Ukraine war will cost Malta €200 million – Finance Minister / Malta News Briefing – Thursday 10 March 2022

Updated 1320

Ukraine war will cost Malta €200 million in subsidies and cushion for inflation: Finance minister Clyde Caruana has said the war in Ukraine has already cost Malta €200 million in projected price increases, forecasting that government proposals to keep consumption buoyant will probably have to be replicated in the year. Caruana told an audience at the Malta Chamber of Commerce that the impact of war in Ukraine was “not small”, and that “saving the economy” had once again become an existential challenge for the island.

Party leaders go head-to-head in first debate: Prime Minister Robert Abela and Opposition leader Bernard Grech will be going head-to-head in their first-ever debate this afternoon. Joining them on stage at the Sir Temi Zammit Hall University hall wll be ADPD chairman Carmel Cacopardo, Partit Populari head Paul Salamone and ABBA’s Ivan Grech Mintoff. Attendance is limited to University of Malta and Junior College students. It is expected that about 550 will attend. All lectures will be suspended for the duration of the event.

Covid-19 Update: Another 153 new COVID-19 cases have been recorded overnight as an-86-year-old man died while positive to the virus. Statistics published by the health ministry show 76 people recovered, leaving the number of active cases at 1,078.

Morning Briefing

Labour promises three long-Covid clinics

Deputy PM Chris Fearne said that despite the difficulties, the Labour government transformed Malta into one of the best performing countries in the world. Speaking in Siggiewi, he announced that a Labour government would be opening three long-covid clinics, one at Mater Dei hospital, one in Gozo and one at the Vincent Moran primary healthcare centre which would be opening in Paola. “We have a track record of the past nine years. We have the credibility and the best team of competent candidates the country has ever seen,” Fearne said. [Maltatoday]

Large majority of MEPs call for golden passport bans

An overwhelming majority of MEPs voted in favour of a report calling for the ban of so-called golden passports. MEPs from across the political spectrum supported the report, with only 12 votes against, four of whom came from the Maltese MEPs representing the Labour Party. Parliament stressed that ‘citizenship by investment’ (CBI) schemes, under which third country nationals obtain citizenship rights in exchange for a sum of money, undermine the essence of EU citizenship.

PN commits not to raise income tax throughout next legislature

The Nationalist Party focused on tax issues on Wednesday evening, with party leader Bernard Grech saying tht the electoral programme provides further encouragement to those who work, pay tax and contribute to the economy. Those earning under €20,000 would be given a tax credit of 10% in tax paid the previous year. Those earning between €20,000 and €40,000 would be given a 5% tax credit, while those earning between €40,001 and €60,000 would get a credit of 3%. The PN said it is also promising not to raise the rates of social security contributions, VAT or income tax through the legislature. [Times of Malta]

Covid-19 Update: Cases are steadily rising, as 138 Covid-19 positive people were found overnight. There were 84 new recoveries. Two men, aged 80 and 90, died while Covid-19 positive. There are 35 people in hospital, 4 of whom are in the ITU.