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[WATCH] Follow the Budget 2020 live-blog here

Follow Budget 2020 here together with our live-blog of all major announcements

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14 October 2019, 5:10pm
by David Hudson
Edward Scicluna delivered the third budget since the 2017 election
Edward Scicluna delivered the third budget since the 2017 election

Follow us live here and tweet your thoughts on the budget with #MaltaBudget20

21:07 That brings to an end Minister Scicluna's two-and-a-half hour speech. Stay tuned for press conferences from Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Opposition Leader Adrian Delia at around 9:30pm. David Hudson
21:04 The Finance Minister tabled the Budget speech and the draft estimates for 2020 and other draft measures. David Hudson
21:04 Scicluna ended the Budget speech with the Budget's theme—let's keep growing together. David Hudson
21:03 “At the same time, we are identifying the problems of our time and already explaining how to address them,” Scicluna said. David Hudson
21:02 “The distribution of wealth to people most vulnerable, including the elderly, is reaching record-breaking sums,” Scicluna said, adding that the aim of the Budget was to help the poor to become economically independent. David Hudson
21:01 This wasn’t done, Scicluna said, adding that the rhythm had continued. David Hudson
21:01 “It would have been justified had the 2020 Budget decided to slow down its rhythm that it has picked up over the last four years,” Scicluna said in his closing words. David Hudson
21:00 Works on the indoor swimming pool in Cottonera will continue. Marsascala will see a new pool. The complex for recreational and competitive shooting in Ta’ Kandja will see its second phase of development. David Hudson
20:58 In terms of sports, Malta will be preparing to host the Games of the Small States of Europe in 2023. For this reason, Scicluna said, the government was committed to continue to modernise a number of sports facilities across Malta. David Hudson
20:55 This commission will be independent from government and will answer to Parliament with strong powers to fight any form of discriminatory behaviour, Scicluna said. David Hudson
20:55 In 2020, the government will launched a new National Commission on the Rights of Persons and Equality, Scicluna said. This will be in accordance with Paris principles and the Venice Commission recommendations. David Hudson
20:54 The government will launch an academy tasked with integration. David Hudson
20:49 Armed Forces of Malta—Scicluna said that the armed forces will continue in active operations outside Maltese shores which will help to improve soldiers’ experiences and will also be a way of supporting European Union projects… the AFM will continue to pull its weight in Eunavfor Atlanta operation, Eunavformed OP Sophia, and with Frontex. David Hudson
20:45 The government, Scicluna said, will continue to invest in the Customs Department, especially with the purchase of an x-ray tunnel van, and two new machines for the scanning of luggage. David Hudson
20:45 In a bid to fight money laundering and the use of enormous amounts of hard cash, from 2020, it will no longer be possible in Malta to buy property, cars, boats, yachts, diamonds, precious stones and other art object using hard cash with value over €10,000. David Hudson
20:42 A new agency will fight financial crimes and will be exclusively known as the Financial Organised Crimes Agency. It would be complementing the Economic Crimes Unit within the Police. David Hudson
20:41 In terms of evasion of tax, Malta is the fourth country with the lowest evasion of the Value Added Tax, Scicluna said, adding that Malta had managed to reduce its tax evasion by 8% in a single year. David Hudson
20:39 The Attorney General will assume a stronger prosecutor role in accordance with latest EU practices. David Hudson
20:37 On Justice reforms, the Finance Miniser said that when it comes to pending cases—26,650 in 2012—this number went down to 22,510 in the last six years. David Hudson
20:35 Pre qualification questionnaire on Gozo tunnel tender to be issued... David Hudson
20:34 “Contrary to criticism being levelled in terms of Gozo investments, the sister island has no seen such a massive investment when it comes to road infrastructure,” Scicluna said. David Hudson
20:32 The controversial Gozo-Malta tunnel has been mentioned… Scicluna said that several studies on the project will be completed in the coming months. Preliminary designs on the environment, social and economic impacts of such a tunnel will soon be published. David Hudson
20:31 A tendering process for the fourth ferry will be launched soon, Scicluna announced. Worked on the fast ferry service will continue and a second optic fibre will also be completed. David Hudson
20:30 The Gozo Channel is implementing a strategy that aims to offer a service that meets the exigencies of its clients, Scicluna said. The fourt ferry was a success. David Hudson
20:29 A Film Fund has been introduced so that Gozo will attracted new cinematographic productions. A new fund was created for 2020 so that Gozo becomes an attractive destination for conferences, meetings and other events. David Hudson
20:28 Gozo has become an economic contributor from simply a beneficiary as proportionally, the economic growth in Gozo was larger than that in Malta, Scicluna said. David Hudson
20:26 David Hudson
20:23 Air Malta will continue its modernisation process, renew its fleet and increase its destinations in Europe and North Africa. David Hudson
20:21 “The Tourism Industry keeps registering good results. In 2019, the number of tourists to have visited Malta has amounted to 2.7 million, an increase of 4.5% in 2018, which had already been a record-breaking year,” Scicluna said. David Hudson
20:19 At the end of next Spring, the first National Agricultural Fair will be launched, an opportunity, the Finance Minister said, for farmers and Maltese producers to exhibit their produce to the widest audience possible. David Hudson
20:18 The old Marsa dump will be transformed into a new industrial zone, a sports zone and a recreation zone without undue pressures on virgin land, Scicluna said. In collaboration with the University of Malta, the construction waste from construction in this area will be recovered to be used again. David Hudson
20:15 The Malta Industrial Parks is working on a public-private partnership in several industrial zones in Malta to accommodate small business in industrial clusters. David Hudson
20:14 The government will continue to invest in Esports and international competitive gaming events. David Hudson
20:14 Space? Yes, that too, as the Maltese government will aim to commercialise the space sector. A legislative framework is being designed so that companies that work in this sector invest in Malta. A public consultation document will be launched and will serve as the foundation of the space strategy. David Hudson
20:12 "Cyber security is a priority for this country. Cyber attacks take place every moment and prevention is better than cure," Scicluna said. David Hudson
20:11 An educational campaign on AI will be launched as well as students grants for those aiming to study AI. David Hudson
20:11 Malta is amongst the top ten countries in the world with a strategy in the emergent sector of Artificial Intelligence, Scicluna said. David Hudson
20:10 The Malta Stock Exchange will be implementing new initiatives next year to promote the issue of new Green Bonds—these initiatives are aimed to incentivise projects in the sector of environmental protection and sustainable resources and clean energy. David Hudson
20:07 Scicluna said that in the second year since its founding, the Maltese Development Bank had a strong impact on the Maltese economy as it introduced a number of schemes and guarantees on loans to small-and-medium enterprises. David Hudson
20:05 Once again, the Speaker of the House has interrupted proceedings, encouraging people present in the House to leave the building if they wanted to carry on chattering. David Hudson
20:03 National Library will be invested in as conservation, restoration and modernisation of this building will make the place more accessible and attractive to tourists and researchers. David Hudson
20:03 Matthew Vella
20:01 Scicluna announced that ITS registered an 80% increase in new full-time students. David Hudson
20:01 A new study will be commissioned on the maximum weight to be carried by students and the optimum weight of student bags. David Hudson
20:00 Drinking water fountains will be introduced in schools... David Hudson
20:00 Work on a Maltese spellchecker will start and this is expected to cost around €8 million. David Hudson
20:00 A maximum grant of €850 will be given to any students studying a foreign language in another country. David Hudson
19:59 Free school transport is guaranteeing that families are saving €700 per child, Scicluna said. David Hudson
19:57 Marsascala primary school opened, childcare centre opened in St Julian’s… now Qawra will also see its primary school completed by next year. David Hudson
19:57 The One Tablet per Child Scheme will move to its second stage, as a pilot one-tablet-per-child project will cover middle schools. David Hudson
19:56 Now it’s time for education… “Malta is the first country that made use of blockchain in terms of education certificates issued from MCAST, ITS and NCFH,” Scicluna said. David Hudson
19:55 Services granted to rape victims will be strengthened, Scicluna said, as the government aims to improve victim support services. David Hudson
19:54 The government will also launch a National Poison Centre, which will offer new services for people exposed to various chemical toxins. David Hudson
19:53 “Mental health will be a priority, especially because statistics show that mental health will be one of the biggest challenges in the coming years,” Scicluna said, adding that an investment in Mount Carmel hospital will aim to improve its infrastructure. David Hudson
19:51 Grants of up to €1,500 for scrapping of old vehicles and €200 for conversion to alternative fuels will be rolled out. David Hudson
19:51 The €700 million investment in Malta's road network will continue as all roads are set to be maintained and rebuilt where necessary as a bid to reduce congestion and emissions. David Hudson
19:48 The government is committed to offer new sustainable travelling alternatives including ferries, Scicluna said. The government said that ferry-waiting spots will be improved so that shade and shelter will be provided. David Hudson
19:47 Young people and students will still benefit from this scheme. David Hudson
19:46 Scicluna said that 40 new buses were introduced to the public transport fleet and that it would be extending the free service to the elderly. David Hudson
19:42 “The government is committed to continue to improve public transport.” At the end of 2020, all seven flyovers for the Marsa Junction Project will be completed as well as the Santa Lucija underground tunnels, Scicluna said. David Hudson
19:39 Rinella Bay and Ghadira Bay may be extended next year to create bigger beaches. David Hudson
19:38 Those who invested in photovoltaic panels some years ago and whose payback rate is about to run out will now benefit from a 25% grant of total expenditure, capped at €1,000, in order so that they’ll be able to afford their own battery to store electricity. David Hudson
19:36 Several localities will enjoy multiple maintenance and afforestation projects, including Marsaxlokk, St Julian’s, St Venera, Msida, Senglea, Birzebbugia, Pietà and Kalkara. David Hudson
19:35 The Santa Venera tunnel is set to be roofed and converted into a green, open area. David Hudson
19:34 Malta Enterprise will be offering incentives to construction operators to replace equipment with new machinery which pollutes less. David Hudson
19:34 Minister Scicluna carries on... electric cars will continue to have no registration tax, he said. David Hudson
19:33 Oops! Speaker of the House Anglu Farrugia shushed loud speakers in the House. ‘Do you mind? A Budget is being read in here,’ he said. David Hudson
19:33 Public cleansing—Scicluna said that this is the responsibilty of multiple entities. The government will aim to decentralise this. David Hudson
19:31 €2 million will be allocated for afforestation programmes. David Hudson
19:31 Shops are to be given a grant covering 50% of expenses, up to a maximum of €3,000 in a bid to establish green corners, where green products will be sold by weight and volume. Consumers can bring their own containers as part of a circular economy strategy, Scicluna announced. David Hudson
19:29 Single-use plastics will be banned from Malta. The import and production of plastic bags, cutlery, straws, and plastic plates will be banned from January 2021. David Hudson
19:28 MEP Miriam Dalli took to Twitter: climate change demands immediate action, she wrote. 'Set of measures announced this evening are a first step in the right direction but everyone needs to do their part.' David Hudson
19:27 Number of charging points for electric cars across Malta and Gozo will increase. David Hudson
19:26 The Sant Antnin plant will 'finally' be closed, Scicluna said as the Waste to Energy project was progressing and the organic waste separation programme had been successful. David Hudson
19:24 These necessary changes will not cause any sort of pressure on Maltese families, Scicluna said. David Hudson
19:23 "We are living in a time where climate change is mention consistently," Scicluna said, adding that the EU is discussing on how the 2030 targets will be strengthened. Malta, he said, is committed to lower its carbon emissions. David Hudson
19:22 Scicluna announced that a national strategy on carbon neutrality 2050 targets is to be published some time in the coming year. David Hudson
19:21 Agency on Land Registration has been set up. A new online system will facilitation the registration of new property, Scicluna said. David Hudson
19:19 The Housing Authority will also maintain over 50 social housing blocks in various localities. David Hudson
19:18 The number of social housing units will double in 2020, Scicluna said. Better optimisation and larger investments will guarantee that 1,700 new housing units will be developed. David Hudson
19:16 A new scheme will come into force in 2020 and is addressed for those young would-be property owners who do not have enough money to pay the 10% deposit on a home loan. The government will be granting out loans for this purpose, with interest rates paid for by the government. David Hudson
19:15 The existing schemes, such as first-time buyers scheme, the second-time buyers, buying of properties in Gozo and others will be renewed for another year. David Hudson
19:15 “The government is determined to address the rent challenge,” Scicluna said, announcing that a law on residential housing has been drafted so that the housing market will start offering a sustainable long-term renting alternative. David Hudson
19:12 VAT exemption on special apparatus bought for people with disabilities will go up by €400 to €1,000. David Hudson
19:11 Disability benefit eligibility criteria to be widened for persons with hearing and visual impairments. People who suffer from fibromyalgia will be considered for a sickness benefit, including the first three days of sick leave covered by the government. David Hudson
19:09 Pensions for persons with disability who cannot work to be further increased from €150 to €161.40 per week. David Hudson
19:08 The cost of living adjustment will be €3.49 per week, and will cover also pensioners and people on social benefits. Stipends for students will increase pro-rata. David Hudson
19:07 A €300 bonus will be given to each born or adopted child as from 1 January. David Hudson
19:07 Public transport will be free of charge to people over 75 years of age, while the 62+ government savings bond will be issued again. Over €3 million was invested in this scheme last year. David Hudson
19:04 Widows and widowers who have children aged less than 18 will be getting a €4.54 increase if the parent is in employment and €9.32 if there is no employment. David Hudson
19:02 Around 8,000 people and their inheritors will benefit from this measure. David Hudson
19:01 Around €13 million will be allocated next year to address pension injustices, such as those suffered by ex-members of 70s corps and other anomalies. David Hudson
19:00 Minimum wage and maximum pension will remain tax free, Scicluna announced. David Hudson
18:58 Pensioners to get €7 weekly increase inclusive of COLA. This is the fifth consecutive increase and the highest so far. David Hudson
18:56 Stamp duty on transfer of business to remain at the reduced rate of 1.5%. David Hudson
18:55 The rate of tax on overtime will go down to 15% for the first 100 hours of overtime of workers who earn less than €20,000 per year and are not in a managerial position. David Hudson
18:55 It will no longer be tolerated that employees are employed without regulation and without paying stamp duty. The government will be taking necessary steps for this to be adhered to, Scicluna said. David Hudson
18:53 Workers will benefit from three extra leave days per year. David Hudson
18:52 The tax refund that has been granted for the last two years will be granted again next year. This measure will benefit 200,000 workers and will cost the government €11.5 million. David Hudson
18:51 Every family will benefit from a €15 bonus for a household of at least a single person and €35 for other households. David Hudson
18:50 Amongst the decrease in utility bills, budgetary measures have contributed to lower poverty rates, he said. 6% of people that had been in the risk-of-poverty were no longer threatened. David Hudson
18:48 Unemployment is expected to remain at 3.5% in 2020. David Hudson
18:47 EU economy is expected to grow 1.6% over the next year. In Malta, this is expected to translate to 4.3%, Scicluna said as he gave a summary of the economic forecast. David Hudson
18:46 Public debt went down to 45.8% at the end of last year. At the end of 2019, this is expected to go down to 43%. David Hudson
18:44 2019 saw a 5.7% increase in wages and salaries, Scicluna said, and the work market had now grown to 230,000 people on a payroll. David Hudson
18:43 No tax increases, Scicluna claims. He also announced that 2020 will be the fifth consecutive year that public finances will record a surplus. David Hudson
18:42 Scicluna said that it was time now for wealth to be distributed so that every town is accessible without traffic, to improve the environmental landscape and to make sure the economy remains sustainable, to meet all the challenges ahead. David Hudson
18:40 Minister Scicluna kicks off his speech by saying that this is the 8th Budget being presented by him since 2013. What’s increasing with every Budget, he said, are the challenges. David Hudson
17:26 'We are going to have a Budget that thinks of everyone, and a Budget that is conscious of the challenges of the future," he said. David Hudson
17:25 Speaking to TVM as he headed out of San Anton Palace, Scicluna said that the theme of this year’s Budget is ‘Growing Together.’ David Hudson
17:24 The formality has come to an end. Scicluna, accompanied by Speaker of the House Anglu Farrugia, will head to Parliament in Valletta. David Hudson
17:22 The two shake hands and the documents return to the briefcase. David Hudson
17:19 Scicluna has signed the documentation. President Vella has followed up with his own signatures. David Hudson
17:19 Finance Minister Edward Scicluna has opened his briefcase and presented President George Vella with the Budget documents. David Hudson
17:10 Follow us live and send your tweets on #MaltaBudget20 Matthew Vella

17:06 This is the first Budget in which President Vella will be tasked with signing Budget documents. It is the third Budget of this legislature. David Hudson
17:05 The meeting between the Finance Minister and the President usually takes place at the President's Palace in Valletta. The reason for the official meeting happening at the President's official residence at San Anton is refurbishing works happening at the Republic Street Palace. David Hudson
17:00 The Budget will be presented in the House and the public at around 6:30pm David Hudson
16:59 Finance Minister Scicluna has met with President George Vella at San Anton Palace. Vella will be signing the relative documents before these are presented to the House at Representatives. David Hudson

David Hudson is an IGM press awards (Investigative stories) winner of 2019
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