TRUTH IS OF NO COLOUR WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT/COVID19
SUNDAY • 31 JANUARY 2021 • ISSUE 1109 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY
maltatoday
A clerical abuse
case reawakens
fears of unreported
child sex abuse
PAGE 13
Abusers in
our midst
What 2015
traffic report
had prescribed
at Mriehel
PAGES 8-9
Quad gridlock
€1.95
ECSTASY
PAGE 4
Foreign workers financed
one-fourth of pension pot
Before COVID-19
foreign workers
in Malta paid
out €168 million
in social security
contributions of
the total €735
million paid
JAMES DEBONO
OFFICIAL statistics made availa-
ble for MaltaToday by the Minis-
try for Social Justice and Solidar-
ity has shown that 76,866 foreign
workers and self-employed per-
sons paid a staggering €168 mil-
lion in social security contribu-
tions in 2019. This represented
an increase of nearly €30 million
over that paid in 2018 by 65,092
foreign contributors.
Statistics for 2020 showing the
full impact of the COVID-19
pandemic's downturn and nu-
merous lay-offs of foreign work-
ers are not yet available.
But statistics for the year
preceding the pandemic con-
firm the increasing importance
of foreigners in guaranteeing the
sustainability of Malta's pension
system. Indeed, while compared
to 2018 the amount paid by Mal-
tese workers increased by €18
million, the amount paid by for-
eigners increased by €30 million.
A comparison with previous
years shows the amount of social
security contributions paid by
foreigners increased by a whop-
ping €89 million
since 2017.
Fomm ir-Rih
Owner Sandro
Chetcuti says
unsafe path
could break off
Are drug laws
too punitive
for club drug?
PAGE 11
Man caught
in New Year's
Eve fracas was
tasered and
then released
without charges
PAGE 2 PAGE 6
Foreign workers like these from the
Taca company, which were imported on
specific construction projects in Malta, as
well as other foreign workers contributed
millions to Malta's pension pot