Malta Chamber’s budget proposals

The wage subsidy scheme provided businesses with a needed lifeline, but The Malta Chamber is putting forward embellishments to the scheme by linking it to a business re-engineering scheme. The chamber has long called for a business re-engineering scheme to allow for reskilling or upskilling of employees, in the hopes that those working in the hardest-hit sectors can switch to other industries.

School reopening has been the largest headache for parents, students and governments alike, with arguments for and against the reopening coming from all angles. Here the chamber argues for the reopening of schools, so long as it is carried out under the direction of the Superintendent of Public Health, with everyone mindful of COVID-19 realities. In their pre-budget document the chamber focuses their proposals on parents by suggesting tax deductions on IT equipment and incentivising flexible working patterns.

Among other challenges brought on by the pandemic is quarantine leave. As cases rise, more and more people become exposed to the virus and in turn undergo quarantine. The 50% quarantine leave for full-time employees, and no payment for those in part-time employment, will likely not be sufficient in helping businesses weather the sotm, and government will sooner than later have to address this more comprehensively.

The chamber insists that any quarantine leave imposed by the Superintendence of Public Health should be addressed as sick leave, paid in full by the government on the submission of a medical certificate.

Malta’s economy is far from zero-carbon neutral, but by incentivising training and education in sustainability, especialy within transport and construction, Malta could move closer to this reality. The chamber’s proposals on sustainability focus on a mass rapid-transit system, greener transport fleets and teleworking measures to reduce traffic congestion and emissions simultaneously.

International bodies have watched Malta’s governance and corruption scandals with glaring eyes, and a place on Moneyval’s grey list will only make it harder for Maltese businesses to attract foreign investment or branch out with economies of scale.

The chamber is advocating strongly for Malta to rebuild its international reputation and pass its MoneyVal assessment, but also emphasises the need for good governance structures in the private sector and better resources among government entities in enforcement, investigation and prosecution, so as not to undermine Malta’s reputation.

In a bid to develop infrastructure and safeguard public health, the chamber is keen on having the government promote contactless customer experiences. COVID-19 already forced people to shift towards online shopping services and eGovernment portals, and to help incentivise this the chamber is suggesting one-time payment to help replace current fixtures with contactless infrastructure.