Gutenberg will be investing in a new €7 million factory in Bulebel, Economy Minister Silvio Schembri was told on Friday during an on-site visit.
The investment is being supported by INDIS Malta, the entity responsible for the administration of government-owned industrial parks and related facilities.
Director Boleslav Spiteri said Gutenberg planned on developing the site to meet the needs of a modern packaging facility, which would allow the company to operate and compete in an ever-complex and competitive market.
“Such projects require more space especially because work is bulky and requires a substantial amount of space. The investment is estimated to be over €7 million split between the construction of the site and new machinery.
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Photo: Air Malta
The Government’s request for the European Commission’s blessing of a state aid package for Air Malta is set to be formalised by the end of March, according to Finance Minister Clyde Caruana.
Caruana, who was addressing a query made by Government MP Jean Claude Micallef during question time on Monday, highlighted that every airline has faced financial difficulties as a result of the pandemic.
Last October, Economy Minister Silvio Schembri – Air Malta was then his political responsibility – confirmed that Malta was seeking to provide a “substantial” amount of state aid to Air Malta.
While Air Malta can no longer benefit from state aid in its ongoing restructuring programme under EU state aid rules seeking to ensure fair competition within the bloc, these rules have been temporarily relaxed in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
All remaining renovation works in the Ta Qali Crafts Village are to start in June and works will be completed by the end of this year, Economy Minister Silvio Schembri has announced.
He said the project, which has been promised over the past 30 years, is at its final advanced stage.
“We are working for a high standard craft village, which will be full of life, encourage more economic activity and showcase the work of these artisans,” the minister said, on a visit to the site.
Only 19 of the 70 artisanal workshops are currently completed and are operating. Eight workshops are being constructed.
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Miguela Xuereb
Finance Minister Clyde Caruana confirmed that he sent the state aid plan for Air Malta drawn up under Economy Minister Silvio Schembri back to the drawing board, with the original plan apparently deemed unsatisfactory by the European Commission.
Caruana was addressing a query made during question time on Tuesday by Nationalist Party MP Claudio Grech, a day after he said that he was hoping to present a state aid plan for the Commissionâs approval by the end of March.
But Grech highlighted that last October, Schembri â then the minister responsible for the national airline â had announced that the government would be seeking approval for a âsubstantialâ state aid plan within days, and that international experts would be brought in to assist. The MP thus asked Caruana to explain what has happened since.
A company offering helicopter commercial flight operations and maintenance services in Malta plans to offer job opportunities to students specialising in helicopter engineering, maintenance, and operations, economy ministry Silvio Schembri said on Tuesday.
He was speaking at the premises of Gulf Med Aviation Services at Safi, where he said that further talks shall be pursued for MCAST and University of Malta to offer engineering students additional specialised training units that focus on helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services.
Schembri said that despite a challenging scenario due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the time is ripe to map out a holistic approach for the aviation industry, an approach which will enable it to get back on its feet .