Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1042376
maltatoday | TUESDAY • 23 OCTOBER 2018 5 BUDGET 2019 Health Medicines and surgical materials will cost €115 million, an increase of €11 million. Government will spend €10 million on cancer treatment, an increase of €4 million but budgets for most of the line items will remain unchanged. The concession agreements with Stewart Healthcare for the Gozo hospital and the Karin Grech rehabilitation centre will cost €31,000,000 and €13,000,000, marginal increases over this year. €1,735,531,000 €662,028,000 €590,636,000 SURPLUS €33,343,000 Out €4.98 billion Total expenditure Health Ministry €637,002,000 Home Affairs Ministry €162,980,000 Justice, Culture and Local Government €143,780,000 Tourism Ministry €110,164,000 Environment Ministry €101,340,000 Transport and Infrastructure Ministry €94,081,000 Energy Ministry €89,310,000 Office of the Prime Minister €73,695,000 Gozo Ministry €44,050,000 Foreign Ministry €34,875,000 Equality & European Affairs Ministry €25,308,000 Economy Ministry €22,707,000 Parliament €10,275,000 President/Ombudsman /NAO € 10,201,000 COMPILED BY KURT SANSONE OTHER MINISTRIES Social Solidarity This is the big spender with almost €2 billion spent on various social benefits, programmes and pensions. Benefits make up half of that expenditure, including more than €600 million in retirement and old age pensions. The budget for the Housing Authority has increased by €4.4 million to reach €13.5 million. Expenditure on children's allowance will cost the country €41.9 million. Government will fork out €31.5 million, an increase of €13.5 million, on residential care in private homes for the elderly. Capital investment Expenditure on capital projects is forecast to increase by €136 million in 2019. A major investment will be an outlay of €100 million on road projects, the first tranche of a €700 million investment over seven years as part of government's pledge to upgrade all the roads. €637,002,000 Education The cost of the child care for all scheme will increase by €3.5 million to €18 million. Student stipends will cost public coffers €30.5 million. Wages for educators will tot up to €196 million, an increase of almost €16 million. Church schools will receive €76 million in 2019, while the University of Malta will get €78 million. The free transport for all school children comes at a cost of €19.6 million. The vast majority of line items will remain unchanged.