Customs has seized 39,578 bottles of wine in 2021

Oct 15 2021

Customs Malta have revealed that in 2021, they seized 39,578 bottles of wine and 584 bottles of spirits, amounting to a total market value of €456,364.

The bottles were seized between January and September of this year, with €430,084 in value confiscated lots attributed to wine bottles and another €26,280 in bottles of spirits.

The wine bottle’s endangered taxes amounted up to €6,146 in excise duty and €78,521 in VAT. As for the bottles of spirits, endangered taxes amount to €2,224 in excise duty and €5,131 in VAT.

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Photo Source: Customs Communications

Maltese Neville Ciantar to compete in Off-Road King of Portugal

Oct 15 2021

Maltese Neville Ciantar, Off-Road racer and All-Wheel Drive Club member, will be bringing his skill to Portugal to compete in this year’s edition of ‘Off-Road King of Portugal.’ The event takes place between today, Friday 15th October, and next Sunday, 17th.

The event kicked off in 2013 and is one of the biggest, and dare we say one of the most difficult, off-road races around the globe. Each year sees the event grow and become more challenge as competitors continuously up their game. The participants are challenged through several daring circuits in their respective segment.

Ciantar is no stranger to these types of challenges as he has already competed twice in the event. There would would have been a third try for Ciantar, but the event was cancelled due to devastating fires which ravaged the region in 2019. Ciantar placed fifth in 2017 and sixth in 2019. Neville’s own 20-year-old son Lee Ciantar, is also his co-driver, having already participated as co-driver in King of Hammers in the USA in 2019.

Good luck to you both!

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Photo Source: Neville Ciantar FB

Public broadcaster a tool in the hands of government says PN leader

Oct 15 2021

Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech revealed today that during a meeting with the Chairman and CEO of the Broadcasting authority, he insisted that the authority must comply with its legal obligations. This means that it must ensure that PBS is impartial, truthful and balanced, saying that the time for using airtime and presence as measurements of impartiality are over.

He called the public broadcaster a ‘tool in the hands of the Government’ and a ‘station of power that deliberately twists news items and blatantly lies in such a way that stifles and twist the Opposition’s message.’ He said that through its own volition, the Broadcasting Authority should ensure that the right of every citizen that the public broadcaster delivers news in a balanced and correct manner is protected.

This should of course exclude partisan manipulation from Castille. This is in light of the letter sent to all producers requiring information two weeks in advance about the items to be discussed. He said that this is limiting every possible opportunity of discussing current affairs and eliminates the effect of issues that might arise.

Grech closed off by saying that in a democracy, the authority has an indispensable role to play to safeguard democracy, transparency and the right to correct information. Grech said that he is not excluding any further action, including legal, if the situation persists.

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Photo Source: Bernard Grech FB

The government has forgotten about Gozo in their budget say PN

Oct 15 2021

The Nationalist Party has issued a statement stating that in the presentation of their 2022 Budget, the government has forgotten all about Malta’s sister island, Gozo. The statement by the Opposition Party begins by saying that the Minister for Gozo held a conference about the 2022 budget and Gozo’s place in it, but this was to cover for the fact that for the first time in Maltese political history, Gozo was not addressed in any part of the budget. This shows how the Labour government and the Finance minister, according to the Opposition, perceive Gozo.

The party claims that, despite Minister Camilleri proudly announcing the capital vote for Gozo, he failed to state how Gozo will be receiving only 2.8% of capital spending. This is ridiculous says the Opposition, especially when one considers that Gozo’s input to most of Maltese life.

The statement continues to point out how the Labour Party promised Gozitans employment in Gozo. This was not carried out as the contrary seems to be evident, with the number of Gozitan workers now three times higher than that of 2013. This confirms for the Opposition Party that for a resident of Gozo to benefit from decent work conditions, they must find employment in Malta.

The lack of projects for Gozo was also flagged by the party, with the budget only highlighting long-promised projects which have not yet received implementation. Of these promised projects are a Heliport investment, the completion of the Hondoq reverse osmosis, the inclusion of a Victoria primary school and the restoration of the aqueduct. Gozo will also not be getting a fourth, adequate ferry, despite the government paying €10 million over two years to rent out an old one.

What do you think?

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Photo Source: Hotels.com, Bernard Grech FB, Clyde Caruana FB