London School of Commerce opens new campus in Malta

Malta Independent 16/06/2014: Prime Minister Joseph Muscat inaugurated the Maltese campus of the London School of Commerce describing as “excellent” the results gained during talks with the LSC during the past year.

Dr Muscat said that Malta is becoming “a buzzing centre of academic excellence and an educational hub”.  He added that this new partnership will attract new talent from across the globe and will also enhance the attractiveness of Malta and the cross-fertilisation of ideas...read on.

Maltese Electronic Music to dominate international air waves

Times of Malta 18/06/2014: A line up of Maltese artists will be taking over New York based electronic music internet radio and DJ mix subscription service Frisky on August 31.

One of the radio's most prestigious shows is "Frisky Loves" which features one hour sets mixed by artists coming from one particular country.

The project is being mentored by the local trio known as the Diplomatic Brothers who already host a monthly show on Frisky called Ignition. The trio proposed the idea of showcasing Maltese artists on Frisky since our country has many talented artists who deserve international exposure.

"It is very exciting to see music from other Maltese people being aired alongside big names in the industry," Clint Calleja, founder of Diplomatic Brothers said...read on.

The Maltese Islands promoted during a European week in Monheim, Germany

Malta Independent 14/06/2014: The Malta Tourism Authority’s German office has recently teamed up with the Maltese Embassy in Germany, the German-Maltese Association in Adenau and Air Malta in order to successfully showcase the Maltese Islands through a dedicated "European Malta week" in Monheim, a prosperous city in the vicinity of Düsseldorf.

The Malta week took place under the patronage of the Maltese Ambassador to Germany, Dr. Albert Friggieri, and the mayor of Monheim, Mr. Daniel Zimmermann. The event was organized by the Monheim section of Germany's leading cross-party citizens' initiative for Europe "Europa Union Deutschland", and the Monheim Adult Education Centre...read on.

Economic growth statistics show population has great faith in government's policies

Malta Independent 11/06/2014: PL MP Charles Mangion said in a statement that the recent statistics issued by the NSO on Malta’s economic growth confirm that the Maltese population has great faith in the government’s economic policies.
He said that Malta’s gross domestic product increased by 3. per cent, one of the highest within the eurozone or the European Union Member States, where the average is that of 0.2 per cent and 0.3 per cent respectively.
The statistics also showed that the levels of employment are on the rise.
Dr Mangion said that it is clear that the incentive, whereby first time property buyers are exempted fro...read on.

Scots dominate Malta Open

Times of Malta 12/06/2014: The seventh Malta International Scrabble Open, held on the 30th anniversary of the Malta Scrabble Club, attracted 62 players from 12 countries.
The three-day, 24-game tournament saw Scottish players dominate the Elite category and Maltese players excel in the B competition.
Scotland’s Allan Simmons quickly raced ahead of all his opponents to record 15 consecutive wins before conceding his first defeat.
Eventually, he only lost five games to finish as the tournament winner with two rounds to spare.
Simmons’s team-mates, Simon Gillam and Helen Gipson, fought it out for the...read on.

Most tourism sectors report improvements

Times of Malta 10/06/2014: Malta's tourism sectors continue to report improvements on most key performance indicators in the first quarter of the year compared to the same period last year.
The BOV-MHRA Survey Q1 2014, carried out by Deloitte, showed that all sectors reported reductions in their low season gross operating losses.
In the five-star sector the gross operating loss per available room decreased by 46.5 per cent mainly as a result of improved rates (a 4.8 per cent increase in average room rate) and occupancy (an increase of almost 12 per cent).
Four-star hotels registered a 16.6 per cent reduction in gross operating losses resulting from an increase in average room rate (8.3 per cent) but a one per cent drop in occupancy.
The three-star sector also saw a reduction on gross operating losses of 26.2 per cent resulting from a 9.4 per cent increase in occupancy but a drop of 1.6 per cent in average room rate...read on.

Comino: Malta’s unspoiled Island

GreenFudge.org 24/05/2014: The Maltese Archipelago is made up a number of islands with the main three being Malta, Gozo and Comino. Malta and Gozo are the most populated and developed, while Comino is a beautiful small island on which only a handful of people live. It has the most beautiful sea, known as the Blue Lagoon. Though very small, Comino’s original state has been generally left intact. This means that you cannot find cars or shops on the entire island and only one hotel. There are no high-rise apartments or all the other things that a developed country has to offer. The only things that this island can provide are peace, tranquility and breathtaking views. Unfortunately, in the summer many opt to go there to spend a day at the beach. Upon arriving one cannot help but notice that the beach is full of umbrellas and deck chairs. However, swimming in the beautiful clear sea of the Blue Lagoon compensates for any such inconvenience...read on.

A new direction for Malta’s labour market

Times of Malta 05/06/014: The Maltese economy continues to surprise the European Commission for its resilience, for its GDP growth rate which again has outpaced that of the euro area, and for its growth in employment, though not enough jobs are being created to offset the rise in the labour supply. In part, this has given rise to higher levels of unemployment.
Fresh investment in the energy sector and in sectors like information and communication, and the arts, entertainment and recreation (three sectors which are expected to grow) may provide further employment opportunities in an economy which is becoming diversified and which requires new direction in its employment policy. In this connection, the recently launched employment policy is intended to provide a new direction and attempts to address some of the structural issues affecting the labour market, especially the mismatches between...read on.

EU’s recommendations for Malta

Times of Malta 05/06/2014: As Eurosceptics bask in the success their parties have achieved in the European Parliament elections, new facts and figures from the European Commission show that the measures taken in the countries hit by the financial crisis and recession have paid off.
Unfortunately, many in Malta still do not seem to take an active interest in what happens in the European Union as a whole. Possibly influenced by the ‘them-and-us’ mentality unwisely perpetrated by some politicians, they have not yet quite realised perhaps that the island is an integral part of the Union.
So, even though Malta is doing well and, according to the European Commission, the economic outlook is better than the euro-area average, it is also good to learn that growth in the rest of the Union has returned.
Only Cyprus and Croatia are expected to see their economies shrink this year, and, by next year, all EU economies are expected to be growing again.
The aggregate budget deficit of EU countries is also expected to fall below the three per cent of GDP limit this year. All this is of direct interest to Malta for, if the island had managed to do well in the worst of times, it should do better now that the situation is...read on.

The quest for Malta’s best town

Malta Today 30/5/2014: Most popular surnames, vacant housing, and air condition units... a snapshot of Malta's major villages

Valletta – The vacant city
Most popular surnames
- Borg, Zammit   
% of houses with access to internet: 46
% of homes built after 2001: 1.3   
% of properties which are vacant: 35
% of dwellings which are rented: 71
% of population with a tertiary education: 7.6
% of households with air condition: 27
Read more...

The EU 2014 Digital Scoreboard: Malta has 100% broadband coverage but more limited use of high speed Internet

Malta Independent 29/05/2014: On the 28^th May, the Commission published the 11th edition of the eGovernment Benchmark. In 2013 the Commission proposed concrete measures to create a Single Telecoms Market, in order to address many of the problems confirmed in today's data.The 2014 Digital Agenda Scoreboard assesses progress at EU and national level in achieving this goal, as measured against the 13 key performance indicators. The report is based on 2013 data.

The Commission has so far completed 72 of 101 actions under the Digital Agenda for Europe. 23 further actions are scheduled for completion by their deadline. 6 have been delayed or are at risk of being delayed.This is what the Digital Scoreboard had to say about Malta
Broadband markets: At the end of 2013, fixed broadband covered 100% of homes in Malta (97% in the EU). In rural areas, fixed broadband covered 100% of homes. At the same time, Next Generation Access capable of providing at least 30 Mbps download was available to 100% of homes (62% in the EU).79% of the households had...read on.

Record results in 2013 at Malta International Airport

Airport World 27/05/2104: Malta International Airport has announced record results for the year ending December 31, 2013. At the company’s AGM last week, shareholders approved a total net dividend of €0.075 per share, representing a net payment of €10.1 million.

Malta International chairman Nikolaus Gretzmacher, also assured the firm’s ongoing commitment to translate the support from shareholders into tangible results.

Results are also said to be reflected through the contribution of the Malta International to the government of €10.11 million, in the form of dividend distribution on the 20% shareholding, and in annual taxation.

The overall business growth achieved in 2013 mirrored the record number of passengers arriving at the gateway, with a rise of 10.5% over the previous year, after more than four million passengers travelled through the airport for the first time in one year...read on.

Everything has a story to tell: Stories & objects related to the sea

GozoNews.com 07/6/2014: The Valletta 2018 Foundation, in collaboration with Heritage Malta, have launched the first edition of Qatt Ma Ninsa a collective memory project, aimed at collecting.
Qatt ma Ninsa will take place all day on Sunday 15th June at the Malta Maritime Museum in Birgu.
Valletta 2018 Foundation Chairman Jason Micallef, said Qatt Ma Ninsa invites the public to the Maritime Museum, bringing along objects, photographs or memorabilia related to the sea and to share memories and stories associated with these objects.
He said that the stories that humans tell each other make up the identity of a people. It is important that these stories are collected as often they risk to perish. Jason Micallef said that Valletta 2018 is an exciting opportunity to experience...read on.

Exploring “The Three Cities” In Malta

The Travel Bite 23/05/2014: Despite being a small island nation, there is a lot to see in Malta.  There’s azure blue grottoes and stunning sailing opportunities; foods I’ve never before tried and fabulous wines unique to the island; historic landmarks older than Stone Henge and glorious palaces — and that’s just scratching the surface.  It’s definitely a week-long destination as opposed to a weekend getaway, and it can be overwhelming to know where to begin...read on.

Prime Minister says Malta’s IIP will attract ‘high-quality’ individuals

Malta Today 29/05/2014: Prime Minister Joseph Muscat delivered his pitch for Malta’s €1.15 million naturalisation programme at a forum convened by global citizenship experts Henley & Partners, organised in Malta at the Westin Dragonara, where he said that the Individual Investment Programme would attract “high-quality individuals to contribute to the nation’s wellbeing.”

On the ‘margins’ of the forum, the Nationalist opposition criticised Muscat’s government for denying the Opposition inside the parliamentary public accounts committee access to the contract between IIP concessionaires Henley, and the government.

Muscat today said the IIP was part of his government’s popular mandate to “bring in new and fresh ideas” and that Malta would protect its good, international reputation in attracting new citizens to Malta.

The IIP allows high net worth individuals to procure Maltese citizenship by paying €650,000 to a posterity fund, purchase a €350,000 property and investing €150,000 in government bonds...read on.

Gozo: Much more than just Malta’s little sister

GlobetrotterGirls 23/05/2014: Going to Malta without visiting its little sister island Gozo would be like going to New York City without going to Brooklyn. Which is something a lot of people do, but in my opinion, they’re missing out on a big part of the overall experience. The same goes for Malta and Gozo. Of course you can visit just Malta and still love your time there, but taking the quick ferry ride over to Gozo just puts the finishing touch to your Malta experience...read on.

Chamber, minister aiming to revitalise industrial sector

Chamber of Commerce issues document outlining strategic recommendation for first ever industrial policy in Malta

MaltaToday 23/05/2014: The Chamber of Commerce this morning published a document that aims to boost local industrial sector.

The document, which serves as a precursor to a more comprehensive one to be published soon and outlining the country’s economy vision until 2020, includes 64 recommendations for Malta to implement its first ever industrial policy.

Amongst the suggestions outlined in the document are the boosting of a skilled labour force with competitive wages, stable energy at competitive rates, efficient and competitive transportation links, better access to finance and reasonable factory occupancy costs.

Chamber president David Curmi said that the policy is in line with Europe’s strategy, which aims to increase the output from its manufacturing sector from an average of...read on.