Latest Update- News Portal Briefing
Times of Malta reports that the Council of Europe is being asked to “look into” the behaviour of Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar during a debate on a report probing the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia and the rule of law in Malta.
MaltaToday reports that Eurostat figures show that Malta’s deficit was the second highest last year but its debt remained below the 60% threshold
TVM reports that 6,790 doses of the vaccine against Covid-19 were administered throughout yesterday.
Newsbook reports that a police sergeant was accused of raping a woman while investigating a theft report.
Updated 1330
Covid-19 Update
Covid-19 cases reached to 33 today, with 36 new recoveries. The number of active cases has gone down to 519. A total of 2,129 swab tests were taken yesterday. No new deaths were registered.
Former MP Marthese Portelli is new Malta Chamber CEO
As of June 1, former MP Marthese Portelli will be made CEO of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry. A graduate in law, Portelli occupied senior roles in the corporate world for 13 years in the technology sector, before her seven-year stint as an MP during which she shadowed several portfolios including EU affairs, energy, environment, transport, infrastructure, capital projects, planning and property.
“The business community will benefit from her broad skill set and strong personality, which are complemented by values and aspirations that are well aligned with those of the chamber,” the Malta Chamber said. Marthese Portelli also previously served as the Malta Developers’ Association’s first director-general.
‘Genuine link’ in passport schemes reduced to box-ticking exercise – reports
Affluent people looking to buy a Maltese passport would spent an average of 16 days in Malta, despite the passport scheme mandating a one-year residency period, the Times of Malta reported.
A leaked cache of Henley & Partners documents shows that wealthy applicants could reduce
the time they were required to spend in Malta by joining a local club, donating to charity,
buying a yacht or taking up a newspaper subscription.
The information emerged from an investigation carried out by the Times of Malta as part of
the Passport Papers project. This project is coordinated by the Daphne Caruana Galizia
foundation.
The one-year residency period prior to passport applicants becoming Maltese citizens
was introduced in 2014 to appease the European Commission following grave concern about
the scheme across Europe
Newspaper Review
The Times reveals that buyers of the IIP passports scheme spent an average of 16 days in Malta during their mandatory one-year residency period. An investigation found multiple instances when applicants flew in and out within 24 hours.
The Independent publishes an email by Saudi Prince Bander Al Saud reminding IIP officials that Identity Malta CEO Jonathan Cardona had promised that he would not publish his name in the Government Gazette.
In-Nazzjon leads with the unveiling of a strategy for the tourism sector by PN Leader Bernard Grech. The party is proposing a range of incentives including financial incentives and infrastructural projects.
Business Today speaks with Hotels and Restaurants Association Tony Zahra who welcomed proposals by the PN for a 10-year strategy for tourism. He said the association would hold talks with the party to discuss the sector.
The Malta Business Weekly publishes an interview with the new president of the Malta Employers Association, Joanne Bondin, who said that the pandemic provides important lessons for the business community to reinvent itself.
L-Orizzont says that 46 per cent of the population has now received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. Health Minister Chris Fearne announced that people aged 40 and over may now register for the inoculation.
The Times says that Saudi Prince Bander Al Saud was granted a Maltese passport following a 2015 meeting with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. The Prince’s identity was kept hidden from the published list in the Government Gazette.
The Independent follows the testimony of state witness Vince Muscat who said that the alleged hitmen in the Caruana Galizia case were surprised to find themselves in prison because they felt they had enough protection.
L-Orizzont reports on a meeting between government MP Oliver Scicluna and the General Workers Union in which they discussed mental health wellbeing at the place of work and the right to unionise.
Business Today quotes a report by the Malta Communications Authority which found a significant increase in the use of mobile data, fast internet services, and mobile voice consumption during last year.
The Malta Business Weekly quotes Finance Minister Clyde Caruana who announced that the public deficit this year is expected to rise to 12.1 per cent of GDP. The government, however, is not planning any new tax hikes in the near future.
Morning Briefing
Brazilian variant reported in Malta
Health authorities have reported the first three Brazil Covid variant infections in Malta. Minister Chris Fearne said this during a speech at the inauguration of the specialised podiatric sector at the Birkirkara Health Centre.
However, he noted that the number of cases in Malta is decreasing and in line with this the numbers of those vaccinated is growing, so much that 46% of the population have received the first injection while 21% have received their second vaccination.
He also announced that over 40 year olds will be able to register for the vaccine from this Friday.
Covid-19 Update
24 Covid cases were reported on Wednesday, along 65 recoveries. This pushes the number of active cases down to 522 and were identified through 1,992 swab tests. No new deaths were registered yesterday, leaving the count to 411.
288,797 vaccine doses were administered until yesterday, of which 90,173 were second doses.
MHRA urges Govt to open restaurants next week
The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association has urged the government to allow restaurants reopen next week, including restaurants in hotels which, it pointed out, are not even permitted to serve breakfast. Restaurants have been closed since March.
Next Monday, non-essential shops will be allowed to re-open, but restaurants remain shuttered.The MHRA said it acknowledged that managing the re-opening of restaurants is critical to ensure that there are no spikes of COVID-19 related infections. However, it added, restaurant owners have reached a point where they cannot wait any longer. MHRA President Tony Zahra said that many restaurant owners were reaching breaking point. “We now need a clear plan so that we all know where we stand and therefore can prepare our operations for what is an already very difficult situation.”
CDE News
