Updated 1300 – Covid-19 update
102 cases were found on Thursday as one more patient died. 3,049 swab tests were taken. In total, there are now 2,086 active cases.
Updated 1130: Unemployment reaches 11,886
Labour Force Survey estimates indicate that, during the fourth quarter, total employment stood at
260,109 accounting for 59.5 per cent of the population aged 15 and over. Unemployed persons stood
at 11,886 (2.7 per cent) while inactive persons totalled 165,008 (37.8 per cent).
The activity rate for the quarter under review was estimated at 77.3 per cent with the highest rate recorded among
persons aged 25 to 54 (88.7 per cent).
On average, out of every 100 persons aged between 15 and 64 years, 74 were employed. The male employment rate for this age bracket was 82.4 per cent while that for females stood at 64.2 per cent. The largest share of employed persons was recorded among persons aged between 25 and 34 years, for both males and females.
Updated 0840 – Newspaper Review
The Malta Business Weekly speaks to Air Malta chairman David G. Curmi who welcomed the proposal by the European Commission to introduce a Digital Green Certificate, allowing citizens to travel within the EU.
Business Today publishes an interview with outgoing president of the Chamber of Commerce, David Xuereb, who said that the recent developments related to the Caruana Galizia case are damaging to the business community.
The Independent says that the Health Ministry is ruling out the sale of Covid-19 rapid testing kits from pharmacies. A spokesperson said that the sale of over-the-counter products for self-testing is illegal.
The Times asks minister Carm Abela about allegations that he may have been involved in an attempted bank robbery in 2010. Abela dismissed the insinuations by Opposition MP Jason Azzopardi as “fairy tales”.
In-Nazzjon quotes Opposition leader Bernard Grech who called on President George Vella to guide the country through these “unprecedented times” and avoid a constitutional crisis. Gerch said that the country is shocked by recent political developments.
L-Orizzont says that army soldiers will start receiving payments in arrears after an agreement worth €8.2 million was signed recently. Interiors Minister Byron Camilleri said the investment improves the working conditions of soldiers.
The Independent says that Anthony Debono, the husband of PN Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono, was cleared of all 13 charges in a work-for-votes scandal in 2013. Magistrate Neville Camilleri said there was not enough guilt to prove guilt.
In-Nazzjon reports that the courts cleared the husband of former Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono of a series of charges against him. The court told the police that the case could have been better investigated.
L-Orizzont announces an extension of moratoria from 12 months to 18 months and a tax exemption of capital gains from properties. Finance Minister Clyde Caruana said the measures will give people and business more time to recover.
Business Today reports that businesses with pending tax balances will be given a one-time concession to settle their dues. The decision by the Finance Ministry is part of a series of measures to support the private sector.
The Malta Business Weekly says that the courts will tomorrow decide on a fresh request for bail filed by the lawyers of former chief of staff Keith Schembri, seven days after he was remanded in custody.
The Times reports the death of Ramiro Mallia from a gas heater leak on Tuesday. The 19-year-old battled cancer as a child and was an activist raising awareness about the Puttinu Cares Foundation.
L-Orizzont follows a meeting about the pre-1995 rentals reform between the General Workers Union and Parliamentary Secretary for Social Accommodation Roderick Galdes. The union welcomed the amendments to the law.
Morning Briefing
People want a normal country – Opposition Leader
“Parliament may be hosting criminals”, argued Bernard Grech, Opposition Leader in Parliament.
“People just want us to be a normal country. That’s all they ask of us,” Grech told MPs. “We need to end this charade. The time for controlling minds is over. This country deserves better.”
“The political history of our country has never experienced this kind of crisis ever before. We have a situation where all Maltese and Gozitan citizens are shocked,” Grech said.
Dr Grech added that political responsibility must be shouldered, saying that people against whom there are allegations must be removed from the House of Representatives. He said the country should not be in the hands of criminals and that the Government owed the people honesty.
The Leader of the Opposition appealed to the President of Malta to use his moral weight and save the country from what he called an ugly time. He said that a clean way of doing politics was required and that the country needed to turn over a new leaf.
Carmelo Abela denies bank robbery links
Minister Carmelo Abela has forcibly rejected any involvement in a bank robbery which had taken place in 2010, describing such links as “stories, fairytales and inventions”.”Where are these allegations coming from?” the minister in the office of the prime minister said.
Abela was speaking one day after Opposition MP Jason Azzopardi claimed that the alleged hitmen involved in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia were given false keys to an HSBC bank branch and CCTV footage by a sitting minister. While Abela’s name was not mentioned, the link has been made due to the Minister’s previous employment at the bank.
“If these allegations came from a court testimony it would be one thing, but if someone is throwing out names carelessly, that’s a different thing altogether,” he insisted.
Both State witness Vince Muscat and murder suspect Alfred Degiorgio claimed that a current Minister was involved in the heist.
Covid-19 Update
101 new cases of coronavirus were reported on Wednesday, with 302 recoveries lowering down the number of active cases significantly, to 2,276. 2,789 swab tests were taken yesterday.
During the last 24 hours, two persons lost their lives after being infected with coronavirus, taking the death tally to 377. Till yesterday, 155,678 doses of the anti-Covid 19 vaccine were administered, 46,140 of which were second doses.
Covid-19 Business Support Measures extended
Government has announced an extension of benefits to businesses which had to close down because of the pandemic. Announcing the new measures today, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana said that the tax deferrals scheme will once again be introduced and will be in place until the end of the year.
“Payments will start being made from May 2022. This will help business owners focus on their business’ recovery and not worry about paying tax,” the Minister explained. However, he warned that all amounts will eventually be due, and there will be no amnesties.
Caruana also announced a one-time concession will also be introduced for those who have pending tax balances. These business owners will be exempt from the Capital Gains Tax when selling property to settle the tax owed to the government. This measure expires in March 2022 and will, therefore, apply to those who enter into promise of sale agreements by then.
CDE News
