Standards Czar says paid tagging of Ministers by influencers raise ‘ethical concerns’
Ministers being tagged in publicly funded social media posts raises “ethical concerns,” according to the Standards Commissioner. This statement follows a recent report clearing Environment Minister Miriam Dalli of misconduct after singer Ira Losco tagged her in a promotional post for a public park. The case, initially reported by independent politician Arnold Cassola in May 2023, involved a sponsored post by Losco for the newly opened Project Green park. Losco had tagged both Minister Dalli and Steve Ellul, then CEO of Project Green, which Cassola claimed amounted to self-promotion using taxpayer funds, especially since the post didn’t disclose it was sponsored. (Times of Malta)
PM calls for global peace as shared value
Prime Minister Robert Abela called for global peace, emphasising that this should extend beyond Mediterranean borders to regions worldwide, as he addressed the ‘Meet in the Med’ conference. He highlighted peace as a shared value, expressing his belief in young people’s aspirations to build stable and prosperous communities. The Office of the Prime Minister noted that, during the conference organised by the National Council for Youth, Abela praised youth-led efforts as a strong foundation for enhancing cooperation in youth development. This conference united youth representatives from the southern Mediterranean, facilitating discussions on critical issues and strategies to address their generation’s realities and challenges, including international cooperation, digitalisation, and sustainability. (The Malta Independent)
Malta ranks last in recycling table
Malta has again placed last among EU Member States for recycling rates of plastic, paper, and metal waste, with further declines recorded in 2022. Eurostat data show that Malta’s plastic recycling rate fell from 20.5% in 2021 to 16% in 2022, the lowest in the EU. In contrast, Denmark, France, and Austria reported rates of 23% and 25%. Of the 15,500 tonnes of plastic waste generated in Malta last year, only 2,555 tonnes were recycled. For paper and cardboard, Malta also ranked last, recycling just 40.6% compared to Portugal’s 64%. Metal recycling remained low, with only 13% of metal waste and 1.4% of aluminium waste recycled. However, Malta did recycle 25.7% of iron waste, exceeding rates in two other EU countries. (Newsbook)
