Updated 1230
New sectoral agreement for nurses signed: A new sectoral agreement for nurses, midwives and ECG technicians was signed, marking the end of prolonged negotiations and labour disputes. Prime Minister Robert Abela, along with Health Minister Chris Fearne and MUMN president Paul Pace, attended the signing ceremony. The government announced that the 4,000 workers covered by the agreement would now enjoy improved salaries and working conditions. Prime Minister Abela highlighted the government’s commitment to investing substantially in sectors that benefit society, particularly healthcare, and expressed the desire to attract more young people to the nursing profession.
Corruption tops concerns among Maltese: Corruption ranked as the main concern among Maltese citizen as further details of an extensive research by Malta Survey were revealed. Migration and the cost of living followed in second and third respectively. The environment ranked fourth among their concerns, followed by traffic, health, education, crime, and energy supply.
Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation Challenges Joseph Muscat’s Statements on Electrogas Project: The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation has accused former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat of providing misleading information to Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) regarding the European Commission’s knowledge of a state guarantee for the Electrogas project. After Muscat questioned the foundation’s accuracy on the Electrogas project during PAC proceedings, the foundation directly contacted the European Commission. According to the foundation, the Commission’s response revealed that while they were aware of the possibility of a Security of Supply Agreement, they were not informed of its existence or its details, contrary to Muscat’s assertions during his testimony. The foundation has made public the Commission’s reply, disputing Muscat’s claims.
Morning Briefing
Restaurant owners say profit-making is a struggle
A survey commissioned by the Association of Catering Establishments (ACE) has revealed that restaurateurs are struggling to turn a significant profit. Statistician Vincent Marmara conducted the survey, which found that, on average, catering establishment owners were left with only 6.1 percent in profit after accounting for taxes. This concerning situation was highlighted by ACE president Michelle Muscat, who emphasized the vital role the catering industry plays in Malta’s economy, employing over 10,000 people across more than 2,000 establishments. The industry faces challenges such as employee shortages, rising raw material costs, and the increasing popularity of food delivery services, exacerbated by inflation causing prices to rise and reducing consumer purchasing power. (Times of Malta)
Take-away prices pushing inflation up – NSO
Higher take-out prices played a significant role in driving up the annual inflation rate in August, along with increased costs for house maintenance services and insurance, as reported by the National Statistics Office. In August, the annual inflation rate stood at 4%, a decrease from the previous month’s 4.7%. The food index and the housing index recorded the highest inflation rates, with substantial rates of 9.3% and 8.7%, respectively. Specifically, within the food index, restaurant services and take-out food saw an annual inflation rate of 6.8%, while food items excluding these services experienced a higher annual rate of 10.2%. (Maltatoday)
Man accused for causing involuntary homicide sentenced to prison on separate incident
A man accused of involuntary homicide for a fatal motorcycle collision earlier this year has been sentenced to one year in prison for driving an unlicensed car in an unrelated case. Magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace handed down the judgment, finding 42-year-old Karl Vella Petroni from Manikata guilty of driving a vehicle with an expired road license in March 2019. Additionally, he was disqualified from driving for one year, with the ban beginning upon his release from prison. Originally facing multiple charges, including driving under the influence of alcohol and damaging a roundabout, Vella Petroni was convicted on the license-related offence. (The Malta Independent)
