Month: February 2023

The procedure in which grants are given by governments of European Union member states must be more efficient, including tax credits in strategic sectors that continue supporting environmental efforts. This is one of the key conclusions agreed by European leaders at the Special European Council held in Brussels on Thursday until the early hours of Friday.

Prime Minister Robert Abela highlighted this following the meetings that were held with European leaders. He was pleased that a reference to small and medium enterprises was included because as a country, we believe they are key partners and contributors to economic development. “This clearly shows that our message was heard,” the prime minister said as he explained that locally, the government engages and works well with social partners as they are crucial to our economic, social and environmental goals. 

Regarding the economy, the prime minister said that there are bureaucratic challenges for small and medium enterprises and Malta agrees with more flexibility as part of the wider support. In the light of the cases in favour of flexibility regarding the support programmes, as certain countries are less able due to financial burdens, Malta made a strong case in favour of more flexibility as our country worked diligently and is in a strong fiscal position to allow for more help to be given with less bureaucracy involved, just as was done during the pandemic. 

The Prime Minister said that this must be done to enhance competitiveness, even on an EU level, as the United States announced it will be subsidising green industries and whilst we must maintain our transatlantic ties, we must ensure that Europe remains attractive to these industries. 

During the European Council, which was also attended by the Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy, Malta reiterated its support for Ukraine by means of humanitarian aid, and reference was made to Malta’s seat at the United Nations Security Council, of which Malta currently holds the Presidency, and will thus continue its position against the war in Ukraine.

Migration was also discussed at the European Council, and Malta reiterated its call for more efforts to address human trafficking as part of wider organised crime. A call was also made for increased cooperation with FRONTEX, as this can reduce the number of lives lost at sea and the number of boats leaving North Africa, together with the hard work involved in the repatriation of migrants that are not eligible for asylum.

During the European Council, reference was also made to the human tragedy in Turkey and Syria following the earthquakes that struck the two counties, and European leaders agreed the important initiative of organising a conference for donors in order to give more tangible support to those impacted by the recent earthquakes.

Aviation was one of the key themes discussed in bilateral meetings that took place between Prime Minister of Malta Robert Abela and Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed Ali. During an official visit to Malta by the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, the two prime ministers outlined how increased cooperation in the aviation sector can be of benefit for both countries.

The Maltese Prime Minister hosted his Ethiopian counterpart at his office in Auberge de Castille and highlighted the ongoing discussions currently taking place so that the national airline of Ethiopia, the largest airline company in Africa and the fourth largest in the world in terms of destinations, starts to fly to and from Malta. Prime Minister Robert Abela said that this development is not just a positive one because it would allow Ethiopian Airlines to fly onward to the United States from Malta, but it would also attract global investment to Malta and in parallel, lead to foreign direct investment in Ethiopia.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Abela described Ethiopia as a key strategic partner in Africa, together with Ghana. He highlighted the opening of a Maltese Embassy in the capital Addis Ababa and added that Malta can be an important Mediterranean and European commercial hub for Ethiopia. Dr Robert Abela congratulated Dr Abiy Ahmed Ali for the recent peace agreement reached in Ethiopia, which is expected to lead to more stability within the country. Dr Abela said that Malta, also as President of the United Nations Security Council, will continue striving for peace and dialogue. Both sides also discussed enhanced cooperation in the maritime sector, artificial intelligence, education, and science amongst others.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade Ian Borg and Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Aaron Farrugia.

Il-gvern qed ikompli jinvesti f’Għawdex. Fil-fatt, f’Għawdex, il-Prim Ministru Robert Abela żar żewġ proġetti li qed jiġu implimentati b’investiment miljunarju u li se jkomplu jwasslu għal kwalità ta’ ħajja aħjar għall-familji. Wieħed mill-investimenti li żar il-prim ministru kien l-iskola primarja tan-Nadur fejn bħalissa għaddej proġett ta’ tisbiħ estensiv. Dan il-proġett qed jsir b’investiment ta’ €6 miljun kofinanzjat minn fondi Ewropej, u għandu jitlesta matul din is-sena. Din l-iskola primarja għandha popolazzjoni ta’ madwar 200 student kif ukoll madwar 30 edukatur.

Waqt iż-żjara, il-prim ministru sostna li uliedna għandu jkollhom l-aqwa edukazzjoni f’ambjent edukattiv modern, aċċessibbli u sigur. Għaldaqstant għaddejja ħidma mill-gvern sabiex l-iskejjel jiġu aġġornati maż-żminijiet tal-lum u dan huwa wieħed mill-proġetti li ser iwassal għal spazju edukattiv li se jkun modern, aċċessibbli u sabiħ għat-tfal. Bħala parti mill-proġett se jiġu installati servizzi ġodda, bħal dawl, ilma, drenaġġ, CCTV, konnessjoni tal-internet u servizzi ta’ fire safety. Apparti t-tisbiħ tal-iskola minn ġewwa u minn barra, il-proġett se jinkludi d-disinn mill-ġdid tal-ispazji miftuħa u rikreattivi, kif ukoll il-ħolqien ta’ spazji ġodda għat-tagħlim ta’ suġġetti extrakurrikulari, fosthom dance studio, music room, theatre studio, u klassijiet għall-arti.  Il-proġett se jindirizza wkoll l-aċċessibbiltà fil-binja, bħall-installazzjoni ta’ lift ġdid. Waqt iż-żjara, il-Prim Ministru Robert Abela kien akkumpanjat mill-Ministru għal Għawdex Clint Camilleri, mill-Ministru għall-Edukazzjoni, l-Isport, iż-Żgħażagħ, ir-Riċerka u l-Innovazzjoni Clifton Grima u mis-Segretarju Parlamentari għall-Fondi Ewropej Chris Bonett.

Il-Prim Ministru Robert Abela żar ukoll investiment kbir fl-isport fejn għall-ewwel darba Għawdex se jkollu kumpless akwatiku u sportiv, fiċ-ċentru tal-gżira. Il-prim ministru sostna li l-isport għandu jkun parti integrali mill-ħajja tan-nies u dan il-proġett se joffri lill-atleti Għawdxin u oħrajn kumpless akwatiku u sportiv tal-ogħla livell fejn jistgħu jipprattikaw id-dixxiplina sportiva tagħhom. Il-proġett taċ-Ċentru Akwatiku u Sportiv, li wasal fi stadju avvanzat, jinvolvi l-bini ta’ pixxina ta’ daqs olimpiku u numru ta’ faċilitajiet ġodda fosthom għall-ġinnastika, basketball u faċilitajiet oħra fejn jista’ jintlagħab sport ieħor fuq ġewwa. Iċ-ċentru sportiv se jkun mgħammar ukoll b’faċilitajiet tal-aqwa livell għal kull min jagħmel użu minnu, fosthom bi kmamar tal-ewwel għajnuna. Il-kumpless sportiv se jwassal ukoll għal aktar tkabbir ekonomiku f’Għawdex, hekk kif se joħloq niċeċ ekonomiċi ġodda billi jattira atleti u gruppi professjonali barranin sabiex jagħmlu użu minn dan il-kumpless ġdid f’Għawdex.

Il-Prim Ministru Robert Abela sostna li l-Awtorità Reġjonali għall-Iżvilupp ta’ Għawdex (GRDA) tista’ tmexxi ’l quddiem inizjattivi ambizzjużi f’Għawdex biex l-ekonomija ta’ din il-gżira tkun tal-ewwel li tagħmel il-qalba favur carbon neutral. Waqt li kien qed jinawgura uffiċini ġodda tal-Awtorità fir-Rabat Għawdex, il-Prim Ministru fisser il-GRDA bħala għodda biex tagħti l-aqwa opportunitajiet ekonomiċi għal din il-ġenerazzjoni.

Il-Prim Ministru wera s-sodisfazzjon tiegħu għax-xogħol li qed twettaq din l-Awtorità li l-għan tagħha hu li tagħti viżjoni għall-ġejjieni ta’ Għawdex. Tenna li l-fatt li din l-Awtorità twaqqfet fl-eqqel tal-pandemija turi biċ-ċar li meta ffaċċjat bl-isfidi, dan il-Gvern iħares ’il quddiem biex jegħlibhom u jwettaq viżjoni aktar għat-tul, li twassal għal aktar suċċessi f’pajjiżna.

Dr Abela saħaq li Għawdex huwa fiċ-ċentru tal-politika tal-Gvern u kif diġà sar investiment bla preċedent f’diversi oqsma, il-Gvern kommess li jkompli jimplimenta aktar miżuri u jattira aktar investiment li jibqa’ jwassal għal aktar tkabbir ekonomiku f’din il-gżira.

Il-Prim Ministru semma wkoll kif qed jsir investiment mill-Gvern biex jiġi inċentivat il-privat fejn fl-aħħar tliet snin, f’Għawdex biss, il-Malta Enterprise għenet madwar elf negozju f’inizjattivi maħsuba biex isaħħu u jkabbru l-operat tagħhom u ngħataw €17-il miljun f’għajnuniet.

“Bħala Gvern kommessi li Għawdex ikun mutur ewlieni tal-progress ekonomiku u soċjali. Għalina Għawdex huwa parti essenzjali tal-bidla li rridu naraw f’pajjiżna lejn kwalità ta’ ħajja aħjar”, sostna l-Prim Ministru filwaqt li stqarr li l-GRDA għandha rwol kruċjali f’dan il-kuntest għaliex minbarra li qed tiżviluppa strateġija ta’ żvilupp reġjonali għal Għawdex, għandha wkoll l-awtorità li tħares l-interessi t’Għawdex kull meta ikun hemm deċiżjonijiet politiċi jew proġetti li jistgħu jaffetwaw lil din il-gżira. 

Waqt l-inawgurazzjoni tkellem ukoll il-Ministru għal Għawdex Clint Camilleri fejn spjega kif l-akbar proġett li ħadmet u għadha qed tkompli taħdem fuqu l-Awtorità huwa dak tal-Gozo Regional Airfield. Il-Gvern jemmen fil-potenzjal ta’ Għawdex u l-istudji indipendenti li saru mill-Awtorità kollha jindikaw li dan il-proġett huwa fattibbli, għaldaqstant ġiet sottomessa l-applikazzjoni quddiem l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar.

Il-Ministru Camilleri spjega wkoll kif fix-xhur li ġejjin, l-Awtorità se tassumi aktar responsabbiltajiet li ser ikomplu jgħollu l-profil u jistabbilixxu aktar id-dimensjoni tagħha. Dan għaliex l-GRDA ser tkun qed tikkordina l-pjan ta’ kif ser jiġu utilizzati b’mod effiċjenti s-€60 miljun li ġew allokati taħt il-fond Żvilupp Sostenibbli fl-Urban.

Mario Borg, Kap Eżekuttiv tal-Awtorità qal li tul dawn l-aħħar sentejn, l-Awtorità rnexxielha tistabbilixxi ruħha bħala entità ewlenija f’Għawdex. Semma kif fost oħrajn l-Awtorità ħadmet fuq bosta policies u proġetti relatati ma’ żvilupp soċjo-ekonomiku iktar sostenibbli, kif ukoll waqqfet strutturi li permezz tagħhom jinżamm kuntatt kontinwu mal-istakeholders kollha.

Matul il-jum tal-Ġimgħa l-Prim Ministru Robert Abela ltaqa’ ma’ numru ta’ rappreżentanti tal-imsieħba soċjali Għawdxin. Ir-rappreżentanti nnutaw b’sodisfazzjon li l-miżuri li qed jieħu l-Gvern f’Għawdex qed iħallu impatt pożittiv fosthom fit-turiżmu u jħarsu ’l quddiem għal aktar ħidma li tkompli tkattar il-ġid.