UPDATE – Coronavirus Vaccination Progress – The vaccine to all people in Malta over the age of 16 would be opened in May Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne announced this in Parliament on Monday. Fearne also said that COVID-19 vaccine boosters for the winter season are already on order.
Latest Update- News Portal Briefing
Times of Malta reports that Minister Justyne Caruana has defended her role in a controversial mega-contract for a home for the elderly that the National Audit Office said breached procurement law.
MaltaToday reports that former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has filed a libel suit against lawyer Christian Grima over a Facebook post that claimed the former prime minister blew up Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Newsbook reports that Archbishop Charles J Scicluna warned that the legalisation of cannabis “will open the door to further trouble.”
TVM reports that a 39-year-old man from Ħamrun ended up in court after allegedly attempting to attack his 70-year-old mother with a sword.
Updated 1245
Chamber calls for major reforms in public procurement
The Chamber of Commerce has called for an extensive reform of public procurement processes in the wake of the Audit Office report into a multi-million euro contract at St Vincent de Paul Home. It was reacting to a report by the Audit Office on a €274 million contract awarded by San Vince de Paul Residence, which the Auditor described as irregular. The Chamber said there was need for full transparency, good governance and an equal playing field in public procurement.
“As public procurement accounts for a substantial portion of the taxpayers’ money, governments are expected to carry it out efficiently and with high standards of conduct to ensure high quality of service delivery and safeguard the public interest,” the chamber said.
11 new positive cases
11 new Covid-19 cases were reported this afternoon, while 23 persons have recovered. The active case tally has gone down again, this time to 213. 1,524 swab tests were carried out on Sunday.
Labour pushes further cannabis reform
The Labour Party said that it is in favour of the legalisation of cannabis and is urging the country to move in this direction. Over the last few weeks, the PL has carried out a process of consultation, and after it welcomed a number of submissions and drafting the framework for discussion, the National Executive approved the document as a response to the consultation process. While welcoming this Government White Paper on the responsible use of cannabis and describing it as a positive step forward, it pointed out that the process began with a proposal in the Labour party’s electoral manifesto in 2017 (Tvm.com.mt)
Newspaper Review
The Times says that Minister Carmelo Abela was among a restricted team of HSBC officers with access to a security machine that produced key cards believed to have been used in an attempted heist in 2010. Abela was part of the bank’s security department at the time.
L-Orizzont quotes Prime Minster Robert Abela who announced that a new round of vouchers can start being used from June 7. The government scheme, which is expected to cost €45 million, seeks to boost economic activity.
The Times says that persons aged 16 and over are entitled to the €100 voucher scheme to encourage consumption. The first cycle of vouchers issued last year generated an additional spend of €11.5 million in shops and catering establishments.
The Independent says that a new set of vouchers is expected to be delivered to homes by the end of the month. The €100 budget is likely to be split into €40 for retail and €60 for catering and accommodation.
In-Nazzjon quotes PN Leader Bernard Grech who said that the party will bounce back from poor results in a voting intention survey published on Sunday. Grech said that different ideas make the PN stronger.
The Independent reports that a Planning Authority meeting this week will decide on whether to sanction Polidano Brothers for a series of illegal developments and deviations at Ħal Farruġ. An enforcement order was first issued in 2011.
The Times says that Minister Carmelo Abela was among a restricted team of HSBC officers with access to a security machine that produced key cards believed to have been used in an attempted heist in 2010. Abela was part of the bank’s security department at the time.
In-Nazzjon reports that Prime Minister Robert Abela referred to talks with his Indian counterpart last week and said that decisions ‘must be made’. The paper says that Abela did not explain why Ivan Barbara, who died from Covid-19 in India, was denied vaccination.
Morning Briefing
Employment levels at pre-pandemic levels – PM
During Sunday’s political speech, Prime Minister Robert Abela recalled that fourteen months ago Governments took a strategic decision of supporting the economy instead of pursuing an austerity policy. “We have invested heavily in the people and the fruits of that decision are being seen today as having pre-pandemic levels of unemployment, as it was before March last year”, he added.
A second round of government-issed €100 vouchers will be announced over the coming days, the Prime Minister announced. “Over the next few days we will announce how these vouchers will be distributed, but the target remains that from 7 June, those vouchers will start being utilised,” Robert Abela said. The extension of government’s initial voucher scheme was announced during the Budget 2021, with €60 to be spent at restaurants and €40 spent on services and goods.
President says Northern African countries should be kept in mind during Future of Europe Conference
“Malta’s contributions to the discussion on the future of Europe cannot but be intimately linked to the future of relations between North African countries and European Union countries. Strengthening this region is crucial to achieving peace and stability in our neighbouring countries in North Africa.”
In an address on Europe Day, President George Vella said that a strong relationship with Northern African countries, will also lead to greater security in the Mediterranean and throughout the European continent.
Unity and dialogue with these countries are the only key to be truly able to address difficult situations and will lead to lasting solutions that increase economic opportunities with respect for the rule of law, good governance, and the environment, he argued.
People want more changes in Party – Grech
Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech said on Sunday that he is determined not to allow “frivolities” take centre stage, in a reference to the Facebook spate between MPs Adrian Delia and Jason Azzopardi last week. He also acknowledged that more needs to be done to address the trust rating drop as reported in a survey published on Sunday.
Grech said that the survey showed the people wanted more changes while new faces are needed even in Party structures.
Covid-Update
Nine new Covid-19 cases were reported by health authorities on Sunday as the number of active cases continued to decrease. With 31 recoveries registered and no new deaths as a result of the virus, the number of active cases now stands at 225. 1,766 swab tests were carried out on Saturday, taking the total number of swab tests so far up to 883,785.
CDE News
