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Caruana Warns of Further European Protests, Vows to Maintain Energy Subsidies: Finance Minister Clyde Caruana warned Parliament on Monday that cost-of-living protests across Europe could intensify in the coming months as households struggle with rising prices and government debt. He said Malta’s comparatively stable situation reflects economic decisions taken in recent years, pledging to maintain energy and fuel subsidies, which have cost €400 million this year. Without them, annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) could exceed €18, he warned, potentially reducing disposable income by 6% and placing significant pressure on employers. Caruana also highlighted Malta’s A+ credit rating and reaffirmed his commitment to keeping the budget deficit below the EU’s 3% threshold. He cautioned that countries with weak fiscal management would ultimately pass the consequences on to citizens, while defending Malta’s approach ahead of next week’s Budget announcement. (The Malta Independent)
Audit Finds Government Board Members Paid Despite No Meetings: An audit by the National Audit Office (NAO) found that some members of government-appointed boards received annual remuneration despite no formal meetings being held in 2023. The audit examined 462 bodies comprising 3,901 members, who collectively received around €9 million during the year. More than €500,000 was paid to members whose remuneration rates could not be fully verified due to insufficient classification information. The report also identified inadequate documentation, incorrect board classifications that inflated payments, and discrepancies in deputy chairpersons’ remuneration. The NAO urged ministries to ensure payments are supported by verifiable meeting records and withheld when boards do not convene. In response, the Cabinet Office said all bodies had been classified and remuneration levels determined by March 2026. A revised manual introducing stricter rules was tabled in Parliament on 22 July 2026. (The Times of Malta)
Morning Briefing
Property prices rise 7.3% as retail price inflation reaches 2.9%
Malta’s annual Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation rate rose to 2.9% in September, up from 2.6% in August, according to the National Statistics Office. Property prices recorded the highest annual increase, rising by 7.3%, more than twice the overall inflation rate. Home repair services increased by 8.7%, while construction materials rose by 7.2%. Food inflation reached 3.4%, contributing 0.72 percentage points to the annual RPI rate. Clothing and footwear prices recorded a comparatively modest increase of 1%. Prices for water, electricity, gas and fuels remained unchanged, reflecting government subsidies. The figures come ahead of the presentation of Budget 2027, when Finance Minister Clyde Caruana is expected to announce the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for next year. The COLA for 2026 stood at €4.66 per week, compared with €12.81 in 2024. (Newsbook)
Malta records EU’s second-highest tourism intensity
Malta recorded the EU’s second-highest tourism intensity in 2025, with 21.7 nights spent in tourist accommodation per resident, according to Eurostat. Only Croatia ranked higher, at 24.5 nights per inhabitant, while Cyprus placed third with 19. The EU average stood at seven nights per resident, up from 6.7 in 2024. Across the bloc, tourist accommodation recorded 3.1 billion overnight stays in 2025, an annual increase of 4.1%. Visitors from EU member states accounted for 80.9% of these nights, while tourists from the Americas accounted for 4.9% and those from Asia for 2.6%. Eurostat reported the strongest annual growth in overnight stays among visitors from Asia, at 15.4%, followed by Africa at 13.7%. Tourism intensity measures overnight stays relative to the resident population and serves as an indicator of the potential pressure tourism places on local communities. (The Malta Independent)
Non-native blind snake recorded at 34 locations across Maltese Islands
A non-native snake species has been documented at 34 locations across Malta, Gozo and Comino, according to a scientific study covering observations made between 2017 and 2026. Researchers recorded 47 sightings involving 65 specimens of the Brahminy blind snake (Indotyphlops braminus), locally known as the Serp Ħanex. The findings indicate that the species is more widespread across the Maltese Islands than previously believed. The study, by Arnold Sciberras, Alan Deidun, Mario Lo Valvo, Francesco Paolo Faraone, Kurt Borg Bonaci and Bernard Cortis, was presented at the XVI Congresso Nazionale della Societas Herpetologica Italiana in L’Aquila, Italy, in September. Native to the Indo-Malayan region, the small, burrowing snake can spread through the transport of ornamental plants, nursery stock and soil. Its ability to reproduce without fertilisation also helps it establish new populations. Of the 34 locations recorded, 31 were in Malta, two in Gozo and one in Comino. (The Malta Independent)