Morning Briefing
MDA says empty homes are a positive sign
According to the Malta Developers Association, the Census findings indicating that a quarter of dwellings in Malta are not used as primary residences are viewed as positive rather than negative. This perspective arises from the belief that these statistics illustrate Maltese citizens making investments in second homes. The developers’ advocacy group made this statement in response to the 2021 Census of Population and Housing report, which revealed that slightly over a quarter of all dwellings (81,613 in total) were not used as permanent residences. These dwellings fell into categories such as secondary homes, seasonally occupied residences, or completely vacant properties. The MDA emphasized that while categorizing these dwellings as secondary, seasonally used, or vacant might initially convey a negative impression, a more in-depth examination reveals a positive outlook for the property industry.
132 new doctors join health system
A total of 132 doctors have commenced their careers in the healthcare service upon successfully completing their studies. They have now entered the Malta Foundation Programme, marking the initial phase of their medical careers. According to a statement from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health, 109 of these doctors graduated from the University of Malta, while the remaining individuals obtained their degrees from various European Universities. Chris Fearne commended these doctors for their dedication and achievements in their academic pursuits.
Police say whistleblower claims on voter fraud are unfounded
The police said that claims by a whisteblower of voter fraud were unfounded, according to its own investigations. The whistleblower had contended that voter fraud took place through the improper use of identities of deceased individuals. However, the police determined that these allegations lacked substantiation. Last month, the whistleblower presented these accusations as part of a court application. The same individual had previously exposed an alleged corruption scheme related to driving licenses within Transport Malta, leading to three individuals facing corruption charges in a court of law. The whistleblower, who had previous affiliations with the Labour Party and served as the secretary of the Balzan PL club, alleged that ID cards belonging to deceased Maltese citizens were unlawfully provided to foreign residents. These individuals purportedly received compensation in the form of “thousands of euros” in exchange for voting in favour of the Labour Party. (Times of Malta)
