Invasion of Ukraine cost Malta €200 million reveals Minister

Mar 10 2022

Finance Minister Clyde Caruana revealed that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has so far cost Malta €200 million.

Insisting that the impact of the war on Malta is massive, the minister spoke during a debate by the Malta Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, saying he wanted to address the elephant in the room.

Caruana said that all people are talking about the Ukraine invasion, saying he is more worried about it than he was worried about COVID-19 in terms of the economy.

‘This is not just a war with bombs but it is an economic war and its impact will not be small’ said the minister. ‘We have to do whatever it takes to save our economy. I am aware of the massive hit caused by the war. €200 million were allocated in the Budget because of COVID. In one week of war, we are estimating that this will cost us €200 million.’

Forecasting an increase in the future, the minister noted how the increases are happening in a way which never happened before. He said he did not want to make remarks to scare people but it is in fact a serious one.

He insisted that government will ‘cushion the blow’ by assuring that utility bills and fuel prices will remain unchanged throughout this year.

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Main parties both highlight return of trade schools

Mar 10 2022

Trade schools might be getting a revitalisation as both main political parties, Labour and Nationalist, have promised pledges which target their recreation and maintenance.

On their part, the Labour Party highlighted how the closure of trade schools back in the 1990s left a skills vacuum in Malta. PL deputy leader Daniel Micallef said that despite MCAST being set up and became successful, the gap was still felt.

Micallef said that the party wishes to fill in that vacuum as employers still find it hard to find people with certain skills. Without turning back the clock, the party pledged that they wish to empower youth by creating new opportunities and pedagogical systems to help them develop the skills.

As the PL proposes the establishing of a new crafts institute at MCAST, the Nationalist Party came up with its own take on solving the issue. The opposition pledged to expand MCAST’s programmes to invest in training linked to new economic sectors.

This bodes particularly well with the PN’s pledge to create 10 new economic sectors which vary from AI to meta verse technology. They also pledged setting up an Apprenticeship Program of Excellence in collaboration with industries and specialised training to students were pledged by Bernard Grech and his party.

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ERA to finance six new environmental projects says Minister

Mar 10 2022

Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning Aaron Farrugia announced that the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) has committed €500,000 to six different environmental projects.

The projects will be supported through the Better Environment in our Local Urban Spaces (BELLUS) programme. Making the announcement alongside ERA acting CEO Kevin Mercieca, the Minister explained how the projects were evaluated according to the effects on the environment and community as a whole.

Farrugia said the government has continued to invest in both natural and rural environment of the Maltese islands whilst also prioritising the wellbeing and quality of life for all families.

The six projects relate to environmental improvements and restoration in rural and urban areas in several localities. They will involve greening, educational and environmental management projects for the benefit of the public, students and environment.

The projects include;

The Don Bosco Foundation – renovating a facility and turning it into a Green Living Hub Malta
St John Rescue corps’ regeneration of a reservoir as well as the restoration of Fort Madliena reservoir
Green access spaces to MCAST and the installation of 300sqm green roof on top of new MCAST Resource Centre Building
Zejtun Local council’s establishment of Gebel San Martin Ring Road and restoration of rubble walls. Biodiversity will also b protected, along with preventing soil erosion and flooding and the installation of benches and road lighting and bins.
A collective effort for a resilient environment with the Federation for Hunting and Conservation (KATTAR) focusing on propagation of local flora as well as raising awareness through public involvement. Planting material and plants will also be distributed to FKNK and local councils.
St Augustine College – ecological education for the students and the regeneration of the St Augustine College Pieta garden. Two areas on the roof as possible gardens is also considered.

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17 injured as airstrike hits Ukrainian maternity hospital

Mar 10 2022

An airstrike by Russian military forces devastated a maternity hospital Wednesday in the city of Mariupol. This comes amid warnings from the West that the invasion is about to take a much more brutal turn.

At least 17 people were reported injured in the attack, with the ground shaking more than a mile away from the bombing site. With most windows blown out and the front of one building ripped away, police and soldiers have rushed to the site to help victims.

Among them was a heavily pregnant and bleeding woman on a stretcher. Others carried their children, some of them newly born, away from the blast crater.

The act was condemned by Volodymir Nikulin, a top regional police officer, who said that ‘today, Russia committed a huge crime. It is a war crime without any justification.’

This isn’t the only medical facility impacted by the invasion as in Zhytomyr, a city of 260,000 people to the west of capital Kyiv, two hospitals were bombed. One of them was a children’s hospital, and thankfully, no one was wounded.

However, president Zelenskyy did reveal that some children were trapped under the rubble. ‘A children’s hospital and a maternity hospital. How did they threaten the Russian Federation?’ asked Zelenskyy.

‘What kind of country is this, the Russian Federation, which is afraid of hospitals, afraid of maternity hospitals, and destroys them?’ Zelenskyy urged the West to impose more sanctions so that Russia does not continue the genocide.

As many flee Ukraine into neighbouring countries or further away, the WHO said it has confirmed 18 attacks on health facilities and ambulances since the fighting began, killing 10 people. Despite this, Russian forces are still struggling more than expected.

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Photo Source: CNN