Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1482987
budget.gov.mt We will continue to mitigate increases in international transport prices. As of next year, under the rent subsidy scheme, eligible Maltese businesses will be benefit from financial assistance. Malta Enterprise will also double the period in which businesses will benefit from this scheme. Towards a carbon-free economy With an investment of over €160 million, the second interconnector will not only increase electricity supply but also give Malta more flexibility in the way we supply electricity to the country. In addition, the Government has just conducted a market consultation process for activities in the exclusive economic zone around Malta, in particular for renewable energy generation activities. Investments will continue in Enemalta's distribution network to improve the quality of service and ensure that the grid is able to carry electricity from renewable sources. For clean energy, Budget 2023 provides: • Schemes for the installation of solar panels and batteries for renewable energy storage, heat pump water heaters and solar water heaters and old wells • 8MW will be allocated as a Feed-In-Tariff scheme for photovoltaics of less than 40kWp for households • Extend FIT schemes for residential homes • The allocation of 16.5 MW to medium to large systems, the generation of which is equivalent to 6,050 households in one year. This is in addition to the allocation for projects beyond 1MW • Work is underway for this installation of 1,200 charging points by 2024 • We will continue to encourage private companies and businesses to switch their fleet to electric by benefiting from interest-free loans in order to complement their investment in electric vehicles and charging stations Biggest investment in the environment To implement the €700 million environmental projects over seven years, a new agency will be set up. These projects will lead to more parks, urban greening projects and more open spaces. Communities and residents will be at the centre of this entity's work, whilst giving the private sector the opportunity to invest in delivering and maintaining these projects through PPPs and alternative funding modes. A number of greening projects will be launched, including in Cospicua, Birżebbuġa, Ħamrun, Marsa, Siġġiewi and San Ġwann Waste management Work is underway on the largest ever investment in the waste management sector to date: the EcoHive Project. Additionally, by early next year, the Multi-Material Recovery Facility in Ħal Far will be operational. This will help to recycle various materials that would otherwise end up in the landfill. Next year will also see the launch of the €50 million plant for the efficient processing of organic waste. This plant turn organic waste into an energy resource. WasteServ has opened several Reuse Centres in civic amenity sites and led several educational campaigns through which the country has seen an increase in the recycling rate. The opening of Material Recovery Facility in Magħtab will continue to support this vision. In the coming years, a Skip Management Facility will be built to reduce some 47,000 tonnes of bulky waste that ends up in the landfill. Instead, the material well be separated and processed to meet recycling targets. Water: the natural resource Malta continues to look for alternative ways to improve water efficiency on our islands. The Water Services Corporation is therefore introducing measures such as the reuse of grey water, and the treatment of wastewater by businesses or enterprises operating along the coast. Budget 2023 measures include: • Investments in water production and distribution systems • ncreasing the production capacity of Reverse Osmosis plants by 30% • ncrease water production by a further 20% and increase water reserves, against an investment of €12 million • Around 40 kilometres of old mains will be replaced, of which around 25% has already been completed • New water transfers mines between the Reverse Osmosis plant in Ċirkewwa and Ta' Qali reservoirs and between Naxxar and Salini. Total investment of €14.5 million. • The sewage purification plant at Sant'Antnin, which is in its final stages • The development of a project aimed at addressing sewage eruptions in the Marsa area maltatoday | SUNDAY • 30 OCTOBER 2022