24 Interesting Proposals From Chamber Of Commerce’s New Vision For Malta
The Chamber of Commerce has urged the government to move away from a “growth at all costs” economic model and has released a plethora of policy proposals.
Here are some of its most interesting proposals included in its pre-budget document, adequately entitled ‘Time Up’.
1. Establish a connection to major Mediterranean ports, with a small freighter carrying out a scheduled circular route across Tunis, Casa Blanca, Valensia, Gioia Tauro and Malta
2. Automate government customer care where possible
3. Introduce a real-time status tracking technology for applicants with a case at government entities
4. An independent audit to identify surplus public sector jobs and channel them to the private sector
5. Revisiting half-day schedules for government departments
6. A 5-10 year energy investment plan that liberalises electricity distribution and ensures it is adequate for the next three decades
7. A gradual reduction in government subsidies with a minimum six-month advance notice
8. Mandatory garbage rooms in new developments of apartment blocks
9. An e-mobility wallet for all citizens, with government allocating an annual amount to be used on alternative transport
10. Parking fees in central urban areas with fees transferred to e-mobility wallets
11. Attaching car license fees to usage
12. Tax deductions and vouchers for businesses that promote shared transport
13. A moratorium on new applications for tourism accommodation
14. Tax exemptions for the first five years to attract highly qualified Maltese people working overseas back to Malta
15. Revision of the corporate taxation structure to support ethical businesses that are compliant with their taxes
16. Scaling up public expenditure on RD&I to 2% of the GDP, up from the current 0.6%
17. Short placements for secondary school students in manufacturing and tech companies
18. Coding, robotics and computation thinking as a new core subject at primary schools
19. Cap the percentage of third-country nationals that a business can employ at any point, unless they provide essential services
20. Incorporate tax refunds into the tax band systems to ensure cheques are only paid to those who need it
21. Encourage the uptake of supplementary pensions with an opt-out mechanism
22. A publicly accessible public procurement outlook for all government entities at least six months in advance to help bidders plan ahead
23. A whitelisting and blacklisting system to ensure government engages with reliable suppliers
24. Introduce specialised and well-resourced commercial courts
Which of these proposals do you agree with?
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