibraltar, and Turkey, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand.
The USA, Russia and Brazil will be among countries on the “red” list where the ban on non-essential travel will continue.
EU Corner – by Comuniq.EU
Euro area unemployment in May rises to 7.4%
In May 2020, a third month marked by COVID-19 containment measures in most Member States, the euro area seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 7.4%, up from 7.3% in April 2020. The EU unemployment rate was 6.7% in May 2020, up from 6.6% in April 2020. Eurostat estimates that 14.366 million men and women in the EU, of whom 12.146 million in the euro area, were unemployed in May 2020.
Compared with April 2020, the number of persons unemployed increased by 253 000 in the EU.
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.
