Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1547581
A proposed boutique guesthouse in Xagħra would transform an old farmhouse along Triq Marsalforn into a 16-unit guesthouse intend- ed to operate on a short-let basis. The planning application (PA/02851/26) is for a site located within a rural hamlet, where new- ly-built commercial guesthouses are prohibited. However, con- verting existing historic build- ings or traditional farmhouses into micro-accommodation is allowed, provided they strict- ly respect rural height caps and boundary design rules. According to the project de- scription statement (PDS) sub- mitted by the developer, the project aims to respond to the "increasing demand for premi- um short-let accommodation" in Gozo and attract affluent visitors while generating year-round eco- nomic activity. The 16 suites are designed to ca- ter for various short-stay visitors, including individual travellers, couples and families. The applicant and site owner is Daniel Refalo, representing DTX Projects, while architect Alex Bigeni is responsible for the de- sign and supervision. The PDS was compiled by environmental consultant George Said. Pool and extensions The proposal involves rehabili- tating and changing the use of the existing dwelling, together with rear and upper-level additions for guest accommodation. It would also include an outdoor swimming pool, sunbathing deck, landscaped communal spaces and reception facilities. An underground reservoir would collect rainwater from roofs and terraces to be used for pool filling, toilet flushing and irrigation. Five people would be employed directly. The site lies within develop- ment boundaries on the edge of Xagħra, overlooking fragmented agricultural land. The PDS argues that because the entire develop- ment remains within the existing site boundary, it would not result in urban sprawl or the loss of high-quality agricultural land. The Superintendence of Cul- tural Heritage has raised concern over the proposed intensification of development within the prop- erty's existing garden, particular- ly because of a recorded under- ground chamber. It requested that heritage fea- tures be identified on the draw- ings and that the impact of the development on them, together with any mitigation measures, be clarified. The Superintendence also not- ed that the existing beamed ceil- ing at first-floor level is being re- tained. The developer is proposing no basement parking, despite plan- ning policies normally requiring five spaces, with the PDS stating that this would help protect the existing old building. The PDS identifies excavation for the pool and foundations as a minor negative impact, generat- ing around 1,100 tonnes of waste. Excavated stone would be reused on site where feasible, with re- maining inert material sent to li- censed facilities. Construction is expected to last two years, with dust screens and properly maintained machinery proposed to limit air-quality im- pacts. The PDS rates traffic and re- source management impacts as positive, citing an estimated peak of four vehicle movements dur- ing morning peak hours, ther- mal insulation, inverter air-con- ditioning, photocell-controlled LED lighting and the rainwater harvesting system. The application remains under assessment by the Planning Au- thority. 6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 15 NOVEMBER 2026 NEWS By means of a decree of the 4th March, 2026, in the records of the judicial letter number 18/2026 in the names APS Bank plc vs Ashley John Galea et, the First Hall of the Civil Court ordered the following publication for the purpose of service of the respondent Ashley John Galea in terms of Article 187(3) et sequitur of Cap. 12. In the First Hall of the Civil Court Today 6th January, 2026 To: Ashley John Galea (ID 393006L) of 41 Moonflower, Triq il-Lampuki, St Paul's Bay Laura Jean Temple By means of this present APS Bank plc (C2192) of APS Centre, Triq it-Torri, Birkirkara BKR 4012, calls upon you so that within fifteen days from the service of this judicial letter, you pay the interpellant the sum of €171,030.35 due as for the sum of €141,658.69 as balance of debt of HouseLoan Residential Account number 2000145030-7 and as for the sum of €29,371.55 as balance of debt of Interest Current Disposal Account number 3944151002-6. In default further steps according to law will be taken. With costs and further interest on the said House Loan Residential Account number 2000145030-7 at the rate of 8% per annum with effect from the 1st January, 2026, till the date of effective payment. This judicial letter is being filed in terms of Cap. 12 and Cap. 16 of the Laws of Malta. Registry of the Superior Courts, today 30th October, 2026 ALEXANDRA DEBATTISTA For the Registrar, Civil Courts and Tribunals CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 The minister had said the AI-powered system was mak- ing tax evasion easier to iden- tify. The Commissioner for Tax and Customs Joe Caruana sat down with MaltaToday last week to explain how the MT- CA acquired the high-end sta- tistical analysis system, collo- quially referred to as SAS, in 2022 and deploying it by the first quarter of 2023. When asked how long it took for the system to pay for itself, Caruana chuckled and pulled out a piece of paper with a yearly breakdown of the tax arrears collected since 2023. The numbers were so stag- gering that I had to clarify whether they were correct. In its first year, SAS helped the MTCA collect €374.8 mil- lion in tax arrears. The fol- lowing year, the MTCA col- lected €431.3 million, and in 2025, the authorities collected €419.7 million. The latest available data shows that by the third quarter of 2026, the MTCA collected €455.4 million, bringing the total of arrears collected since SAS's introduction to over €1.6 billion. The higher VAT returns col- lected over the years are es- pecially noteworthy. In 2023, the taxman collected €196.9 million in VAT arrears. The following year, €183.6 million were collected, while in 2025 €165.5 in VAT arrears were identified. However, with 2026 not yet over, the MTCA has al- ready collected €202 million in VAT arrears so far. The improvement in tax collection is a direct result of better case selection, Carua- na said, adding that compli- ance behaviour has also seen a marked improvement. MTCA's auditors have in- putted more than 100 risk rules into SAS to filter out the problematic cases. The sys- tem then checks, for instance, whether the sales a business declares for income tax match its own VAT declarations. If there is a significant gap be- tween the two, the system flags this as a risk. SAS also identifies business- es that don't submit returns on time, as well as filings with missing information, so the MTCA can follow up on each case. The system is then able to group taxpayers according to their compliance behaviour, identifying those who pay on time, those who pay late, and those who don't pay at all. This process, which is part of a broader digitalisation pro- gramme, is crucial in the MT- CA's effort to become more data driven. Since the technology was introduced, data has become sacred for the tax authorities. The digitalisation has enabled the administration's auditors to follow a single, standardised process across all tax types, which wasn't the case before. The AI-powered The system has effectively converted the MTCA from a reactive administration with a crushing workload into a proactive enforcer 16-unit high-end short-let guesthouse proposed in Xaghra JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt The planning application is for a site located within a rural hamlet, where newly- built commercial guesthouses are prohibited Since the technolog y was introduced, data has become sacred for the tax authorities