Good Sunday,
Your newsbriefing from Malta.
Update 1245 – Covid19 Update – A total of 182 new COVID-19 cases were recorded between Saturday and Sunday, as another two virus patients died. The victims were a 63-year-old woman and a 78-year-old man. Both died at Mater Dei Hospital, the Health Ministry said. Their deaths bring the number of people who died while infected with COVID-19 to 267. Statistics released by the ministry also showed that 185 people recovered overnight, meaning there were 2,676 known active cases of COVID-19 in Malta as of 12.30pm on Sunday. – Times of Malta
Update 1200 – Political Debates – Prime Minister Robert Abela is calling on the Opposition to join them in supporting the newly-revamped citizenship-by-investment scheme, and appealed for further unity on the national stance towards immigration. Addressing a weekly political activity, Abela said that it was crucial for both parties to be on the same page for these topics. “My appeal is that, as the European Commission is evaluating the programme with its revised rules, we need to have a single position as a country. We need convergence on this programme,” he said. Abela said that government is open to discussing any issues with the Nationalist Party, the latter of which has been highly critical at EU level with the programme. – MaltaToday
Newspaper Review – The Independent on Sunday publishes an interview with the new CEO of Air Malta David Curmi who said that the airline could look to reduce its headcount to stop losses and become more efficient.
The Sunday Times reveals that the government will propose legal amendments to cap cash transactions at €10,000 in an attempt to curb money laundering risks. The law was originally drafted in 2015 but was never passed.
Malta Today reports on official statistics which show that the foreign workers and self-employed contributed a combined €168 million to the national social security fund in 2019, equivalent to a quarter of the reserve.
Illum says that tenants living in properties on the pre-1995 rentals law provisions are worried that they will lose their homes as more property owners are filing cases in court to successfully overturn the law.
It-Torċa publishes survey results showing a 13.5 percentage point lead for the Labour Party over the Nationalist Party in opinion polls. Prime Minister Robert Abela scored an approval rating of 52.7 percent while Opposition Leader Bernard Grech registered 33.2 percent.
Kullħadd leads with the inauguration of a 110-metre breakwater in Marsaxlokk bay with an investment of €4 million. The paper says the project will shelter the fleets of fishermen moored in the bay.
Malta Today speaks to developers’ association president Sandro Chetcuti who confirmed reports that he put up a metal gate blocking the path to Fomm ir-Riħ bay, discovered this week. Chetcuti said that the gate was erected to avoid danger.
The Sunday Times reports on changes to rules by Identity Malta that are preventing children from obtaining a Specific Residence Authority status through their fathers, cutting them off from basic rights such as schooling.
The Independent on Sunday quotes Transport Minister Ian Borg who said that a light-rail underground project could take eight to ten years to complete the first line. A report by consultancy firm Arup is being reviewed by government ministries.
Illum publishes findings about lotteries and gambling in Malta which show that a third of people in the 51 to 65 age group play the Super 5. Gambling is more popular among the elderly and men, in general, try their luck more than women.
Kullħadd says that more than half of the bank loans that were placed on moratorium by the Central Bank have resumed repayments, an indication that businesses and families are starting to recover financially.
Morning Briefing
Torċa survey puts gap between political parties at 13.5%
It-Torċa today carries a survey carried out by Dr Vincent Marmara, which reveals that the Labour Party currently enjoys a 13.5% lead on the PN. Considering those who revealed their voting intentions, 55.5% said they would vote Labour, 42% the PN, while 2.5% would vote ADPD or other smaller parties. This 13.5% gap would be equivalent to some 40,000 votes.
In comments to the same newspaper, Marmara said that the shifts between the two parties are minimal but Labour had better voter retention. This survey would put Labour on roughly the same level of the result achieved in 2017, with the PN losing a further 1.7%.
The GWU’s publication also notes that PM Robert Abela has been indicated in the survey as better placed to lead the country, at 52.7%, with Bernard Grech getting 33.2% of preferences.
PN offers country change to turn page
PN Leader Bernard Grech said that his party was offering the country a new page, arguing that despite economic progress achieved during the past seven years of Labour, many people are struggling and the number of persons in risk of poverty is growing.
He highlighted the growing concern of pre-1995 rental properties, with Grech arguing that that nobody is going to deny the right of owners wanting to enjoy their property but maintained this is a social time bomb and eventually many will end up without a roof over their heads.
Interviewed on 103 by Professor Andrew Azzopardi, the Opposition Leader also addressed Malta’s migratory challenges with Grech saying that as a people with a soul, persons cannot possibly be left to drown but it has to be kept in mind that there are obligations to the Maltese people and people resident in Malta.
He insisted that that Government needs to address the problem at source and place pressures on the EU so that people do not need to have to flee from their country of origin. Grech recalled that it was the present Labour Government that sought to ensure economic growth by attracting economic migrants to Malta, noting how Finance Minister Clyde Caruana had originally promoted such policy.
Covid-19 Update
The Health department reported 136 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, while 149 patients recovering, ensuring a slight decline in the number of active cases.
An 85-year old man became the 265th fatality of the virus.
3,431 swab tests were taken, meaning the positivity rate lingers around 4%.
CDE News
