A crematorium in Malta will be launched within the coming months, Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne has revealed

Responding to a parliamentary question from Claudette Buttigieg, Fearne said that the project will be launched once the extension to Addolorata cemetery is completed.

Cremation services have been legal in Malta since May 2019 after a landmark piece of legislation was approved by Parliament.

Rosianne Cutajar, who spearheaded the legislation, Maltese government should give the entire concession for the country’s cremations to one crematorium.

This, she explained, was both due to the feasibility of having three operators and the environmental concerns that come with the practice.

It is still unclear as to who will operate the service. In 2019, Camilleri Funeral Directors showed an interest (as evidenced by previous applications), with a cremation believed to cost between €550 and €750.

Regulation will be in the hands of the Superintendence of Public Health, who will be responsible for monitoring crematoria, conducting inspections on them at least once a year and empowering them to take all necessary action if they breach their license obligations.

People who operate illegal crematoria risk a three to a five-year prison sentence and/or a fine of between €10,000 and €30,000. License breaches are punishable by six months’ jail and a fine of €5,000 and €15,000

A national registry will be set up to record people’s wishes on whether they want to be cremated and, if so, how.