Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1490921
4 NEWS 26.1.2023 BANKS and financial institutions must indicate clearly what criteria they will start applying when evalu- ating property loan requests in view of the energy efficiency of buildings regulations, the Minister for Public Works and Planning, Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, emphasised in Parliament earlier this week. His speech delved primarily on the change that needs to made to improve quality in the field of construction and property. He insisted that quality should serve to encourage more discussion on this sector because construction and property have an economic, environ- mental, and social impact on the en- tire country. Zrinzo Azzopardi recounted that on average 40% of energy is consumed in- side buildings. In view of European regulations and the European emissions reduction targets for 2050, Malta still has a long way to go to reach these targets. He stressed that to reach these tar- gets we must have more sustainable buildings that are more energy effi- cient. While noting that the technology for this sustainable upgrade is readily available, Zrinzo Azzopardi said that the time has come for all the involved parties including developers, those in- vesting, those working in this sector and professionals such as architects and engineers to work together. In this way, we not only have the vi- sion for the way forward but a roadm- ap on how to achieve our goal towards building energy efficient buildings. Zrinzo Azzopardi stated that the main stakeholders in this change which needs to take place in the fu- ture are the banks and financial insti- tutions. These are now required to report on the type of property loans they are setting when selling property. Since this is the only way on how Maltese people obtain their financing when they buy a property, as key players banks and financial institutions need to indicate clearly and explain how they will change their regulations and how they will be evaluating any loans requested to them. Zrinzo Azzopardi insisted that the public has a right to know what chang- es will be made in this respect. When considering that the financ- ing of the property will be linked to energy efficiency, those investing in property should have their building in conformity with energy efficiency measures, he added. He also highlighted the importance of the Energy Performance Certifi- cate. He said that banks would start to ask questions on the quality of each building being financed. Zrinzo Azzopardi said that through the Building and Construction Au- thority, BCA, an informative dissem- ination campaign will be launched to provide more information to the con- sumers on the questions they must put forward when buying a property. It's high time to change the way we used to work in construction to move towards better quality, more invest- ment and sustainable investment. Zrinzo Azzopardi said that we should look at all this not as a chal- lenge on how banks are going to op- erate loan evaluations but also as an opportunity on how we can renew and change to have a more sustainable property sector. Zrinzo Azzopardi insists banks must be clear on how they intend to change property loan criteria Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi XB Net, the leading provider of pre- mium horse racing content across the Americas, has further broadened its international footprint with the an- nouncement of its latest digital dis- tribution rights deal with established Malta-based operator, IZIBET. The agreement offers XB Net's deliv- ery of live pictures, data and betting services from an unrivalled network of tracks in North America, furnish- ing IZIBET with a highly flexible pro- gramming schedule, supported by a steady stream of rapid-cycling wa- gering opportunities that are proven to increase digital dwell-time for new and existing customers. These racing rights are founded upon core premium content from the majority of North American race- tracks, which also grant IZIBET and its loyal customer-base access to more global highlights, including January's Pegasus World Cup, two legs of the world-famous Triple Crown (featur- ing the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes) and the Breeders' Cup World Championships. This daily timetable of engaging action supplies IZIBET with a reliable source of fast-settling racing content at both primetime and off-peak viewing slots. XB Net stands alone as the proven pacesetter for horse racing content across the Americas, providing rights, data, live broadcast and video stream- ing on behalf of its growing global portfolio of partners. XB Net retains a sought-after abili- ty to offer players both pari-mutuel and intelligible fixed odds in lockstep, which it does outside of the United States. Simon Fraser, Senior Vice President of International at XB Net, said: "It's fantastic to break new ground in Mal- ta with such a recognisable brand as IZIBET. This partnership adds more muscle to our strategy of selecting the right brands across key international territories, helping to grow the sport and return the value to racing's stake- holders. IZIBET is a trusted 'go-to' operator in Malta, as befits the local national lottery brand. And this an- nouncement also offers us unrivalled access to a thriving retail market. We're thrilled to be able to deliver the best racing products on the market to even more bettors." "It's an exciting time to be continu- ing to grow our global audience and products, with our core North Ameri- can racing service now ably abetted by some cracking racing from Australia and South America. IZIBET's diligent and innovative team give us the confidence to evolve and expand this collaboration as 2023 unfolds." Franco De Gabriele, Chief Commer- cial Officer at National Lottery plc, added: "We are delighted to have con- cluded this agreement with XB NET" as through this agreement IZIBET, which since 5th July 2022, has become the official sports betting brand of the National Lottery, will offer the most comprehensive horse and dog racing betting services in Malta, comparable to the rich offering provided by lead- ing international betting providers. Our players can now avail themselves of races from the early hours of the morning till late in the evening when the roster of races from the Americas kicks in. This is in line with our cus- tomer charter which is built on our promise to provide the market with the richest and most enticing product offering possible." XB Net unlocks premium horse racing content for IZIBET in Malta