PN calls for extension of wage supplement to March, reduction of VAT to improve tourism sector
The Nationalist Party has put forward a number of proposals to aid the tourism sector in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
PN Deputy Leader Robert Arrigo said that the last few months have been worrisome for many. “As a party, we began working with a number of stakeholders in order to identify what can be done to better the situation as much as possible.”
“Although the Nationalist Party issued a number of proposals over the past few months, the government chose not to listen,” Arrigo said.
He said that many countries in Europe are already closing their doors to Malta. Arrigo said that this has brought about concerns for people who work within the tourism sector.
He spoke about a number of proposals which the PN wants to put forward to the government. These include: The reduction of VAT and interest rates; An extension of moratoriums on loan repayments; The introduction of health passports; Extending the government vouchers beyond September and reissuing them; Extending the COVID-19 wage supplement to March 2021; Establishing contracts with Air Malta in order to alleviate some of the shortcomings being experienced in Malta; Reducing the sum amount received by positions of trust and instead giving the money to organisations who need it such as food banks; Cancelling national insurance payments instead of postponing them; Screening of each passenger who enters Malta.
PN Mayor of Victoria, Gozo, Samuel Azzopardi said that “the effect of COVID-19 on Gozo has been devastating, as within the internal element of tourism there is still a substantial shortage when it comes to hotels or restaurants in comparison to previous years.”
These sectors have seen a great decrease in the amount of people
“We are proposing that the moratorium on loan repayments should be increased for a further period of six months, therefore until the end of March next year”
who are visiting their establishments, and Azzopardi added that “September will be even worse for many of these sectors in Gozo.”
He appealed to the government to be sensitive to the demands posed by a number of sectors in Gozo.
PN Councillor Jerome Caruana Cilia was also present at the conference.
He said that “a number of individuals and enterprises have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and are concerned with the fact that they will not be able to keep up with their monthly payments.”
“We propose that the moratorium on loan repayments should be increased for a further period of six months, therefore until the end of March next year,” he said.
In addition, the Nationalist party is also proposing to the government that it should extend the interest rate over a longer period in order to give business owners more time to recover and adjust.
PN Councillor Ivan Bartolo said that “people do not seem to know the gravity of the situation.”
He questioned: “what will happen to our country and its citizens in October?” He said that “although we need to be positive in a such a situation, we need to be realistic and honest with the public.”