Government Notices published in Govt. Gazette No. 20,511 of 3 November 2020

The Environment and Planning Review Tribunal

IN terms of Article 4 of the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal Act, the President of Malta has appointed the following person to serve on the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal for a period of five years with effect from 6th October, 2020, as follows:

Member

Ms Samaria Bezzina

IT is notified for general information that the following Legal Notices were published in the Supplement to the Government Gazette No. 20,505 of the 26th October, 2020, and No. 20,510 of the 30th October, 2020, respectively.

L.N. 407 of 2020: Public Health Act (Cap. 465); Organised Public Mass Events (Amendment No. 6) Regulations, 2020.

L.N. 408 of 2020: Public Health Act (Cap. 465); Number of Persons in Public Spaces (Amendment No. 2) Regulations, 2020.

L.N. 409 of 2020: Conduct Certificates Ordinance (Cap. 77); Conduct Certificates Ordinance (Amendment No. 2) Regulations, 2020.

L.N. 410 of 2020: Immigration Act (Cap. 217); Common Standards and Procedures for returning Illegally StayingThird-Country Nationals Regulations (Amendment) Regulations, 2020.

IT is hereby notified for general information that the following person has been appointed Deputy Executive Secretary of that Local Council with effect from 1st November, 2020:

Local Council Deputy Executive Secretary

Żebbuġ                                    Micheline Cutajar

Notice in terms of Article 61(1)

In Terms of the proviso to article 61(1) of the Duty on Documents and Transfers Act, the Commissioner for Revenue hereby notifies the persons listed hereunder to call at the Capital Transfer Duty Department, 46, Triq il-Merkanti,  Valletta, to collect the notices made on such persons.

THE Commissioner of Police, in terms of articles 7 and 8 of the Private Guards and Community Officers Act 1996, hereby notifies that the following applications as mentioned hereunder have been received:

Application for licence of a Private Guard

Any person may, within one month from the publication of this notice, object in writing to the Commissioner about the issue of the above licences on any of the grounds listed in section 10 of the Private Guards and Local Wardens Act, which are:

(a) where the applicant or any officer of the applicant or any person who has an effective control of the services to be provided by the applicant.

(i) has been convicted in Malta or elsewhere of any crime against the safety of the state, or of any crime of voluntary harm or injury to any person or any crime against property or public trust or any other serious crime; or

(ii) has been declared bankrupt or his financial position is precarious or otherwise renders the applicant unsuitable; or

(iii) has been discharged from the Police or Armed Forces or the prison services because of any offence or other misbehaviour; or

(iv) is a public officer or a member of the police or armed forces or the prison services; or

(b) when information is available which is in the public interest; or

(c) where the applicant does not possess the necessary qualifications as may be prescribed by or under the Act.

Refund Grant on the deposit paid for postponement or adaptation of Weddings/Civil Union Ceremonies

WITH reference to Government Notice number 921, published in Government Gazette number 20,458 of 10th August 2020, the grant scheme 'Refund Grant on the deposit paid for postponement of Weddings/Civil Union Ceremonies' is being amended as follows.

As part of the Government Economic Recovery Plan in order to alleviate the unprecedented difficulties which some couples were faced with,  due to the Covid-19 outbreak the Minister for Finance and Financial Services has made the following scheme, whereby couples who had to postpone or adapt their wedding due to the restrictions caused by Covid-19 will get reimbursed for their forfeited deposits.

1. Interpretation

In this scheme, unless the context otherwise requires:

 'eligible applicants' means:

a) a couple who got married or entered a civil union, in terms of the relative provisions of the Civil Code (Cap. 16);

b) whose wedding/civil union ceremony was originally due to be held between 8th March, 2020, and 31st December, 2020, and had to be postponed or adapted due to Covid-19 outbreak, as proven by the submitted documentation;

c) due to postponement or adaptation of their wedding/civil union ceremony they had to forfeit the deposit paid on goods and services relating to their wedding/civil union ceremony as proven by the documentation.

'application' means an application made for a grant under this scheme;

'effective date' means 8th March, 2020;

'Malta' means the islands of Malta;

'Member State' means a Member State of the European Union;

'European Union' has the same meaning as is assigned to it by article 2 of the European Union Act (Cap. 460), and includes Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein;

'forfeited deposit' means deposit paid to supplier/ service provider for the supply of goods and services relating to a marriage/civil union ceremony, which deposit was charged by the supplier/service provider, subsequent to the postponement or adaptation of the marriage/civil union ceremony due to Covid-19 restrictions.

'goods and services relating to the postponement or adaptation of weddings/civil union ceremonies' means the goods and services specified in the First Schedule to this scheme;

'person residing in Malta' means a natural person who either holds a legally valid identification document issued in terms of the Identity Card and other Documents Act (Cap. 258) or who has a residence permit or equivalent documentation issued by the national competent authority;

'fiscal receipt' means a receipt as defined in the Thirteenth Schedule to the Value Added Tax Act (Cap. 406), as subsequently amended, and also includes any regulation made under the same Act;

'marriage/civil union ceremony' means a ceremony where two people are united in marriage/a civil union in terms of the relative provisions of the Civil Code (Cap. 16).

2. Area of applicability

a) This scheme applies to expenditure incurred by eligible applicants due to forfeited deposit paid for the supply of goods and services relating to their marriage/civil union ceremony, which had to be postponed or adapted due to Covid-19 restrictions;

b) The postponed/ adapted marriage/ civil union ceremony was held/ subsequently held, which function was performed in Malta and where, on the date of marriage/civil union, at least one of the applicants is a person residing in Malta.

3. Expenditure to be reported

The expenditure to be reported is in respect to the deposit paid and forfeited due to wedding/ civil union postponement or adaptation for the supply of goods and services indicated in the First Schedule to this scheme.

4. Manner of application and supporting documents

 Applications under this scheme shall be made only via the official electronic portal/s which may be indicated from time to time for this purpose.

For this purpose, the applicant shall furnish the details of the receipt of the deposit paid and details of the final fiscal receipt of goods and service provided, for the actual wedding/civil union ceremony held/subsequently held and any further documentation required to be submitted as required on the indicated portal.

Provided that, the below listed documentation are kept by the applicant for a period of not less than two years from the date of application and produced upon request to the Office of the Commissioner for Revenue for verification purposes:

a) copy of the original invoices and the receipt of the deposit paid;

b) copy of final fiscal receipt of goods and service provided, for the actual wedding/civil union ceremony held/subsequently held;

c) where applicable, a copy of the original contracts and subsequent amendments;

d) declaration of the vendor/service provider that he kept original deposit.

Failure to produce any such documents upon request, the applicant will be obliged to refund the amount paid under the scheme and in the case of a fraudulent application criminal action in terms of the Criminal Code (Cap. 9) will be taken against him.

Only those applications that are found to conform to the provisions of this Scheme shall be eligible for payment of the grant referred to in section 5 of this scheme.

Applications under this scheme, including the details of documents required, should be submitted by not later than six months (180 days) from the date of the marriage/civil union ceremony. Applications received 'late', that is after the six-month period, shall be deemed to be invalid applications.

5. Grant payable under the scheme

Eligible applicants may apply for a once-only grant of a maximum of €2,000 reimbursing forfeited deposit paid due to postponement or adaptation of wedding/ Civil union ceremony due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

6. Payment of grant

The grant will be credited to the bank account indicated by the applicant in the application.

7.Validity of application

An application shall not be deemed to be valid unless:

a) it is full and complete in all material aspects;

b) it is accompanied by all the relevant documentation or details as required;

c) is furnished to the Office of the Commissioner for Revenue by not later than six months from the date of the wedding/civil union ceremony as is stipulated in Section 4 of this scheme.

8. Duration of the scheme

This scheme shall remain in force, for a definite duration, that will commence from the effective date and end once the allocation of €2 million is exhausted, unless this scheme is not modified/terminated by means of a Notice in the Government Gazette.

9. Amendments to the scheme

The Minister for Finance and Financial Services reserves the right to make any amendments to this scheme by the publication of the said amendments in the Government Gazette.

10. Transitory Provisions

Applications made under this scheme relating to the expenditure incurred by eligible applicants, on the deposit of supply of goods and services relating to their wedding/civil union ceremony, which original function was held/ was due to be held between the effective date and the date of publication of this Notice, shall be deemed to be valid applications under this scheme.

FIRST SCHEDULE

Categories of supplies of goods and services connected with weddings/civil union ceremonies.

Clause 3

1. Hairdresser – Beautician – Make-up artist

2. Bridal/Partner wear including bridesmaids/pageboys

3. Hire of suits: bridegroom/partner, witnesses, best man, ushers, etc.

4. Bridal/Partner car and other chauffeur hired cars

5. Flowers and floral arrangements

6. Audio visual services: video-audio recordings – photography

7. Services of singer/choir/musicians at wedding /civil union ceremony

8. Services of singers/musicians/bands disco at wedding/ civil union reception

9. Hire of wedding/civil union reception venue

10. Catering, beverages and waiter services at wedding/ civil union reception

11. Services of an event organiser

12. Other expenses – souvenirs, invites, etc.

THE Commissioner of Inland Revenue notifies that, on the date shown hereunder, the price of gold and silver on which valuations made by the Consul for Goldsmiths and Silversmiths are based has been fixed for the purposes of article 14 of the said Act as follows: