Prime Minister promises cheques will be distributed before Election Day

Feb 22 2022

The tax refund and supplementary cheques which were promised in February shall be distributed before Election Day.

This was revealed by prime minister Robert Abela on Tuesday, saying that 380,000 people will benefit from a total of €70 million.

Asked by newsroom Malta Independent about whether the distribution of the two incentives during the campaign can be considered an abuse of power, Abela responded by saying that the distribution of both cheques should not be postponed.

He said that if ‘we are going to constantly talk about this every time we have distributed such cheques, the whole legislature can be considered as being an election campaign because we were insistent about handing out tax refunds and cheques.’

Before the election was announced, Abela stated that workers and students would be receiving cheques worth €100, with pensioners receiving up to €200 as an incentive to boost Malta’s economy. With this going over and above the tax refunds which will be distributed, the Prime Minister said the constant decrease in tax rates had stimulated more people to work.

When asked about the PN’s claims that the government was giving tax refunds after having stolen from the people in the payments of income tax, Abela said this was a deliberate spin by the Opposition.

#MaltaDaily

€300 yearly grant to parents of students in extra-curricular programmes by PN

Feb 22 2022

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech revealed on Tuesday that a new Nationalist government would be giving a grant of €300 to parents of students under 18 years of age who participate in extracurricular programmes.

The programme must be registered with an ESG-compliant association of their choice in sectors such as sports, culture, arts and/or performing arts.

The PN leader explained how the party in government will introduce schemes which would allow parents or guardians to deduct from their taxable income any school fees, fees for extracurricular activities as well as those related to sports.

Grech said the aim of these proposals for the youth entails incentivising them to practice sports or choose a career in culture and the arts. ‘This is part of the education that a new PN government believes in’ he said.

He also went on to give further details about another proposal which seeks to reduce the tax rate on the €80,000 for athletes, singers, coaches and others who work and earn a living from such sectors.

Grech said that the Nationalist Party is addressing these issues, as well as the cost of living situation and mental health, head on whereas the Labour Party is telling the public that that there is nothing that can be done.

#MaltaDaily

Over 300,000 outbound flights registered in 2021 by Maltese

Feb 22 2022

It was revealed that in 2021, well over 300,000 outbound flights were registered by Maltese, showing a significant increase over 2020, the year the pandemic kicked off.

This means that there was a 54.2% increase over 2020, with travelling to Italy taking the lead in terms of spots Maltese preferred to visit. This also shows how the majority of Maltese preferred European countries.

236,132 travelled to EU destinations, while 66,935 travelled to non-EU locations. The main reasons why Maltese traveled during 2021 were to take a holiday following a year of COVID-19 restrictions (despite these extending into the following years) but also to work.

Educational reasons were also touted as reasons for travel as many wanted to continue their studies abroad. There were also health reasons which required foreign medical aid.

The National Statistics Office (NSO) revealed that 157,158 used low-cost airlines, whereas 121,660 used other airlines. With 24,249 using sea transport, total nights spent by outbound tourists went up by 71.3%, surpassing 2.8 million nights.

The total expenditure by outbound tourists between October and December reached up to €101.4 million, equivalent to an average of €823 per person. Most tourists travelling during the fourth quarter were aged between 25 and 44.

#MaltaDaily

WATCH: Bernard Grech states that it is clear Robert Abela is afraid of journalists

Feb 22 2022

Bernard Grech has stated that “Robert Abela is clearly afraid of journalists and the skeletons in his closet, which is why he will continue hiding where he feels safe; hiding behind a teleprompter.”

These were the comments of PN Leader Bernard Grech, who told Malta Daily that he believes in journalism and that it is a fundamental pillar in modern society, going on to reveal that he even approached Parliament with a draft law related to journalism within Malta’s constitution.

Grech stated that he is a real and authentic politician who will continue to communicate with the people of Malta and he is ready to debate the Prime Minister whenever it may be.

#MaltaDaily