Updated 1745 – Newsportal Review
The Times of Malta of Malta reports that Air Malta extends its voluntary transfer scheme after too few workers applied. The Air Malta scheme was meant to close on Friday but employees received an email from the airline’s human resources department informing them the deadline had been extended to February 11. They were not given a reason.
Maltatoday says that the owners of three properties adjacent to a construction site, alleged to have caused the 2020 building collapse which claimed the life of Miriam Pace, have started court proceedings of their own against the developers and contractors involved in that case, claiming compensation for structural damage caused to their property.
TVM leads with news from the Court, as a a Nigerian man was sent to 13 years in prison and was fined €30,000 after he was found guilty that 12 years ago he tried to traffic at least one kilo of cocaine. He was found guilty of all charges on Thursday by a jury with seven votes in favour and two against.
Newsbook says that Applications for admission in Church schools in Malta and Gozo for the scholastic year commencing in September 2022, will be accepted online as from Tuesday 1 February.
The Independent follows a PN press briefing with the Opposition saying that Abela’s €17,000 a month 2019 PA retainer proves he cannot understand cost of living struggles. “Whilst you dedicate your time and strive to work solely to catch up with your daily needs and see the end of the month coming, Abela was receiving (back then) €17,000 in just one month – the sum of two minimum salaries in a year,” Caruana Cilia said.
Updated 1235
Increase in costs, quarantine length top business worries – SME Chamber: The increase in general costs is the major worrying factor for Maltese small firms, according to a survey by the SME Chamber. 10% of businesses said uncertainty surrounding the general election was a major challenge, while a further 10% identified labour shortages as a significant problem for them. Businesses seem particularly concerned with quarantine rules. 71% of small businesses strongly feel that quarantine should be reduced, while 58% strongly agree travel rules should be harmonised. In a reaction, the SME Chamber proposed the removal of excise tax on every-day consumer goods such as water, toiletries and non-alcoholic beverages. It also recommended the reduction of the general VAT rate to 15.5% from 18%. It also called on Government to reduce quarantine to five days, in line with recommendations by the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (Maltatoday)
€17,110 monthly retainer for PM Abela’s firms – reports: Prime Minister Robert Abela’s law firm got a staggering €17,110 monthly in 2019 by the Planning Authority. This was revealed by The Times of Malta, saying that in all, Abela Advocates, was paid over €1.2 million in that period for work that is now largely handled in-house by the PA. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister justified this retainer by saying that such fees were related to very long hours of work carried out by the firm’s lawyers “extended also to the weekends”. The firm received other retainers by the Gozo Ministry, Air Malta, Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation and ARMS Limited. (Times of Malta)
Covid-19 Update: Active Covid-19 cases went down to below 3,000 on the last day of January, with 169 new cases and 327 recoveries. Of the 2,972 persons currently infected with coronavirus, hundred are being treated in hospital, four of whom in ITU. During the last 24 hours, three persons aged between 86 and 93 died while Covid-19 positive, taking the death tally to 550.
Morning Briefing
Infrastructure investment has environmental goals – Abela
Prime Minister Robert Abela said major infrastructural projects, include road-widening ones, will help lower emissions, so much so that emissions saved would be equivalent to what is saved through solar panels across the country. In a speech at the opening of the controversial Central Link project, Abela referred to it as one of seven other infrastructural projects that would benefit commuters.
“We invested €140 million across seven projects, including the Marsa project and Santa Luċija project,” he said. “In total, people will be saving €1.2 billion due to spending less time in traffic, and for businesses, less costs.” €55 million from European and national funds were spent on the project.
Opposition leader highlights cost of living pressure, laments Covid-19 electioneering
PN leader Bernard Grech said that many people are currently “existing and not living” because they cannot make ends meet and are constantly worried about the future. Addressing party faithful on Sunday, Grech said that when there are people constantly worrying about tomorrow, “that’s a problem”. “I get angry and sad when I realise that in 2013 we had a Labour party that had pledged to eradicate poverty. This is the reality people in their homes are living. They are constantly worried about tomorrow. We need to find and come up with solutions that we can then implement,” Grech said, reiterating the PN’s pledge to pay back any amounts overcharged on utility bills” he argued.
On Covid-19, Grech lambasted Government for what he described as electioneering. “The government made a massive u-turn and will be removing the rules (on vaccination certificates) introduced just days ago. Today, more and more people are realising that they are fake. They propose and take decisions based on what electoral impact they might have”.
Covid-19 Situation
New COVID-19 cases remained under 200 for the second day in succession on Sunday with 191 daily cases reported, just one up on Saturday. But two men died after having tested positive, one aged 75 and the other 85. The last time that the number of new cases was below 200 was in mid-December.
