Update 1915
Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has announced his resignation as member of parliament.
Muscat announced his resignation on Monday, as parliament convened after the summer recess.
The former PM said that he is proud of the accomplishments as leader of the country, and with the responsibilities he shouldered.
Updated 1745- News Portals update
The Times says France’s national financial prosecutor’s office has been asked to open an investigation into whether four French-based banks and an investment fund were complicit with Electrogas in laundering the proceeds of corruption.
MaltaToday reports that The Malta Trust Foundation has received close to €1 million from its international partners and 15 Maltese entrepreneurs to set up a music school for children with different abilities.
TVM reports that the 2021 budget will take place a fortnight from today on Monday 19 October.
Newsbook says the Ministry for Gozo launched the one time employment refund scheme through which employers can get a refund of their employee’s wages. The scheme applies for those companies which have generated employment in Gozo throughout these past two years.
Updated 1239 – Covid-19 Update
Health authorities registered 57 new cases of coronavirus in Malta tin the past 24 hours. With only 12 patients recovering, the number of active cases is back above the 500-mark, standing at 518.
From the 30 cases which have been traced, seven cases were identified at St Vincent de Paule while seven cases were of educators, the daily update said.
Updated 0844- Newspaper Review
The Times quotes newly elected PN Leader Bernard Grech as he laid out his priorities for the party in his first address. He said that his mission is to build a credible alternative to the Labour government.
In-Nazzjon says that Opposition MP Ivan J. Bartolo announced that he will give up his seat in parliament to make way for Bernard Grech. The new PN leader is expected to call a parliamentary group meeting today to set the house agenda.
The Independent speaks to PN deputy leader Robert Arrigo about his intentions following the election of Bernard Grech on Saturday. Arrigo pledged loyalty to the new leader and said that he has decided to stay on in his role.
L-Orizzont covers an address by Prime Minister Robert Abela on Sunday who said that the upcoming budget will demonstrate the ‘social soul’ of the government, particularly with measures for pensioners.
The Times says that approvals for planning dwellings in Gozo increased six times in the past five years. Qala saw the biggest rise, going from three new terraced houses in 2015 to 229 new developments by the following year.
L-Orizzont reports on the compilation of evidence against a 27-year-old man accused of committing five thefts in four days. The man was identified as Daniele Aquilina by a couple who was robbed in Ta’ Xbiex.
The Independent reports that 66 new cases of Covid-19 were registered on Sunday, following another 65 infections on Saturday. The number of active cases stands at 473 with a total 3,270 cases reported since March.
Morning Briefing
PM calls for common vision for Malta
A common vision for the future of the country should be the objective for Government and Opposition. PM Robert Abela said this yesterday during an interview on Labour media, where he appealed to newly-elected PN leader Bernard Grech to come together with Government in a discussion on the matter.
Migration was also an important theme during the PM’s intervention, calling on the PN not to hinder Government’s efforts to stop the arrival of more migrants, insisting that the country was “full-up”. Abela said that we cannot have the Opposition and civil society instigating anything about the difficult stands we are having to take”. Abela also announced that the migrants arriving in the past hours from Morocco would all be repatriated.
The Prime Minister also discussed the upcoming budget, which he said will focus on economic growth and improving people’s lives, particularly pensioners. He highlighted Malta’s success in the employment sector, refering to recent EU data which showed a 0.4% in the unemployment rate in Malta in August, at the same time when the Union-wide rate experienced a 0.8% increase.
New PN Leader in first decisions
Newly-elected PN Leader Bernard Grech yesterday announced his first decisions in the role, intended, in his words, to make the Party a credible alternative to the Labour Government: “I don’t want a party resigned to defeat but one which believes it can win on its own steam,” Grech said. “The PN urgently needs to stand up on its feet to offer the people a real alternative,” he insisted.
Among the initiatives announced, Grech proposed the setting up of an will be setting up a dedicated forum on the Economy, Finance, and Tourism in order to bring together people experienced in these fields in order to come up with an objective assessment of the current situation before putting forward proposals. In a similar manner, a national conference on migration will be organised with all stakeholders to help the party build informed proposals on the subject.
While Grech will be meeting the Parliamentary group in the coming days, priority would be given to the party’s health and education spokespersons in the context of the current priorities of the country.
Covid-19 Update
Health authorities reported 66 new cases of COVID-19 over the previous 24 hours, the second day in a row that cases surpassed the 60 mark. With 47 persons recovering, active cases were up again to 473.
CDE News
