Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1385129
2 20 JUNE 2021 P roperty Malta Foundation is mainly a national platform for the promotion of Maltese real estate investments with people overseas. Much of our focus is on digital online media as well as internation- al publications, trade shows and events, with the aim to place Malta on top of mind with potential investors looking at owning property in the Mediterranean. As much as our target audiences are found in other countries, Maltese nationals and expats living in Malta and Gozo are actually one of our primary stakeholders, because it is all of us - the people living here, who ben- efit directly and indirectly when foreign investors pur- chase property on our islands. This is exactly the scope of the Property Malta Supplement. In this series of the by monthly publications, we will insight information, statistics, and best practices related to the property sector. We will also showcase some of our past efforts, give ongoing updates on our current projects, and provide useful resources and advice to those who are generally interested in the real estate and property development sector. In this first edition of Property Malta Supplement, we have contributions from the Parliamentary Secretary for Construction, Hon. Chris Agius and Property Malta Foundation Chairman Sandro Chetcuti, together with four informative articles themed around property as a prime investment. We are publishing some very interesting statistics from the NSO on the sector's economic contribution over the past seven years, and a detailed overview of the multiplier impact the industry has on various sectors of Malta's economy. These can serve as an explanation to why our work is so important on a national level. Moreover, our council members from the real estate agency sector sheds light on which properties are the most sought after by international buyers. In our news section, we are covering the recently launched Interna- tional Property Fair Co-Funding Scheme for any Mal- tese operator in the property sector interested in the participation in international real estate events. We also cover news that the government had accept- ed MDA chairman Sandro Chetcuti's recommendation to extend the reduction on stamp duty incentive on the first €400,000 spent when buying a property. This scheme was supposed to end at the end of June but has now been extended to the end of the year. For the second instalment of this supplement pub- lished in August 2021, we are working on content themed around architectural design in building con- struction. This includes different design aspects related to buildings in Malta, the use of natural stone and merg- ing of old and new techniques and materials including steel structures, which are becoming very much sought after, especially in larger sites. The environment is the main theme of our third in- stalment to be published in Autumn 2021. Here we will have an opportunity to promote environmental sustain- ability, insulation to reduce energy wastage, cooling and heating methods in old and new buildings, as well as a closer look at the popularity of solar panel installations. Other instalment in this supplement's series, will set forth information, insights and fresh statistics on vari- ous topics, such as footprint limitations, demographic shifts in society, first time and seasoned buyers, own- ing a second home for rent or own use and the cost of purchasing, building air spaces and the future of con- struction. This Property Malta supplement will also be published in other media platforms owned and operated by the Foundation, namely on www.propertymalta.org and our social media profiles, to create a repository of rele- vant information for the industry. This will continue to synergise the different industries relating to the proper- ty market in Malta and incentivise them to complement each other to continually improve our product offering. Property Malta Foundation is also tasked with pro- moting sustainable and innovative property develop- ment and design in Malta and Gozo and developing a national long-term product positioning strategy for the industry. The Foundation is also aimed to assist in achieving these goals. Whilst taking this opportunity to thank Hon. Chris Agius, our Chairman Sandro Chetcuti and all other contributors who made this publication possible, we hope that you will find this publication interesting as much as it is informative. For feedback and/or more information, visit www. propertymalta.org or contact us on info@propertymal- ta.org Welcome to the first edition of the Property Malta Supplement GERTRUDE BORG MARKS Senior Manager, Property Malta EDITOR'S NOTE