As a reaction to the Budget for 2024 being announced, the National Youth Council (KNZ) has concurrently reacted to several proposals whilst also providing a constructive approach to safeguard youth’s interests across Malta and Gozo. A selection of these are shown below.
In its remarks about the Budget in relation to Gozo the KNZ said that on the environment there was no mention of any incentives for new economic sectors in Gozo.
The KNZ stressed that these “would help shift the island’s economy to more sustainable alternatives.”
The National Youth Council highlighted that “while the removal of the stamp duty subsidies for property purchases in Gozo, is surely a step in the right direction. It would have made more sense to only remove the stamp duty for the sale/purchase of property which are destined to be redeveloped into apartments, as the Ghal Ghawdex forum had suggested.”
It stressed that in addition, the two month time window before this is actually implemented, “will continue to contribute to the current unsustainable and destructive system.”
On health in Gozo, the KNZ insisted that “Gozo’s healthcare system needs to be given the due attention it needs to ensure all Gozitan residents have access to immediate care and interventions, and where necessary, ensure quick transfer to other facilities in Malta.”
On the note of Gozo General, Karin Grech, and St Luke’s hospitals, the KNZ stated that, “the lack of context given to why the Government is now administering the hospitals is flagrantly disappointing, particularly in relation to the so-called Malta Gusta nature of the Budget 2024, and its touted commitment to justice and transparency.”
The KNZ said that it looks forward to the publishing and consultation of the ‘Brief Mediku’ and how this will be tailored to the strategy of healthcare across the Maltese islands (including Gozo and Karin Grech).
Finally for Gozo, the KNZ said that “the works being done on the largest sports facilities centre in Gozo are commendable, offering Gozitan sports professionals a more accessible venue for training.”
Turning to NGOs, the voluntary sector and youth, the KNZ welcomed the government incentives to help young persons purchasing a home alone with first-time buying schemes.
It also welcomed initiatives to incentivise young persons to join the agriculture and agri-fishery industries, particularly when both have strong ties to the cultural and culinary heritage of the Maltese islands.
The additional tax rebates being given to NGOs were encouraging, the KNZ said, but also stressed the need to support all kinds of NGOs across the country, and not solely animal, environmental or social welfare.
It pointed out that “youth activism and student activism are often very time-consuming and unpaid endeavours that rely heavily on external funding to meet their goals.”
The National Youth Council highlighted its call for “better stipends for students across the board, and to push for the government to ban unpaid internships of all kinds, instead focusing on creating just wages for the appropriate work done, revisit how internships and training can tie into overall work experience, and consider living wages in their long-term outlook for the country.”
On the subject of infrastructure, energy and emerging technologies, the KNZ said that it believes “it is unsustainable to continue subsidising energy bills for the Maltese public.”
The KNZ stressed that, “it is high time that we realise that we are not living in a bubble where the government is there to only mitigate the energy crisis currently present across Europe.”
“Even though the diversification of Maltese energy sources was heavily mentioned in this Budgetary document, there was no mention of any new, innovative systems or incentives to encourage the use of renewable energy sources in private buildings, apart from the schemes that have been present for a number of years,” the KNZ said.
It added that “there was also no mention whatsoever of any Green Government Bonds to provide the government with further capital and resources in tackling the climate and energy situation in Malta.”
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