The Malta Sociological Association is proposing that Malta’s national budget for 2025 allocates funds as well as incentives for the mainstreaming of Social Impact Assessments in Malta’s Public and Private Sectors.

The Association insisted that “this is essential for policymaking that gives priority to sustainable development.”

Other Budget 2025 proposals include:

– Mainstreaming SIAs for Government Entities: To embed social responsibility within public sector operations, MSA is proposing the mainstreaming of SIAs across all government entities, including Ministries, regional, and local authorities.

The MSA said the 2025 budget should allocate adequate funding to ensure these bodies have the necessary resources to conduct comprehensive SIAs as part of their project planning and policy-making processes. Institutionalising SIAs will enable government entities to make well-informed decisions that proactively address social impacts, enhance community wellbeing, and help ensure that public initiatives are equitable and sustainable.

– In parallel, the MSA recommends the introduction of subsidies and tax relief for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to encourage the adoption of SIAs. SMEs are vital to local economies but often lack the financial capacity to thoroughly assess their social impacts.

The MSA said that by providing targeted financial support, the government can empower SMEs to implement responsible practices, contribute positively to their communities, and align with national goals of sustainable development. “This dual approach will promote social responsibility across both public and private sectors, thus help ensuring that economic growth is inclusive and beneficial to all.”

The Malta Sociological Association said it would also like to encourage government to follow up on the public consultation on Social Impact Assessments which was launched by the Planning Authority in 2019. The following link refers: https://www.parlament.mt/media/100877/dok-57-l17.pdf

The Malta Sociological Association also noted that the University of Malta has a Masters Degree in Social Impact Assessments, which is provided by the Department of Sociology within the Faculty of Arts.

This means that the country will be benefitting from a broader range of qualified practitioners in the field. More details: https://www.um.edu.mt/courses/overview/pmasiapet4-2023-4-f/

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