Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1478015
6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 4 SEPTEMBER 2022 NEWS Call for Applica ons: The Broadcas ng Authority is seeking to fill the post of Transmission Site Custodian A detailed job descrip on is to be found on the Broadcas ng Author- ity's website: h p://www.ba.org.mt. Applicants must submit a le er of applica on together with a de- tailed copy of their CV by: · e-mail to: administration.ba@ba.org.mt · not later than noon, Tuesday 20 th September 2022 Late applica ons will not be considered. Jobs Plus Permit 475/2022 The Broadcas ng Authority is a cons tu onal en ty which regulates, licenses and monitors all radio and television broadcasts origina ng from the Maltese Islands. Broadcas ng Authority 7, Mile End Road, ĦAMRUN ĦMR 1719, Malta. Telephone: +356 2201 6000 Chamber: trim bloated public service by returning workers to private sector JAMES DEBONO THE Maltese bus service will be free for all ages as from 1 October as anticipated in the last budget but users will still have to tap their Tallinja when boarding the bus, a Transport Malta spokesperson confirmed. Public transport is already free for persons aged 14-20, students 21 years old and over, persons with a disability and persons of 70 years and over. After October, the service will be free for every-one who is in possession of a Talinja card, for which anyone residing in Malta is eligible. But the free public transport system will be changed from the current system, where up to now a person is required to have credit on their card in order to be able to travel. In the current system the amount of credit consumed during the month is then refunded back onto the card the following month. As from 1 October 2022, per- sons using the personalised Tallinja Card will not be re- quired to have credit on their card in order to use the men- tioned services under the free public transport scheme. This means that all one needs is a valid personalised Tallinja card and that they tap the card when boarding the bus. A Transport Malta spokesper- son explained that the person- alised Tallinja card will be re- tained as this provides valuable statistical information which can help the authorities im- prove the service. MaltaToday also asked wheth- er government is expecting an increase in patronage after October, whether any studies been conducted to establish the expected impact, and if an increase in patronage is being expected, what steps are being taken to ensure that the service caters for the in-creased de- mand. "We are expecting that the measure will see an increase in the number of passenger trips, and by year end will be very close to those of 2019 which was a record year in relation to patronage," a spokesperson for Transport Malta said. According to Transport Mal- ta, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed passengers travelling behaviours but the service is steadily coming back on track. As regards studies on the fore- casted increase in demand trig- gered by free bus service, "mod- els on which predictions were made are being tweaked taking into consideration this year's figures" and "expected passen- ger trips demand increases are being projected and factored in route frequency requirements". Other governments in Eu- rope are introducing free public transport not just for environ- mental reasons but also to ad- dress inflation. With inflation near record highs of above 10% year-on-year, Spain's Social- ist-led government hopes to alleviate living expenses and encourage more people to take public transport by providing them with free monthly passes for all local and medium-range intercity routes. Tallinja card still required for free bus service THE Chamber of Commerce has called for an independent audit exercise to take stock of the skills and output of human resources currently employed by government, in a bid to have surplus staff seconded to the private sector. The proposal is part of a series dealing with labour issues, with the Chamber pointing out that over 51,167 people are working full-time in the public sector as of January 2022 – an increase in public sector employment of approximately 1,000 people in the previous six months, and a rise of 10,000 since 2013 (20%). Additionally, public sector outsourcing is not captured in statistics. "The real public sec- tor employment share is there- fore significantly higher than indicated by official statistics," the Chamber said. "Since many subcontracted workers are being recruited through tem- ping agencies and remain on the books of temping agencies throughout the duration of their employment, our labour force statistics are likely to be inflated in terms of employ- ment in professional services, under which such companies are categorized and understat- ed across all other sectors in terms of both public and pri- vate sector employment." The Chamber said that whilst it is understandable that the public sector needs staffing at certain levels, it is also evident that there is overstaffing across various strata and in various Government departments and entities. "It runs contrary to business competitiveness to have a situation where Gov- ernment is indirectly soliciting human capital from the private sector." Third Country Nationals The Chamber said it was in- disputable that many busi- nesses and industries cannot survive, let alone thrive, with- out Third Country Nationals (TCNs) to supplement the lo- cal and European labour mar- ket. The Chamber said that rather than a deflationary effect on lo- cal wages, the data shows that salaries have increased across all sectors and levels, albeit at a slower rate. "TCNs cannot be the answer to all local labour shortages... but having recognised how es- sential TCNs are to short and medium-term functionality of the Maltese economy, the government should undertake particular efforts to ensure that the related visa and permitting process takes place in an expe- ditious manner." Amongst the most prominent stumbling blocks in the effi- cient integration of TCNs into the local labour market is the bureaucracy for permits, and its costs to employers. The Chamber said the gov- ernment should address the is- sue of visa delays with relevant service providers, to ensure that appointments are granted within a reasonable time frame. But it also called for a better enforcement and sanctioning regime, particularly in relation to foreign workers to curb bla- tant abuses, as well as under- going a full and comprehensive study on Malta's optimal and sustainable carrying capacity. On pensions, the Chamber has also called to ensure that workers who qualify for a pen- sion before retirement age and choose to take it, are given the possibility to work on a part- time basis. It said the capping on pen- sionable income should be re- vised, as salaries have been in- creasing for many years and the cap on pensionable income has remained stagnant. It also called for an auto en- rolment pension, with opt-out system, for employees, to in- centivise the take-up of supple- mentary pensions particularly by younger employees. Additionally, it proposed a novel tax deduction on fiscal receipts related to services ren- dered for home renovations, repairs, cleaning and mainte- nance work, to curb tax abuse through undeclared work.