Updated 1230
HSBC loses details on ownership of safe deposit boxes
HSBC has lost access to data on who owns some of its safe deposit boxes and a court has turned down its request for permission to open them and check their contents. The bank admitted it has lost details of the ownership of 22 lockers used by customers to store valuable objects. But when it applied for permission to open them, Mr Justice Giovanni Grixti, sitting in the First Hall of the Civil Court, said the bank could not expect the court to intervene to fix its grave error. The safe deposit boxes are located at the St Andrew’s, Sliema and Birkirkara branches. (Times of Malta)
Maltese top EU chart for highest communication with people in other EU states
Maltese people are the most active users of electronic communication when it comes to interacting with citizens of other EU states, a Eurobarometer survey shows. The survey assessed various forms of communication, including international calls, SMSs, and internet messaging. Results indicate that a significant 42% of Maltese respondents engage in daily communication with individuals in EU countries. However, it is worth noting that 36% of Maltese respondents reported never communicating with anyone in another EU member state. (Maltatoday).
Bus use reaches record levels
The 5.8 million passengers that travelled by bus across the Maltese islands last month represent a new monthly record for public transport in Malta, bus operator Malta Public Transport announced. The figure surpasses the previous record of 5.7 million passengers that had been recorded in August 2019. (Newsbook)
Morning Briefing
New Luqa-Qormi flyover to be closed temporarily
Infrastructure Malta has announced that a recently constructed flyover, providing access from the Luqa junction project to Qormi, will be temporarily closed starting from the end of next week. However, it will reopen by the end of June along with several of the lanes that are currently undergoing construction. Once reopened, the northbound flyover, which currently facilitates travel from the airport to Qormi, will switch directions, as confirmed by Infrastructure Malta. During a news conference, CEO Ivan Falzon said that “by the end of June, we will witness significant progress on the project, with the majority of the work completed, including the application of permanent asphalt and the installation of line markings.” (Times of Malta)
Malta justifies abstention on migration vote
Malta abstained from the EU migration vote on the belief that the presented solution may not result in a fair and effective system capable of addressing both current and future challenges faced by the country. In a statement, Byron Camilleri, the Minister of Home Affairs, highlighted that Malta’s circumstances and vulnerabilities differ from those of other EU member states. According to him, the agreement fails to strike a satisfactory balance between responsibility and solidarity. “While every member state bears the burden of irregular arrivals and associated responsibilities, Malta, given its small size, carries a disproportionately heavier burden,” he asserted. (Newsbook)
Waste management plan on track, Govt says
Malta is fully committed to maintaining a swift implementation of its waste management plan for the period of 2021-2030. The measures currently being enacted have already demonstrated positive outcomes, a DOI statement emphasized. In response to a report released on Thursday by the European Commission, which presented data predating 2020 on the waste management performance of EU member states, the Ministry for the Environment, Energy, and Enterprise clarified that while Malta still requires a substantial transformation in waste management practices, significant progress has been made in the past two years across the entire waste management spectrum. These advancements are encouraging signs towards achieving Malta’s long-term objectives. (The Malta Independent)
