LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese national airline, Air Malta, will be halving its workforce as part of a restructuring plan to reduce the company’s costs. This was announced by the Minister of Finance Clyde Caruana.

The company currently has about 890 employees and has to go down to about 420 with the rest being offered another employment in the public sector. Most of the staff reduction, around 300, will come from ground handling operations, and the remaining 110 will be administrative staff. This will save the national airline around €15 million every year.

Minister Caruana explained that the ground handling services will not be part of the company, unprofitable routes will be removed and the airline will attempt to become a European airline carrier that could fly within other countries.

Last year, Airmalta saved €40million after slashing half of its operating routes from 40 to 20. Cagliari, Casablanca, Bucharest were among the 20 routes which were stopped. Last week, the Maltese national airline decided to cut the number of frequencies to all of its winter destinations but none of its routes.

Minister Caruana said that he was being cautious in saying that this could be the last chance to save Air Malta. The Maltese national airline is currently making a loss of €170,000 a day.

Ten years ago, Air Malta also underwent a restructuring and financial assistance plan as a result of a reduction in manpower, aircrafts and even routes.

Last April, the Maltese Government presented a five-year financing plan for Air Malta although it seems the European Commission has rejected Maltàs plan to provide Air Malta with €290 million in aid. Minister Caruana said that the Maltese government is not expecting unprecendended financial aid from the European Commission and declared that the government disagrees with the Commission’s preferred option to close Air Maltàs operations and to start a new airline company.

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS/MNA) – “Today marks the 12th anniversary of the Tunisian Uprising and I have faith that the Tunisian people will find a way to see that stability and prosperity are still within reach if we can try to set aside our differences and work together to make Tunisia the great nation it has the potential to be”. The financier and philanthropist Kamel Ghribi, president of Gksd Investment Holding and vice president of the San Donato group, writes on his Instagram profile.
“Our greatest and perhaps biggest resource is our people. Difference is the essence of humanity, so there will always be diverging opinions and political positions, but this need not be the cause of division – says Ghribi -. We can and must bring our differences to the negotiating table to find an agreement through compromise for the sake of our children’s future. We are a highly educated and erudite nation that was once the jewel of the Mediterranean; we happily welcomed tourists with our characteristic friendly openness offering them our unique hospitality. I urge my fellow Tunisians again to embrace the potential we have within our grasp and work with our international partners, on whom we can count on for support if we are to move forward into a more stable, economically stronger future. We cannot afford to let one another down any longer, only we Tunisians have the solution in our hands; therefore, I urge all sides to work together to build a country that respects differences and create a climate where no single side seeks victory, but rather, where all sides work together to make our country the only victor”.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Maltese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Chris Fearne announced that as from next Monday, fully-vaccinated people will no longer need to wear a mask if they are alone in public or when accompanied by another person.

This decision was taken by the local health authorities since Malta will reach the rate of more than 70% target of its adult population administered the booster dose against COVID-19. So far, 1,152,980 vaccine doses have been administered, of which 293,394 are booster doses.

Fearne also announced that as from Monday, social distancing in restaurants, bars and similar venues will return to pre-pandemic levels. However the vaccine certificate has to be presented upon entry to such venues.

He insisted that the vaccine certificate will be valid for three months from the second jab or nine months from the booster. He added that if the European Commission will insist that these regulations breach the European travel rules, the Maltese government will re-examine the situation.

Fearne stated that the government will only be ready to reduce the quarantine period, once the immunity in the community increases. Recently, employers’ associations and the Nationalist opposition appealed to the government to reduce the quarantine period since the present situation is affecting badly the Maltese economy due to high rate of absenteeism at workplace.

As the Maltese Deputy Prime Minister announced that 90% of Maltàs cases are now of the Omicron variant, the local health authorties confirmed that four patients have died – a male aged 87, and three females aged 71, 76, and 93. This means that the pandemic has claimed a total 500 lives to date. During the last 24 hours 462 new cases registered, 92% of the new cases are of the Omicron variant type. The number of active cases stands at 12,301 while 1,261 patients have made a recovery. At the moment, 108 patients are receiving treatment at Mater dei hospital. Eight are in intensive care.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese health authorities have confirmed that four more patients have lost their life in the last 24 hours due to COVID-19. The elderly patients – three men aged 77, 87 and 88 and a woman aged 86 were receiving treatment at Mater Dei hospital. So far, 496 people have died since the start of the pandemic. 116 patients are still in hospital receiving treatment. Nine are in intensive care.

In the last 24 hours, 673 new positive cases were registered and 1,179 have recovered from COVID-19. This brings the total number of active cases in Malta to 13,104.

Meanwhile, the association representing the employers said that the increae in COVID cases during the last three weeks, and people coming in contact with the COVID positive people, has led to a dramatic increase in absenteeism.

The association added that according to a survey carried out recently “32% of the 325 respondents reported having an absence rate of higher than 15% which is making coping with the shortage of workers a problem in many workplaces. 58% said that they are coping with absenteeism through teleworking where this is possible, while 51% said that they have resorted to reducing operations.”

The association added that the increase in absenteeism due to COVID-19 is effecting badly and disrupting the companies’ operations and warned that this will effect the GDP and the government finances. “The disruption in business activity will have a negative impact on GDP and government finances, given that the wage supplement will have to be extended to at least the first quarter of 2022 to many businesses as a result.”

The Malta Employers’ Association and the Malta Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises are calling the health authorities to reduce the quarantine period to five days. This demand was also voiced by the Opposition which said that the thousands of people in quarantine was having a devastating effect on the Maltese economy.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The European Commission has asked the Maltese government to clarify the new travel regulations which are expected to come into force as from January, 17.

The Maltese health authorities decided that the COVID-19 certificate will be considered expired once three months from the second dose have passed or nine months from the booster dose. However, the European Commission declared that Malta will breach the European travel rules which came into force on December, 21 and which state that “member states must accept any vaccination certificate that has been issued less than nine months since the administration of the last dose of the primary vaccination”.

Meanwhile, the Malta International Airport criticized the health authorities’ decision and urged them to stop all plans to introduce the new plans. “Given that Malta is the only EU Member State which has shortened the validity period of COVID-19 vaccination certificates, the Superintendent of Public Health has imposed an unnecessary hurdle for Maltese residents to travel, together with undermining consumer confidence for the tourism industry during this already very challenging winter period.” The Malta International Airport added that the restrictions go against the spirit of the European Union to facilitate free movement across all European Member States.

Meanwhile, the local health authorities registered fewer positive cases of COVID-19 for the fifth consecutive days. However, three patients – 2 men aged 77 and 81, and a woman aged 81 – have died while receiving treatment for coronavirus at Mater Dei hospital. So far, the pandemic has claimed 492 lives. 126 patients are still in hospital, of whom nine are in intensive care.

During the last 24 hours, 432 new coronavirus were registered as 868 patients recovered from the virus. The number of active cases stands 13,614.

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta was included in a draft blacklist of ‘offshorè countries by the Russian government. This move from the Russian Ministry of Finance will deny support to some of Russiàs largest companies as from next year unless the companies send back money invested abroad.
In recent years, the Russian government took tough decisions on Russian companies registered in low-tax jurisdictions abroad as President Vladimir Putin attempts to control tax avoidance schemes.
A large number of prominent Russian businessmen and politicians acquired Maltese citizenship through the cash-for-passport scheme, and allowed them to move billions of rubles out of Russia.
Malta was included on the blacklist together with 56 other countries including Cyprus, Ireland, Switzerland, and US states of Delaware and Wyoming.
The Russian Finance Ministry said that Russian firms in which offshore entities have a stake of at least 25% will not be eligible for emergency coronavirus relief or low-interest government-backed loans from 1 January 2023.
Companies based in Malta pay the lowest tax on profits of any country in the EU. Local businesses pay a 35% tax on profits, but foreign corporations pay as little as 5% due to a complex tax system. Last year, the Maltese government agreed to the global tax rate but declared its reservations when it comes to companies which register €750 million or more in profit and operating in certain sectors.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta was ranked among the top 10 worst countries to live in, attaining poor record for the environment, security and the cost of living. According to the survey ‘The 2021 Expat Insider’, Malta was classified 50th from 59 countries.

Malta came 54th in terms of quality of life, 43rd for safety and security, 46th for digital life, 56th for the quality of the environment, 56th for the quality of transport and travel and 48th for personal happiness.

Malta fared slightly better in terms of the ease of settling in, classifying it at 35th while ranked 31st in the experience of working in the country as a foreign national, 51st in maintaining personal finance and 35th when considering the cost of living.

These results confirm Maltàs worsening reputation, with the country having slumped from third place in the 2015 survey to 50th in 2021.

According to a survey, the worst place for expats to live in was awarded to Kuwait. Taiwan was classified first, followed by Mexico, Costa Rica, Malaysia and Portugal. 12,420 participants, representing 174 nationalities living in 186 countries participated in the survey.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Maltese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Chris Fearne stated that Malta has the highest administered rate of the third dose against Covid-19 and the least number of patients recovering in hospital due to the pandemic in Europe.
The health authorities have also confirmed that 1,133,334 vaccine doses have been administered by Saturday, of which 278,153 are booster doses.
The local health authorities also confirmed that only few people are suffering from lung damage because of Covid-19. 70% of confirmed infections are from the Omicron variant. 131 patients with Covid-19 are receiving treatment in hospital, of which seven are in intensive care.
Meanwhile, the positive cases continued to decrease for the third consecutive day with the health authorties reporting 437 new cases of Covid-19. With 542 confirmed recoveries, the number of active cases stands at 14,053. During the last 24 hours, the pandemic has claimed the life of a 84-year-old woman. So far, 489 persons lost their life.
As children returned to schools, the union representing the teachers confirmed that several schools had to offer online teaching because many students and teachers are stuck in quarantine.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese authorities did not allow MSC Grandiosa to enter Malta due to tens of passengers on board who have tested positive for COVID-19.
According to local reports, hundred of passengers among them Maltese and Italian holidaymakers are stuck on board the cruise ship who was sailing between Malta, Spain, France and Italy on a seven day trip.
Around 150 people were tested positive following medical tests taken during an excursion in Marseille. Although all passengers on board and the crew are all vaccinated, most of the infected passengers are Italians showing no symptoms. No Maltese on board was tested positive.
The cruise ship is on its way to Palma de Mallorca, and all passengers will be tested for COVID-19. The Maltese agent representing the cruise liner said that if the Maltese passengers on board will test negative again, they will be sent back to Malta.Meanwhile, the Maltese health authorities confirmed 1,144 new coronavirus cases while two women, aged 56 and 67 died due to the virus. The number of active cases has increased to 15,065 and 114 patients are receiving treatment at Mater Dei Hospital, of which five are in intensive care. 1,106,647 doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered to date, including 254,889 booster doses.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Ten Italian MEPs from the European Peoplès Party have written to the European Commission asking to guarantee that Yorgen Fenech, accused as the mastermind behind the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia or anyone else involved in her killing would not benefit from any EU funding for the gas pipeline project that will connect Malta to Sicily.
The MEPs from Italy reminded that Caruana Galiziàs son Matthew has strongly opposed EU funding since it would financially reward Yorgen Fenech, a shareholder of the Electrogas consortium. Although the gas pipeline would not be operated by Electrogas, the consortium is set to receive a sizeable payout for the termination of its gas supply contract.
The European Commission was asked to specify what measures will be taken to ensure that EU funds do not benefit anyone involved directly or indirectly in the assassination of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews