AN AI-powered tax monitor-
ing system has helped collect
over €1.6 billion in arrears in
less than four years since its in-
troduction.
Figures provided to MaltaTo-
day by the Malta Tax and Cus-
toms Administration (MTCA),
show that in 2026 alone, €455.4
million in tax arrears were col-
lected by September.
The new tax monitoring sys-
tem powered by artificial intel-
ligence was introduced in 2023,
enabling the tax commissioner
to become more efficient in
identifying dodgers and lag-
gards.
Last month, Finance Minister
Clyde Caruana had announced
that a few hundred people
would be receiving letters from
the MTCA asking about dis-
crepancies between income
generated and large purchases
and taxes paid.
The action, in Caruana's own
words, was intended to "render
unto Caesar the things that are
Caesar's".
YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT
SUNDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2026 • ISSUE 1411 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY
maltatoday
€2.20
An honest minister
Licensing reform
Climate change
will impact Malta's
lucrative tuna
industry
Brikkuni frontman
Mario Vella says
Malta has never had
a good culture
minister
MTA mulls
licensing reform
for entertainment
venues
INTERVIEW MT2 PAGE 5
We continue driving Malta's success
as a reputable financial services centre.
Be part of the
journey. journey. journey.
financemalta.org/become-a-member
Tuna migration
CONTINUES PAGES 6-7
PAGES 10-11
AI helped taxman collect
€1.6 billion in arrears
MATTHEW
FARRUGIA
mfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt
An AI-powered
tax monitoring
system has helped
Malta's tax
authorities recover
over €1.6 billion
in arrears since
2023, including
€455.4 million
in the first nine
months of 2026
TikTok's
devastating
weight-loss
advice
JULIANA
ZAMMIT
jzammit@mediatoday.com.mt
"AM I thin enough?"
It is the question a teenager is likely to ask
but instead of going to a doctor, she turns
to TikTok for advice.
One search triggers the algorithm, which
creates an endless feed of diet videos, calo-
rie counts, and strangers offering to judge
her body. It is the kind of harmful rabbit
hole that the European Commission has
warned about. At Dar Kenn Għal Saħħtek,
a therapy centre for eating disorders in
Mtarfa, staff watch firsthand what happens
when searching for reassurance becomes
fear of food, isolation, and a life narrowed
by anxiety.
FULL STORY PAGES 14 AND 15
