Category: Press Releases

  • Kritika mhux kredibbli mill-oppożizzjoni

    Kritika mhux kredibbli mill-oppożizzjoni

    Il-Ministeru għall-Finanzi jinnota b’sorpriża d-dikjarazzjoni li għamel id-deputat tal-Oppożizzjoni Tonio Fenech dwar żieda fl-impiegi tas-settur pubbliku u l-effett tagħha fuq id-deficit. It-tentattiv ta’ Tonio Fenech li jitfa, fuq l-amministrazzjoni preżenti, r-responsabbilita taż-żieda fil-ħruġ tal-Gvern fuq salarji m’huwiex kredibbli. Ir-realtà hija li kien l-istess Tonio Fenech, bħala Ministru għall-Finanzi, li ffirma tant ftehimiet kollettivi lejliet elezzjoni…

  • Government intends to address the country’s challenges

    Government intends to address the country’s challenges

      “By 2020 we would like to see a significant increase in the labour market and the number of persons in tertiary education to enable Malta to face its future with confidence,”   Prof. Scicluna was speaking during a panel discussion held at the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) annual conference at the Westin Dragonara, on Friday, 20th December,…

  • Malta and U.S. sign foreign account tax compliance act

    Malta and U.S. sign foreign account tax compliance act

    On behalf of their respective Governments, Minister for Finance Edward Scicluna and U.S Ambassador Gina Abercrombie –Winstanley signed the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) on Monday, December 16, 2013. The “FATCA Agreement” is a further development in the relations between Malta and the United States regarding exchange of information and is to be made…

  • Minister Scicluna welcomes progress made on Banking Union, but scrutiny and clarity is required

    Minister Scicluna welcomes progress made on Banking Union, but scrutiny and clarity is required

    “Malta will not give it consent unless it studies the legal text in detail, which is still to be drafted and sees that Malta’s interests are safeguarded. In particular we seek a system of decision making which is not cumbersome and which respects the rights of small Member States” Minister for Finance, Professor Edward Scicluna…

  • European Parliament Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs welcomes Malta’s budgetary reforms

    European Parliament Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs welcomes Malta’s budgetary reforms

    MEP’s in the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee gave a warm welcome to Minister Edward Scicluna, a former MEP and Vice-chair of the Committee during an Exchange of Views (EV) held with the ECON committee on Thursday 5th December 2013. The coordinator of the EPP Mr Gauzes together with the S&D coordinator Elisa…

  • NAO Report Confirms Hiving Off Good Causes Funds in Pre-Election Handouts

    NAO Report Confirms Hiving Off Good Causes Funds in Pre-Election Handouts

    The Finance Ministry welcomes the conclusions of the Report prepared by the Auditor General and presented to the Speaker which confirm the Ministry’s concerns regarding significant over-spending and rampant lack of good governance in how the Fund was administered. The NAO’s report concluded that the commitments entered into by the previous administration will mean that…

  • Ministry for Finance evaluating structures to ensure consumer protection when buying financial products

    Ministry for Finance evaluating structures to ensure consumer protection when buying financial products

    “The Ministry for Finance will be undertaking studies to determine the appropriate structures to safeguard consumers rights when it comes to the buying of financial products,” said Finance Minister Prof. Edward Scicluna. Prof. Scicluna was speaking during the opening address of KPMG’s biennial Financial Services Conference, where he spoke at length regarding the need to…

  • Eurogroup acknowledges measures taken by Malta to address risks

    Eurogroup acknowledges measures taken by Malta to address risks

    Euro Area Finance Ministers recognised that Malta has taken additional measures within its own budgetary process to address the risk of non-compliance with the rules of the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP). The positive assessment was delivered during a meeting of the Eurogroup held in Brussels on 22 November 2013 in order to assess Euro…

  • Commission concludes that Malta’s Deficit Reduction Action is effective and no further action required

    Commission concludes that Malta’s Deficit Reduction Action is effective and no further action required

    Finance Minister Prof. Edward Scicluna welcomed the European Commission’s conclusion that Malta has taken effective action to address the budget deficit and no further steps in the excessive deficit procedure are needed at present. Prof. Scicluna was speaking during a press conference held at the Ministry for Finance on Friday 15th November, during which he…

  • European Commission notes that wind in Malta’s sails gaining strength

    European Commission notes that wind in Malta’s sails gaining strength

    The Finance Ministry welcomes the remarks by the European Commission, as presented in its European Economic Forecast for Autumn 2013, published on Tuesday 6th November, 2013. The Commission’s remarks are further validation that the Maltese economy is gradually picking up speed, thanks to the prudent fiscal administration and forward-looking policy approach of the new Government.…