English Version :
Final May extension announced, as support continues through regeneration schemes
The total budget invested in the Wage Supplement Scheme over the last 26 months will exceed €720 million, Minister for Environment, Energy and Enterprise Miriam Dalli has announced.
Together with Malta Enterprise CEO Kurt Farrugia, Minister Dalli addressed a press conference during which it was announced that the Wage Supplement Scheme will be extended for another month and weaned off this May.
A number of stakeholders and social partners were also present.
The scheme, which was crucial to the survival of Maltese enterprises and employees’ income throughout the pandemic, was launched in March 2020 as the Maltese economy started to feel the brunt of COVID-19. Following further consultations, it was restructured at different points to improve support for the worst affected enterprises and self-employed.
Over 17,000 businesses were assisted, and some 120,000 employees have benefited from the scheme. This policy decision encouraged businesses to retain employees, without the need to let them go and then re-employ them – effectively paving the way for the current economic regeneration phase.
The sectors that received the largest volume of support included hospitality and food, retail, and the services industries.
Minister Miriam Dalli explained that the support to businesses will not be terminated but will in fact continue by means of shifting towards measures that enhance regeneration; specifically, a modal shift towards sustainable and digital transformation.
“The wage supplement has been a crucial tool for enterprises to face the pandemic. The support offered by the government ensured that our businesses kept going. But for businesses to thrive we need to make sure that we support them in transitioning towards greener and more sustainable operations that also embrace digitalisation. It is this transition, whilst supporting economic regeneration, that will allow our businesses to thrive”, said Minister Dalli.
Malta Enterprise CEO Kurt Farrugia thanked all Malta Enterprise employees who have been working tirelessly to make the scheme a success, and beneficiaries for their understanding of the realities that Malta Enterprise had to operate within.
“Since day one, the management and team members at Malta Enterprise have given their utmost, knowing that we were dealing with the livelihood of the majority of our private sector employees. I thank all our staff for their commitment which went above and beyond their working hours. I would also like to thank the beneficiaries for understanding the constraints that we had to operate in, as we processed thousands of applications without the possibility of meeting applicants in person. We look forward to continue supporting our local businesses via schemes such as the Smart and Sustainable Investment Grant which is a clear example of how investing in Green and Digital really pays”, said Kurt Farrugia.
Maltese Version :
Għajnuna ta’ aktar minn €720 miljun f’Wage Supplement
Titħabbar l-estensjoni finali sa’ Mejju, filwaqt li jibqa’ jingħata l-appoġġ permezz ta’ skemi
Matul dawn l-aħħar 26 xahar, permezz tal-iskema tal-Wage Supplement, l-intrapriżi u l-ħaddiema se jkunu rċevew aktar minn €720 miljun. Dan ħabbritu l-Ministru għall-Ambjent, l-Enerġija u l-Intrapriża Miriam Dalli.
Flimkien mal-Kap Eżekuttiv ta’ Malta Enterprise Kurt Farrugia, il-Ministru Dalli indirizzat konferenza tal- aħbarijiet fejn tħabbar li l-iskema tal-Wage Supplement se tiġi estiża għal xahar ieħor, u tiġi fi tmiemha f’Mejju.
Għal din il-konferenza attendew diversi msieħba soċjali u rappreżentanti minn trade unions.
Hekk kif feġġet il-pandemija tal-COVID 19 f’Marzu 2020, din l-iskema kienet kruċjali biex jiġu ssalvagwardjati l-postijiet tax-xogħol u l-intrapriżi Maltin. Wara diversi konsultazzjonijiet saru xi tibdiliet biex jittejjeb l-appoġġ għal dawk li ġew milquta l-aktar, in-negozji u s-self-employed.
Aktar minn 17,000 negozju kien assistit biex ‘il fuq minn 120,000 ħaddiem ibbenefika minn din l-iskema. B’dan il-mod, in-negozji żammew l-impjegati magħhom mingħajr il-bżonn li jitwaqqfu għal xi żmien u jerġgħu jiġu impjegati lura, hekk kif l-ekonomija kurrenti terġa’ tiġi lura għan-normal.
Is-setturi li rċevew l-aktar appoġġ kienu dawk tal-ospitalità u l-ikel, il-ħwienet tal-bejgħ bl-imnut, u l-industriji tas-servizzi.
Il-Ministru Miriam Dalli spjegat li l-appoġġ lin-negozji mhux se jkun qed jintemm, iżda se tingħata għajnuna biex tissaħħaħ ir-riġenerazzjoni, b’mod speċjali għall-qabża sostenibbli u diġitali.
“Il-Wage Supplement kien għodda importanti għan-negozji matul il-pandemija. Is-sapport li ngħata mill-gvern assigura li n-negozji tagħna jibqgħu għaddejjin. Biex dawn in-negozji jibqgħu jrendu, irridu naċċertaw li jingħata l-appoġġ li jwassalhom għal transizzjoni lejn operat ambjentalment sostenibbli flimkien ma’ dak tad- diġitalizzazzjoni. B’din it-tranżizzjoni, filwaqt li l-ekonomija tiġġenera ruħha, in-negozji għandhom iċ-ċans jikbru u jiffjorixxu”, qalet il-Ministru Dalli.
Il-Kap Eżekuttiv ta’ Malta Enterprise Kurt Farrugia rringrazzja lill-ħaddiema tal-Malta Enterprise li ħadmu qatigħ biex din l-iskema tkun ta’ suċċess, kif ukoll lil dawk li bbenefikaw, li fehmu r-realtajiet li l-Malta Enterprise kellha topera fihom.
“Sa mill-ewwel jum, il-maniġment u l-ħaddiema ta’ Malta Enterprise għamlu l-għalmu tagħhom, għax fehmu li din is-sitwazzjoni se tħalli effett fuq l-għixien ta’ diversi ħaddiema fis-settur privat. Għalhekk nirringrazzja lill- ħaddiema kollha tal-impenn li urew matul il-ħidma tagħhom. Filwaqt li nixtieq nirringrazzja ukoll lil benefiċjarji kollha talli mill-bidu nett fehmu r-restrizzjonijiet li kellna noperaw fihom, fejn kellna nipproċesaw eluf ta’ applikazzjonijiet mingħajr ma stajna niltaqgħu wiċċ imb’wiċċ mal-applikanti. Għaldaqstant inħarsu ‘l quddiem biex inkomplu nagħtu l-appoġġ lin-negozji lokali permezz ta’ skemi bħall-Ismart and Sustainable Investment Grant, fejn hi skema ċara kif meta wieħed jinvesti fl-ambjent u d-diġitilazzjoni verament irendi”, qal Kurt Farrugia.