Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/417582
6 Budget 2015 maltatoday, TUESDAY, 18 NOVEMBER 2014 EXCISE/PPPs A car park in the Valletta ditch A car park will be developed on part of the ditch under City Gate. The other part will be converted into a public garden. The original plans had earmarked the entire area as a public garden. These plans were reviewed after the return of Labour to government. In September MaltaToday had re- vealed that plans for the public gar- den in the Valletta ditch had been shelved until the completion of the new parliament building. Antonio Belvedere, from the Renzo Piano workshop, told MaltaToday that no feedback was given by the govern- ment on their downscaled plans for a public garden. Other initiatives for Valletta in- clude a number of bicycle racks and a master plan for building offices for the government's revenue de- partments at Belt is-Sebh. The budget also vaguely refers to plans for a private public partner- ship aimed at developing a break- water between Sliema and Valletta to facilitate the development of yacht marinas in Marsamxett har- bour. Still no details on land reclamation The results of a call for expres- sions of interest for land reclama- tion projects issued in July 2013 and concluded in December have still to be made public. The budget re- veals that "an encouraging number of submissions" have been identi- fied and that the government has analyzed these submissions and started to identify which projects will be given priority. Tourist development in Bighi The budget vaguely hints at plans for the development of the Bighi ar- ea in Kalkara into a "tourist centre". No specific site is indicated for this public private project in the his- torically sensitive site. The budget also refers to the development of a National Science Centre set to cost €26 million and co-financed by the EU. Community Centre at Pace Grasso The Schreiber Ground is being identified as a community centre which will include a car park; a rec- reational area, a health and child care centre and a number of com- mercial facilities. Plans for the area were already announced by the previous admin- istration in November 2012. Back then the proposal consisted of a new secondary school to serve as a regional centre, a football ground, a car park for 300 vehicles and a health centre. Prior to 2008 the Schreiber ground area had been identified for residential develop- ment but that was shelved. Other projects in the south of Malta mentioned in the budget include the rehabilitation of Wied Blandun and the regeneration of Marsa following the closure of the power station. Airstrip for Gozo The budget confirms plans for the construction of an airfield in Gozo, which is euphemistically de- scribed as a "rural/green airfield." The budget describes the airstrip as a way of linking Gozo with the rest of the Mediterranean. A public consultation on this proposal will be announced shortly. The budget also reveals that two different applications seeking EU funds for feasibility studies for a tunnel between Malta and Gozo have failed. The budget confirms that the China Communications Construction Ltd will be conduct- ing feasibility studies for both a tunnel and a bridge. Both studies will be published after being con- cluded. The budget also reveals that sites have been identified for an exten- sion of the industrial estate in Xewkija. Govt to rake in €2 million on vino tax WINE, the only alcohol which to date had never been taxed will now increase by 20c per litre. While the excise dut y is intended to readdress market discrepan- cies, Scicluna said government will embark on a campaign pro- moting Maltese wines. Car licences Annual licence fees for vehicles will increase by up to €15, with an exception made for cars with a carbon dioxide emission which does not exceed 100g per kilome- tre. Meanwhile, the registration tax on ATVs or quad bikes will be re- duced in order to promote the use of vehicles with small engines that pollute less. Vintage motorbikes with an en- gine smaller than 250cc will also be exempt from the registration tax. Cranes Tower cranes blocking roads for hours on end are a common nui- sance and as from January, gov- ernment will introduce a daily lev y of €10 to €15 depending on the size of the vehicle. Fish farms A new tax of €0.10/kg will be levied on feed used in fish farms, while excise duties on cement will also increase. Insurance policies The stamp dut y on insurance policies, with the exception of life polices, will increase by 1%. Swim or sink Homeowners who enjoy a dip in their pool will have to dig deep- er in their pockets after licences increased by 15% and the intro- duction of a new tax of €4.60 per cubic metre. Commercial pools will have to pay €6.90 per cubic metre. Gas and fuels Gas prices will be fixed at €18 until April, €3 cheaper than De- cember 2012. On the other hand, while excise dut y on petrol and diesel will go up as from January consumers will be paying 1c less per litre of diesel and 2c less per litre of petrol. Putting the private ONE of the key terms in the finance minister's second budget speech is public private partnerships and the government creating a new compa- ny to identify such initiatives. In the coming months, Project Malta will launch a number of projects in health, tourism and sports. Public private sandy beaches Among others, Project Malta will oversee the extension or creation of sandy beaches, including the area known as Taht iz-Ziemel in Vallet- ta, the area adjacent to the reverse osmosis plant in Pembroke and the Fra Ben point in Bugibba. Floating casinos Cruise liners will be allowed to open their casinos if the ships are staying in Malta overnight. Op- erators will however need a spe- cial licence, which will however be waived if the ships berth in Gozo. Local punters should not get carried away – the casinos will be open only to passengers on board the ships. Conventions Malta A foundation will promote Malta as a destination for conventions while the government announced a reform in the VAT refund system for tourists to increase its revenue. Seed Capital The government is in the process of launching an initiative to shift the access to finance for SMEs from traditional banking to fiscal incen- tives and venture capital funds. A seed investment programme will allow private investors to receive a tax credit equivalent to the share capital invested in a start-up. This credit will be capped at €250,000. Mediterranean Film Studios The government intends to breathe new life in the film studios in Rinella, home to the famous wa- ter tanks used in a number of Hol- lywood blockbusters. Following a protracted legal battle which saw the courts uphold an eviction order by the Lands Department against Mediterranean Film Studios, the government intends to launch an international expression of interest for the management of the forsaken facilities. Gaming A number of reforms in the gam- ing industry will see the Lotteries and Gaming Authority replaced by the Malta Gaming Authority and the creation of a Gaming Academy. Thirdly, the government will create Gaming Malta, a foundation en- trusted with promoting Malta as a centre of excellence. Space invaders In another first, the Labour ad- ministration is looking at exploiting the commercial potential of the two satellite spaces allocated to Malta by the International Telecommuni- cations Union. Scicluna said the government is seeking strategic partnerships to "place Malta on the global satellite map." Wi-Fi State The Malta Communications Au- thority will be looking at striking partnerships with the private sector to increase the current 191 public Wi-Fi hotspots by 60%. UN pensions programme Following the relative success of