COVID Update
Malta registered a record 263 new Coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours. This brings the total of active cases to 2720. There were 192 recoveries and 2 fatalities.
Political Speeches
Prime Minister Robert Abela described Rosianne Cutajar’s decision to resign from her post as a Parliamentary Secretary pending the outcome of an investigation by the Standards Commissioner as a “mature” one. Cutajar has been under fire ever since it emerged that she allegedly pocketed thousands of euros from a failed property deal involving Yorgen Fenech. The Standards Commissioner is investigating. Abela, speaking in Rabat on Sunday, said that Cutajar brought the interests of the country ahead of her own. The reforms she was working on, he said, will not stop. Malta Independent
The Daphne Caruana Galizia murder investigation will not be closed when the prime minister says so, but when the whole truth is outed and all involved are held to account, including individuals who tried to obscure the facts and stage a cover-up, Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said on Sunday. Speaking at a political activity in Żabbar, Grech said this was a week of “shocking” revelations that once again exposed the ties between the Labour government and the circles of criminality in the country. Times of Malta
Newspaper Review
Malta Today reveals that the former Nexia BT managing partner Brian Tonna will post bail at the police headquarters on Monday morning, as investigators move to prosecute on claims of financial crimes by the shuttered audit company.
The Independent on Sunday says that an Asian white-label betting company sponsoring English Premier League football clubs is run by an intermediary registered in Malta. The UK government is reviewing sponsorship rules over fears of potential money laundering.
The Sunday Times reports on an announcement by the Prime Minister that the pre-1995 rentals law will be repealed with the government footing the bill for much of the new leases up to a maximum of €10,000 a year per family.
It-Torċa says that a new rent reform for pre-1995 contracts will cap leases for tenants in full-time jobs at a quarter of their monthly income, while the government will absorb the difference.
Illum quotes Social Accommodation parliamentary secretary Roderick Galdes who said that the reforms targeting the pre-1995 rental contracts are “bold decisions” by the government that will secure a roof over people’s heads.
Kullħadd covers a press conference by Prime Minister Robert Abela who said that reform of the pre-1995 leases law announced by the government offers peace of mind and serves justice to both tenants and property owners.
Il-Mument reports that new Covid-19 cases in February reached over 4,300 while 46 patients died from the virus. Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci said that the surge is driven by the spread of the UK variant.
The Sunday Times says that two contractors were each sentenced to two years in jail suspended for four years after being found guilty of the involuntary homicide of a teenager when a “negligently built” wall collapsed on him at a holiday home in 2011,
Malta Today says that the Commissioner for Revenue sent a €191,000 tax bill to the Maltese company owned by Angolan billionaire Isabel Dos Santos, rolling back a previously awarded tax refund.
The Independent on Sunday says that three people are objecting to a development application to build 71 apartments in Nadur claiming that parts of the pristine site slated for construction belongs to them.
It-Torċa reports on the opening of the Conference on National Unity on Friday. In his opening address, President George Vella asked whether Malta belongs exclusively to the Maltese or to those who live here too.
Kullħadd says that a new fast ferry service between Gozo and Valletta is expected to cut crossings to less than 45 minutes with a capacity of 250 passengers per trip. The Gozo University Group was the first to welcome the development.
Illum says that Cabinet members are divided over the Prime Minister’s handling of Rosianne Cutajar’s temporary resignation from. Some feel he should have acted before while others think the parliamentary secretary should have been retained in her role.
Il-Mument claims that people around Minister Justyne Caruana were annoyed by the Prime Minister’s dithering over firing junior minister Rosianne Cutajar. The Education Minister was summarily asked to step down after revelations about her husband a year ago.
Morning Briefing
One-off payment for bar owners
The financial support to bar owners is expected to increase by €0.5 million to bring the total to €2.7 million that will be disbursed by the Government to cover their period of closure between November of last year and March of this year. This will be a one-off payment to bars and clubs in a scheme that will open this coming Monday with applications expected to be processed within two weeks.
Band clubs and bars have two weeks in which to apply for a lifeline that has been caused by the pandemic. This was announced by Minister for Tourism, Clayton Bartolo on Saturday.
Low income persons to receive difference on increasing rents
Low income persons, pensioners and persons receiving social benefits will receive up to a maximum difference of €10,000 in the new rent that they have to pay, according to the reform to address anomalies of pre-1995 rents.
The new rent will be set at 2% of the property’s actual value.
Covid-19 Update
Health authorities reported 237 new COVID-19 cases and 168 recovering. The new cases were detected from 3,578 swab tests. This means the number of active cases continues to increase, reaching 2,651. No deaths were reported.
CDE News
