Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546635
THE first 100 days of the new Labour government were a first swoop into the 2026 electoral manifesto Int Malta. The result was the implementation of sev- eral pledges that pave the way for the next five years. This nation has grown but there is ample ground still to be covered as Malta's econom- ic drive continues to shift into higher gear in these sombre days for the world. At the Ministry for Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector, sev- eral pledges have already been successfully implemented. De- spite a background of achieve- ments during the past three Labour legislatures, we know new challenges in these sectors will never lack. It is why in the first 100 days we have been a throbbing part of this adminis- tration's early push to address the needs and aspirations of the Maltese people. The results thus far offer more hope and a stronger commitment to what we have promised the electorate. Cer- tainly, far from resting on our laurels we have the ambition and determination to keep up the tempo. A highly significant promise that fulfilled in the first 100 days by my ministry was the introduction of a tandem of bills—the Personal Autonomy Act which introduces support- ed decision making; and the Protection of Adults in Sit- uations of Vulnerability Act (PASVA) to make sure that assistance is given to adults in situations of vulnerability and to intervene, when necessary, to support them in protecting themselves against harm, abuse or neglect. In both cases, assistance and support are provided where it matters most. Having signed the United Na- tions Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which lays down a list of rights disabled people should enjoy, Malta is now ascertaining that persons with disabilities enjoy all of those very rights. Another measure straight out of the electoral manifesto is the increased daily rate of €30 from €15 as part of the Youth Volun- tary Overseas Scheme to young men and women between the ages of 18 and 35 carrying out voluntary work overseas. The maximum financial support to volunteers goes up from €2,500 to €3,650, an increase of €1,350. As from this year, a leader over 35 years of age may also accompany the group to help in the coordination and running of the project. The voluntary experience is both precious and noble, par- ticularly in cases and places where people happen to be leading a life of suffering and other tribulations. During the past nine years, 182 young men and women from 43 differ- ent voluntary organisations in Malta and Gozo have benefited from this scheme thanks to an investment of €227,000 in YVO funds by the Maltese Coun- cil for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS). They have undertak- en dignified and gracious pro- jects involving school-building, teaching, and the installation of sanitary facilities, as well as food provision and informa- tion campaigns on hygiene and health, in Kenya, Ghana, the Philippines, Cambodia, Para- guay and Peru. Another breakthrough since the June general election, was the new agreement reached with the Service Dogs Malta Foundation that sees an invest- ment of more than €150,000 within three years during which three service dogs will receive training every year. The agreement was spearheaded by the arrival from Brussels of Ink, the Labrador puppy that will undergo a process of socialisa- tion before going into service. The beneficiaries of this agreement, of course, will be those persons who, due to dif- ferent conditions, need the assistance of service dogs that guide them through daily life in an environment of inclusion and community spirit. Significantly, on 22 July, the Maltese Parliament vot- ed unanimously to amend the Constitution to include disabil- ity as a protected characteristic with regard to the fundamental rights and liberties guaranteed by the country's highest law. While it is true the amend- ment did not introduce any new rights for persons with dis- abilities, it made it possible for them to claim a breach of their human rights and discrimina- tion on the basis of disability. This was no symbolic gesture. In just 100 days we delivered on some of the key pledges, a confirmation of the govern- ment's adherence to its 2026 electoral manifesto, which was approved by a vast majority of Maltese and Gozitan voters. 8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 20 SEPTEMBER 2026 OPINION Julia Farrugia A hundred-day swoop Minister for inclusion and voluntary sector The results thus far offer more hope and a stronger commitment to what we have promised the electorate. Certainly, far from resting on our laurels we have the ambition and determination to keep up the tempo