Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1543884
4 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 13 MARCH 2026 NEWS Gozo housing market slows as final deeds of sale drop in February HOUSING market activity on Gozo slowed in February, with the island recording the sec- ond-lowest number of final deeds of sale among Maltese regions, according to data from the National Statistics Office. A total of 118 final deeds of sale for residential property were registered in Gozo last month, down 12 from January and 28 compared with Febru- ary last year. Within the island, Ghajnsielem recorded the highest number of sales at 19. Meanwhile, promise of sale agreements in Gozo also ranked second-lowest among the regions, with 137 agree- ments registered in February. This represents an increase of 33 agreements on January and 30 compared with Febru- ary last year, with Victoria and Xaghra recording the highest activity at 18 agreements each. The figures indicate a slight cooling in completed property transactions on Gozo, despite a modest rise in preliminary sale agreements, reflecting un- even momentum in the island's housing market. A total of 118 final deeds of sale for residential property were registered in Gozo last month, down 12 from January and 28 compared with February last year BEVERAGE Container Refund Scheme (BCRS) container col- lection services will be extend- ed across Malta and Gozo, the public cleanliness ministry an- nounced on Wednesday. The new service will cost gov- ernment €1.2 million through an investment in new vans man- ufactured by Remautic and an improved IT system to improve the BCRS container collection system. Last July, the division launched a pilot project that involved 30 lo- calities across Malta. After eight months around 1.3 million con- tainers were collected, demon- strating strong public interest in the service. In the past each van could serve around 40 residences per day. This number is now projected to rise to about 60 residences per day. "Everyone has a role to play in our environmental responsibili- ty, but for that to happen, the sys- tem must be accessible to all," en- vironment minister Miriam Dalli said during the announcement. The minister added that the goal is to create a system that works and which reaches every- one on the island. Present during the announce- ment was Parliamentary Secre- tary for Public Cleanliness, Glenn Bedingfield, in the presence of the CEO of Circular Economy Malta, Jason Vella, and the Direc- tor General of the Cleansing and Maintenance Division, Ramon Deguara. Launched in 2022, the scheme requires beverage producers and importers to pay an extra 10-cent charge per container, which is then passed on to consumers. Consumers can reclaim the de- posit by returning used con- tainers to designated recycling points. The scheme has been instru- mental in rapidly boosting bottle recycling in Malta. BCRS container collection services to be extended across Gozo Beverage Container Refund Scheme (BCRS) container collection services will be extended across Malta and Gozo