Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1306522
2 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 4 NOVEMBER 2020 NEWS KURT SANSONE A reduction in stamp duty on property sales has resulted in a record number of promise of sale agreements signed last month, the Malta Developers Association said. Preliminary data shows that October was this year's best month so far, and one of the best since 2017 for the number and value of promise of sale agreements. The MDA said that 1,551 promise of sales were regis- tered with a total sales value of €371 million. The figures show that Octo- ber registered an increase of 21% on the number of promise of sales over the same month in 2019, while the value increased by a staggering 36%, €100 mil- lion more than October last year. MDA President Sandro Chet- cuti said the results confirmed the resilience of the property market and its many players. "The overall significance of these positive results is that in a situation of general doom and gloom, the property market is resulting to be the strongest of Malta's economic sectors, providing continuous econom- ic growth without the need of any handouts from taxpayers' funds," he said. Chetcuti said the trends, which have been recurring since June, were a direct result of the COVID-19 incentives introduced by the government last June, following an MDA proposal. As part of the economic re- covery package announced in June, government reduced the stamp duty for buyers and sell- ers on promise of sale agree- ments entered into this year for contracts that had to be concluded by March 2021. Budget 2021 has extended the low tax regime for the whole of next year and widened the tax exemptions for first-time buy- ers. Chetcuti said the association was confident that with the new measures, its members will respond with "more invest- ment and confidence". Property sales hit record €371 million in October after tax cut AN 82-year-old man has died from COVID-19, the health ministry has announced. The man was transferred to Mater Dei Hospital from an elderly home on the 1 Novem- ber. He was confirmed positive on 2 November, and died yester- day. The ministry said that he had underlying health conditions. Malta registered 106 new cas- es of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, the Health Authori- ties announced. Information released by the Health Ministry on Facebook shows that there were 108 re- coveries, bringing the total of active cases to 1,937. Today's cases are still being investigated but from the cas- es discovered yesterday, 23 cases were family members of previously known cases, 10 were contacts of positive work colleagues, two were contacts with other positive cases, one was imported and two were from social gatherings with other positive cases. 2,816 swabs were conduct- ed in the last 24 hours, with a grand total of 346,106 swabs having been conducted since the start of the pandemic Malta has registered 6,506 coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic in March. 82-year-old man dies from COVID-19 HUMAN BIO-TECH CO LTD (Company Reg. No. C 93193) IN LIQUIDATION Persons or entities having claims against the above-mentioned company which is in liquidation are requested to submit their claims in writing duly supported by detailed documentation by not later than the DATE to: The Liquidator, Mr. Michael Debono CPA, Amber Court Block C No 1, Qormi Road Santa Venera SVR1301, Malta. Elderly man is 65th coronavirus death