No. 387
Wild Birds Regulation Unit
Notice of Derogation
IN exercise of the powers conferred by the fourth proviso to Regulation 10(6) of the Conservation of Wild Birds Regulations (S.L. 549.42), the Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning, in conjunction with the Minister for Gozo has, after giving due consideration to the recommendations of the Malta Ornis Committee, which met on the 1st April, 2020, decided to authorise derogation from the provisions of Regulation 4 (1) (a), (d) and (e) in line with the provisions of Regulation 9 (1) (e) to permit the recapturing of eight (8) adult individuals of Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius) which have an affixed multi-sensor geo-tag fitted during a previous authorised study permitted via Government Notice No. 993/2018 as published on the 24th August, 2018. The validity period of the licence shall be three (3) months from date of publication of this Government Notice. Birds fitted with a geo-tag are to be re-caught within the period of validity of the licence for the purpose of removing the geo-tag and retrieving the data. Authorisation is being granted for the purpose of scientific research and analysis strictly under the conditions and controls stipulated in the licence issued for this purpose by the Wild Birds Regulation Unit. The information obtained through this study shall be provided to the Wild Birds Regulation Unit in the form of a detailed written report within two (2) months from the expiry date of the licence.
13th April, 2020
No. 388
TRANSPORT MALTA
Travel Ban Order, 2020
IN terms of Article 2 (1) of the Public Health Act (Cap. 465), Travel Ban Order, 2020 (L.N. 42 of 2020), the Superintendent of Public Health hereby orders that a travel ban on persons to the countries mentioned in the following list is being suspended as the travel of certain persons is deemed to be essential:
10th April GES641R OMAA/AbuDhabi
13th April YUBZZ LTBA/Istanbul
13th April, 2020
No. 389
MINISTRY FOR FINANCE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MINISTRY FOR THE ECONOMY, INVESTMENT AND SMALL BUSINESSES
Covid-19 Wage Supplement Scheme
IN ORDER to implement one of the Measures adopted by Government to safeguard employment in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Prime Minister, the Minister for Finance and Financial Services and the Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Businesses have developed this Scheme by virtue of which employees who are employed in those sectors of the economy which have been most significantly disrupted by the pandemic will be given a basic wage cover.
The scheme shall be effective as from the 9th March, 2020, and shall remain in effect until otherwise modified, amended or terminated by Government.
SCHEME
1. Interpretation
In this Scheme, unless the context otherwise requires:
“applicant" means an employer whose employees are engaged in a sector which is eligible for the financial assistance according to the terms and conditions established in this Scheme;
“effective date" means the 9th March, 2020;
“financial assistance" means the financial assistance being given by the Government to safeguard employment in those areas adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic according to the terms and conditions established in this Scheme;
“employee" means a person who is employed by an Applicant on a full-time or part-time basis and whose employment is duly registered with the competent authorities and who pays National Insurance contributions in Malta.
“full-time employee" means an employee whose employment is registered with the competent authorities as being on a full-time basis;
“part-time employee" means an employee whose employment is registered with the competent authorities as being on a part-time basis;
“Malta Enterprise" is the Corporation established by the Malta Enterprise Act, Cap. 463 of the Laws of Malta;
“Malta" means the Maltese Islands;
“effective period" means the period from the 9th March, 2020, until such date that this Scheme is modified, amended or terminated by Government;
“self-employed person" means a person working for oneself as a freelance, and includes persons who have their own business and who employ other people with them;
“employer" means any physical or legal person who employs people on a full-time and/or part-time basis;
“COVID Wage Supplement" means an amount paid by Government to an employee or a self-employed person according to this Scheme;
“Supertintendnet of Public Health" is the Superintendnet responsible for public health in Malta in terms of the Public Health Act, Cap. 465 of the Laws of Malta.
2. Applicability
This Scheme applies to:
(a) full-time as well as part-time employees of enterprises engaged in sectors listed in Annex A and as may be determined by Malta Enterprise, that suffered drastically due to the COVID-19 pandemic or which had to temporarily suspend their operations on the order of the Superintendent of Public Health including self-employed persons and their employees, if any; and
(b) full-time as well as part-time employees of enterprises engaged in other adversely affected sectors listed in Annex B and as may be determined by Malta Enterprise, including self-employed persons and their employees, if any.
3. Details of Scheme
3.1 Full time employees engaged in sectors that suffered drastically due to the COVID-19 pandemic or had to temporarily suspend operations on the order of the Superintendent of Public Health (listed in Annex A and as may be determined by Malta Enterprise) will be entitled to a weekly five day COVID Wage Supplement based on a monthly wage of €800. This also includes self-employed persons listed in Annex A and as may be determined by Malta Enterprise. Part-time employees will be eligible to €500 per month.
3.2 Full time employees engaged in other adversely affected sectors (listed in Annex B or as may be determined by Malta Enterprise) will be entitled to one day per week COVID Wage Supplement equivalent to €160 per month. Part-time employees will be eligible to one day's salary per week, equivalent to €100 per month. In the case of Gozo-based employees, this will increase to two days COVID Wage Supplement per week, equivalent to €320 per month for full-time employees, and €200 per month for part-time employees.
3.3 Self-employed persons in other adversely affected sectors (listed in Annex B or as may be determined by Malta Enterprise) will be entitled to one day per week COVID Wage Supplement, equivalent to €160 per month for full-time self-employed and €100 per month for part-time self-employed.
3.4 A self-employed person who also employs at least one employee and is active in other adversely affected sectors (listed in Annex B or as may be determined by Malta Enterprise) will be entitled to two days per week COVID Wage Supplement equivalent to €320 per month for a full-time self-employed person and €200 per month for a part-time self-employed person.
3.5 Self-employed persons based in Gozo operating in other adversely affected sectors (listed in Annex B or as may be determined by Malta Enterprise) will be entitled to two days COVID Wage Supplement equivalent to €320 per month for full-time self-employed persons and €200 per month for part-time self-employed persons; this will increase to a three day COVID Wage Supplement equivalent to €480 per month for full-time self-employed persons and €300 per month for part-time self-employed persons if the self-employed person employs at least one additional employee.
3.6 Applicants receiving a COVID Wage Supplement which is to be forwarded to their employees in terms of the Scheme shall be obliged, where such supplement covers only part of a working week, to guarantee a minimum income of €800 per month, inclusive of the employee's national insurance contribution, for full-time employees and a minimum income of €500 per month, inclusive of the employee's national insurance contribution, for part-time employees.
3.7 Any COVID Wage Supplement is payable for the benefit of an employee and hence an applicant cannot claim any benefit on or from the said supplement. Any further support in relation to the same employment under any other scheme related to the COVID Pandemic shall be adjusted accordingly so that assistance granted by Government shall never exceed an amount which is equal to the amount of COVID Wage Supplement being granted by Government to cover a full 5-day week. Such adjustments may be done by Malta Enterprise from subsequent disbursements of COVID Wage Supplement once the subsistence of double funding is confirmed.
3.8 The provision of a COVID Wage Supplement does not exempt the Applicant from his obligations towards his employees, as established by applicable laws and regulations.
3.9 The provision of a COVID Wage Supplement may only be awarded in respect to an employee's main source of income and may not be granted to any employee who, during the relative period, is in receipt of any retirement or services pension.
3.10 The applicant is to ensure that the provision of COVID Wage Supplement must not, at any time, result in a global salary package in excess of that employee's average basic salary for January and February, 2020. Should this occur, the applicant will be liable to effect a full or partial refund of the COVID Wage Supplement which shall be equal to the amount in excess of the employee's average salary for January and February 2020, as stated above.
4. National Insurance Contributions and Income Tax
4.1 Supplements paid are net of NI due by the employee which shall be deducted by Malta Enterprise at source. The applicant shall be obliged to pay the National Insurance contributions relative to his employees' salaries including such part of said salaries which shall comprise the COVID Wage Supplement paid in terms of this Scheme. Self-employed persons shall also be liable to pay National Insurance Contributions on the COVID Wage Supplement which they shall receive but at a reduced rate of ten per cent (10%).
4.2 The COVID Wage Supplements shall be computed as taxable income in the same way as normal income from salaries received.
5. Payment of Funds
In order to simplify administrative processes, the funds will be forwarded to applicants who will be obliged to guarantee that the COVID Wage Supplement, as established in this Scheme, is duly forwarded to the employee immediately upon receipt of such funds from Malta Enterprise and, in any case, by not later than the next salary payment due to the employee in question.
6. Manner of application and supporting documents
6.1 Application forms for this scheme will be available as from Monday, the 30th March, 2020.
6.2 Applications under this Scheme shall be made on the application form/s set out in (https://covid19.maltaenterprise.com/ ) (as may be periodically updated) and shall contain all the information, details and documents as required in the said form and in terms of this Scheme.
6.3 Applicants undertake to provide correct and precise information in the applications which they shall file in terms of this Scheme.
6.4 Applications shall be accompanied by any other document which Malta Enterprise may, from time to time, require.
7. Right to publish information
Government shall reserve the right to make public any funds forwarded to applicants under this Scheme and details of the respective applicants. This measure may be taken also in order for employees to know of their eligibility for the COVID Wage Supplement under this Scheme and to have cognizance as to whether their employer has recieved any funds from Government under this Scheme which he was obliged to forward to them.
8. Validity of application
An application shall not be deemed to have been submitted unless it is full and complete in all material respects and unless it contains all the information and is accompanied by all the documentation requested therein.
9. Appointment of Malta Enterprise
Government has appointed Malta Enterprise to manage this Scheme on its behalf.
Malta Enterprise shall be entrusted to procees the applications, to carry out any checks and verifications whch may be necessary, to share any data submitted in the application forms with other public entities and authorities, to recover any payment of funds made in error or on the basis of false, incorrect or incomplete information, to make any necessary adjustments as a result of double funding and to request the institution of criminal procedures against any person who submits false information and/or fails to forward funds received under this Scheme to his employees as he is obliged to do in terms of this Scheme.
10. Offences
The attention of all applicants is drawn to the fact that it is a criminal offence:
(i) to submit applications containing false information; and/or
(ii) to hold on to funds forwarded under this Scheme with the obligation that such funds are forwarded to one's employees in terms of this Scheme.
11. Amendments to Scheme
Government shall have the right to adjust or modify, at any time, the terms and conditions under which supplements are granted.
13th April, 2020
