Updated 0950
Magistrate Monica Vella faces disciplinary proceedings over delays
Disciplinary proceedings have been launched against Magistrate Monica Vella following complaints about delays and administrative shortcomings in handling court cases. The magistrate will be given the opportunity to respond to the allegations and could face sanctions, including suspension or removal from the bench, if the shortcomings are confirmed. The action follows a constitutional court referral to the standards commissioner for the judiciary after an 81-year-old woman experienced “unjustified” delays in separation proceedings overseen by Vella. The magistrate was also removed from several other cases amid concerns about perceived bias. Court statistics published in August showed Vella had 1,672 pending criminal cases, more than 93% of which were district-related. She was suspended for a month last year over administrative failures, including delays in issuing written judgments. (Times of Malta)
Malta records EU’s sharpest decline in minimum-wage food purchasing power
Minimum-wage earners in Malta have experienced the European Union’s steepest decline in food purchasing power since 2021, according to an analysis by Euronews Business. Workers can now afford 6% less food with their gross salary than they could five years ago. The fall was the largest in the EU, ahead of Spain, where purchasing power declined by 5%, and France, which recorded a 4% decrease. These were the only three EU member states where minimum-wage earners lost food purchasing power over the period. Food inflation in Malta between 2021 and 2026 reached approximately 35%, one percentage point above the EU average of 34%. Meanwhile, Malta’s minimum wage rose by just 27%. (Maltatoday)
Malta records EU’s lowest annual cannabis consumption rate
Just 5.9% of Malta’s population reported consuming cannabis during the previous year, the lowest rate among European Union member states, according to figures published by the European Union Drugs Agency. Across the countries surveyed, approximately 25 million people consumed cannabis over the same period, equivalent to 8.7% of the population aged between 15 and 64. The survey covered EU member states as well as Norway and Türkiye. France recorded the highest cannabis consumption rate among the countries included, at 50.4%, followed by Spain at 43.7% and Denmark at 37.6%. Turkey registered the lowest rate across the full group of countries surveyed, at 2.7%, below Malta’s figure. (TVM News)
Morning Briefing
Tax savings for working parents set to double in Budget 2027
Tax savings for working parents are set to double next year, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Sunday, ahead of Monday’s Budget 2027 announcement. Speaking during a political activity at the Orpheum Theatre in Gżira, Abela also pledged a €10 weekly increase in pensions, equivalent to €520 annually. He said parents earning up to €60,000 would eventually pay no income tax, describing Malta as set to become the first country in the world to introduce such a measure. Abela defended the government’s energy subsidies, saying an average family was saving more than €2,000 annually on fuel and electricity bills. The government has allocated another €400 million for subsidies next year, matching the amount earmarked for this year. Abela also said the deficit would remain below 3% of gross domestic product, with public debt staying below 50%. The Budget for next year will be announced by the Minister for Finance this evening. (TVM News)
Borg urges government to prioritise long-term economic challenges
Opposition Leader Alex Borg has called on the government to use Budget 2027 to address Malta’s structural economic challenges rather than focus on the next election. Speaking at a Nationalist Party activity on Sunday, Borg argued that Malta had prioritised population growth over productivity and added value. Citing a Chamber of Commerce document, he said gross value added increased by 82% between 2015 and 2025, with around 70% of the growth attributed to an expanding workforce and just 3% to productivity. He also pointed to a 0.9% decline in real productivity per hour worked last year. Borg said maintaining annual economic growth of 4% would require around 14,000 additional workers each year, while 3% growth would need between 6,000 and 7,000. He welcomed findings that 81% of foreign investors considered Malta attractive, but called for greater capital investment, stronger skills and improved public services. (Maltatoday)
Government set to end free bus travel for most non-EU residents
Most non-EU nationals living in Malta are expected to lose access to free public transport from next year under a measure set to be announced in Monday’s Budget 2027. The change is expected to affect third-country nationals without long-term residency, while Maltese and EU citizens, as well as British nationals covered by the pre-Brexit agreement, would retain free travel. Under the proposed system, third-country nationals would pay around €33 a month for a Tallinja card covering buses and ferries. The measure is expected to save the government tens of millions of euros annually. Free public transport was extended to all residents in October 2022, with the government paying €34.3 million to Malta Public Transport specifically to cover the scheme in 2025, alongside a further €58.7 million in public service obligation subsidies. The government is also expected to increase the daily tourist tax, currently set at €1.50 per night and capped at €22.50 per visitor. (Times of Malta)
