Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1529458
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 NOVEMBER 2024 NEWS KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt Magical Christmas from Monday 18/11 to 24/11 Big on Quality, Lidl on Price Even though every effort has been made to ensure adequate supplies, these items may sell out quickly. Prices do not include decorative material. Prices are valid save errors or omissions. 1kg = € 9.97 2. 99 300g pack 750g pack -21% 1kg = € 7.32 5. 49 6.99 1kg = € 14.65 2. 49 170g pack 500g pack 500g pack -22% 1kg = € 3.38 1. 69 2.19 CONSUMERS who have re- cycled their plastic and glass bottles, and cans at the BCRS reverse-vending machines have failed to redeem at least €345,000 in vouchers, which ultimately stayed with the company. A parliamentary question by Nationalist MP Ian Vassallo re- vealed that a total of €345,216 in vouchers from the vending ma- chines had not been redeemed since the beginning of the return system, up until September 2024. The vouchers have a one-year expiry, meaning the vouchers had originally been issued up un- til September 2023. Environment Minister Miriam Dalli said the money from the re- cycling vouchers not redeemed by consumers at their supermarkets and stores, had been retained by BCRS to be used in the purchase of more vending machines, "for improvement in operations, and related expenses at their Hal Far plant, as well as other required investments at law." The Beverage Container Refund Scheme incentivises the return of single-use beverage containers by applying a refundable deposit on the sale of beverages. A small deposit of €0.10 is added to the purchase price of the bev- erage when it is sold by produc- ers, which is paid into a deposit account managed by BCRS Mal- ta. The deposit is then charged to retailers at the wholesale stage who subsequently transfer it onto the consumer. Consumers can recoup their deposits by returning the empty beverage container to a reverse vending machine for a full refund, which is paid out by BCRS Malta through the deposit account. The circular system entices re- turns of single-use beverage con- tainers through the refundable deposit. The beverage containers are then transported to BCRS Mal- ta's clearing centre in Ħal Far for sorting and onward sale as recy- clable materials. Consumers did not redeem €345,000 in BCRS vouchers MATTHEW VELLA mvella@mediatoday.com.mt THE Joseph Muscat administrations between 2013 and 2019 saw the highest average number of military vessels being granted permission to berth in Malta's ports. During this seven-year period an aver- age of 82 foreign military or State ships per year were granted diplomatic clear- ance to berth, an analysis of information tabled in parliament shows. The information was tabled by Foreign Minister Ian Borg in reply to a parliamen- tary question by Nationalist MP Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici. The MP wanted to know how many requests the protocol office had received for military or State vessels to berth in Malta since 2021, however the minister provided the information since 2004. The Lawrence Gonzi administrations between 2004 and 2012 saw an average of 62 military vessels per year berth in Mal- ta. The yearly average dropped drastically to 39 military ships in the four years since Robert Abela has been in power. The statistics presented in parliament show that a record 133 military ships were granted permission to berth in Malta in 2016, the highest ever since 2004. The second highest number of foreign military vessels to visit was in 2011, at the height of the Libya crisis when 119 ships were granted permission to enter Malta's ports. This year, up until the end of October, 45 military or State vessels were granted diplomatic clearance to berth, while last year 64 such ships docked in Malta. The lowest number of military vessels to visit was 15 in 2021. The PQ contained no other information but military ships often use these stopo- vers to rest their crew and take on sup- plies after a tour of duty. Military ship visits highest in Muscat era The USS San Jacinto, a guided-missile cruiser of the US navy, berthed at the Grand Harbour during a courtesy visit in June 2022 (Photo: US Embassy Malta/Facebook)