The ADPD said on Saturday that Budget 2023 had failed to project a long-term view of the necessary changes needed to address the country’s upcoming challenges. “The Budget fails to offer a vision to mitigate the ever-increasing impact from climate change while the solution presented to make up for the rising cost of living is a weak proposition that does not face up to the real problem,” said chairperson Carmel Cacopardo. Cacopardo highlighted how the Budget speech failed to address climate change and its impact on the economy, lamenting that the Minister does not yet understand the gravity of the situation. (Times of Malta/Maltatoday)
Korean delegation in Malta pushes EXPO bid
The Special Envoy of the President of the Republic of Korea, Jong-hoon Kim, was in Malta this weekend to lobby for the candidacy of Korea for the 2030 EXPO in Busan. In a meeting at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs with Foreign Minister Ian Board, Mr Jong-hoon Kim explained why Korea is moving forward to host this world fair in 2030. The Korean representative stated that Malta and Korea have always had strong diplomatic relations and he looks forward to continuing to improve them. He claimed that as part of its candidacy, the Republic of Korea will be focusing a lot on the use of technology and the inclusiveness it can bring. Minister for Foreign Affairs Ian Borg reiterated that Malta fully believes in this type of fair because it is an important and essential platform to showcase what one’s country has to offer. He recalled how Malta participated in the Dubai EXPO a few months ago and looks forward to participating in the Osaka Expo in Japan in 2025. (DOI)
Environmentalists protest against overdevelopment
A number of pro-environment NGOs, including Flimkien Ghal Ambjent (FAA), together with the Malta Planners’ Association, the Malta Touristic Association as well as Moviment Graffiti, have joined forces in a protest against what they described as touristic over-development that is taking place in St Julian’s. The event was staged next to an old house which will be pulled down to make way for apartments. The FAA, through its president Astrid Vella, said that it is the government’s duty to serve and protect the environment and in doing so it will be protecting and improving the quality of life of the Maltese citizens. (The Malta Independent)
