Budget 2021: Finance Minister Scicluna rises to present Budget

Finance Minister Edward Scicluna concludes his Budge speech and receives rousing applause from government benches.
Malta will continue with meetings to secure a seat on the United Nations Security Council between 2023 and 2024.
Security: A system for keeping track of each person entering and leaving Malta.
A center for the LGBTIQ community will be set up.
Malta will continue to strive at an international level to further share the burden of immigration.
Specialized vehicles will increase capability of Civil Protection Department.
Corradino Correctional Facility to get upgrade including CCTV and new vehicles.
Community Police force to be strengthened.
More investment in Regional Councils
Manoel Theatre to get more investment.
Registered NGOs will be exempt from paying income tax not exceeding € 50,000
An investment will be made in the Autism Unit in middle secondary schools
Free internet for a year for students continuing to study after secondary school.
Government to increase number of active ageing centres.
St. Michael’s center to provide  care to cancer patients.
The Government will buy the Covid-19 vaccine as soon as it is available
Work to be carried out on various historic sites.
Plan to regenerate abandoned buildings.
An investment of € 11 million to prepare for the Small Countries Games to be held in Malta in 2023.
An investment of € 11 million to prepare for the Small Countries Games to be held in Malta in 2023.
A new blood bank will be built
Modernization of Mount Carmel and health centers
New Outpatients building and underground parking inside Mater Dei Hospital.
University of Malta to get sports complex.
New facilities for ferry passengers
5 new maritime projects.
Allowance to switch to gas powered car will increase to € 400.
€ 10,000 grant for a new taxi with more accessibility for people with disabilities
Clean and sustainable energy schemes extended.
Car scrappage scheme to be extended up to highest grant to be € 7,000
Reduction in tax payments, registration and license on vehicles
Work on National Park at Ta’Qali will continue and investment will continue to create new afforestation areas.
From next January, import of single use plastics will stop, from 2022 the sale will stop
Works on a pet cemetery will soon start.
Study on mass transport enters second phase.
Work on reverse osmosis in Gozo to continue.
Improved grants for fishermen and farmers.
Gozo Ferries to have  permanent fourth vessel and express bus service from Cirkewwa
Benefits for Gozitan students to include help with accomodation.
Revamp for diving in Malta while studies will be carried out to become an underwater cultural museum.
Paceville to be first to get “Safe City” cameras
The Employment Refund Scheme, Teleworking Scheme, and MICE schemes will be extended, while Back Office Refund Scheme schemes and promotional support schemes will be improved for Gozitan enterprises, among others.
Plans for regeneration of tourist areas.
An updated tourism development strategy will be launched in the coming weeks.
A request for state aid for Air Malta will be made to the European Commission in the coming days.
Aviation policy will be set launched.
Malta Enterprise will launch scheme to help companies with less than 50 employees.
The VAT exemption threshold for self-employed will increase from € 20,000 to € 30,000

Government has obtained € 2.25 billion in European funds, which will be distributed in the environment and agriculture, Erasmus +, among others.

€ 120 million will be used to continue to support jobs affected by the pandemic

€ 220 million in grants will be invested in the environment and climate sector, and a shift towards a digital reality

The wage supplement to support businesses in Covid-19 will be extended until the end of March 2021.

Extension of the family business transfer allowance for tax breaks extended for another year

More help for home buyers with stamp duty exemption on first € 200,000 instead of € 175,000 for first time buyers.

Compensation for former shipyard workers affected by asbestos where claims are verified.

Free Tal Linja cards for senior citizens over 70.

€ 9 million for former members of public service bodies.

For carers the maximum annual subsidy rate will be given at just over € 700 to rise to € 6,000.

Service pension will be increased by € 200.

In addition to COLA, pensioners will be given an additional € 3.25 per week, for a total increase of € 5 per week – amounting to € 260 per year.

The foster carers allowance will be increased by € 520 to € 5,720.

Children’s allowance rise by €70 per child for households with an income of under €25,300 a year.

Tax refund rates will increase to between € 45 and € 95, with the highest value given to the lowest income earners.

Another € 100 in vouchers for everyone over age of 16.

There will be an extra day’s leave for all workers.

The cost of living increase will be € 1.75, that works out at € 91 per year.

He says economic measures taken by the Government in connection with Covid-19 have safeguarded employment, with the unemployment rate in Malta being lower than in Europe

Minister Scicluna recalls what was given in the budget by the last governments led by the Nationalist Party, and mentioned the differences in the budget of this government.

That does not go down well with Opposition MP’s..to be expected.

Finance Minister Edward Scicluna rises to present Budget 2021, the first Budget under Prime Minister Robert Abela.

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