Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/553115
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 9 AUGUST 2015 8 News THE Small business chamber, the GRTU, has called for fairer pen- sions for the self-employed and business owners. "Our self-employed and business owners have not only contributed heftily in financial terms over the years, but are also the main driv- ers of economic development and job creation," the GRTU said in a statement. "Their contribution must be ac- knowledged and translated into the pension they have contributed to and deserve." The GRTU claim the current sys- tem is unjust for the fact that MPs have no maximum capping on their pension. The GRTU wants self-employed to be able to retire early when they are closer to retirement age but their businesses are no longer feasible. "While some of the in- centives proposed in the pension reform are welcome on paper, they do not make financial sense for end-users," the GRTU said. "In practice it would take too long to recuperate the renounced pension itself." Instead the GRTU said it wants pensions for self-employed so that the sector would not be encour- aged to under-declare taxable in- come. "An effective measure the GRTU believes would incentivise pension- ers to remain active in the labour market is reducing, or removing tax on pensions for working pen- sioners, or removing NI contribu- tions," it said. The GRTU warned that increas- ing pensionable age also had its problems, citing the physical haz- ards that ageing workers could face, or other productivity issues. "A long-term approach is needed to start addressing seriously the sustainability of the pensions sys- tem in the context of its social im- portance along with its economic viability. The change must be grad- ual, however change to the status quo is necessary. Postponing will only make matters worse and make change more difficult and costly." ALL emergency admissions at Mater Dei hospital last week spilled over into corridors and even into the operating theatre recovery wards, the Medical Association of Malta said. According to the doctors' union, while the hospital management did "its very best" to manage the situa- tion, doctors, nurses and all others were hard pressed to cope with the heavier workload and the difficult conditions. While this problem occurs fre- quently in the winter months this was a new phenomenon in the mid- dle of summer. The hospital administration at- tributed this increase in admissions to the higher number of planned operations. There was also a signifi- cant number of frail elderly patients who developed medical problems because of the extreme heat. However, the major factor is the large number of patients who are ac- commodated at Mater Dei Hospital while awaiting transfer to homes for the elderly and rehabilitation. According to MAM, at the mo- ment there are 140 patients at Mater Dei hospital who do not need acute care but have to be kept there because they have no place to go to. While in the past this number rarely exceeded 60, over the last year this has crept up to 140 to take up 60% of beds available for acute medical care, mainly because of a lack of planning and investment in the geriatric sector. MAM called on the health author- ities to give priority to the elderly sector, and focus on the immediate needs of patients by investing and developing the care of the elderly to meet the demands of the popu- lation. "Fortunately, people in Malta are living longer and this means that hospitals and homes for the elderly are all full and they cannot cope with the demand," MAM said. "This problem needs a long term solution and measures must be taken to improve services for the elderly in their community and to support them to stay at home or in sheltered accommodation as long as possible." 'Blocked' hospital beds at 140, doctors say Mater Dei in crisis GRTU demands fairer pensions for self-employed Number of emergency admissions in hospital is a new summer phenomenon The self-employed 'have contributed heftily in financial terms' – GRTU