Government Notices published in Government Gazette No. 21,403 of 7th March 2025

It is notified for general information that the President of Malta has resumed the functions of the Office of the President on Thursday, 6th March, 2025.

​Dr Francis Zammit Dimech has ceased to perform the function of President.

IT is notified for general information that, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister, the President of Malta has directed that the Hon. Ian Borg, LLB, Dip. Not. Pub., LLD, MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, assumes the additional duties of the Prime Minister, on Thursday, 6th March, 2025, during the absence from Malta of the Hon. Robert Abela, KUOM, BA, LLD, Adv. Trib. Melit., MP.

​Appointment of Commissioner for Children

In Exercise of the powers conferred by section 3 (1) of the Commissioner for Children Act (Cap. 462), and for the purpose of that Act, the Prime Minister has appointed Ms Antoinette Vassallo as Commissioner for Children, with effect from 1st February, 2025 until 4th March, 2026.

IT is notified for general information that the following Bill is published in the Supplement to this Gazette:

Bill No. 128 entitled the Various Laws relating to Cannabis Activities (Amendment) Act, 2025.

IT is notified that in exercise of such powers as provided by Article 3 of the Commissioners for Oaths Ordinance (Cap. 79) the Minister for Justice and Reform of the Construction Sector appointed as Commissioners for Oaths, in the performance of their duties and for as long as they remain in such office, the undermentioned:

Persons who perform functions relating to the foreign service of the Government outside Malta

Cachia, Mr Stephen – Senior Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of Malta, Lisbon, The Portuguese Republic

Formosa, Ms Fiona Jayne ‒ Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of Malta, Dublin, Ireland

Vella, Mr Bernard ‒ First Secretary, Embassy of the Republic of Malta, Brasilia, The Federative Republic of Brazil

Public Officers/Public Employees

Gerada, Sergeant Dylan ‒ Malta Police Force

Mifsud, Inspector Chantelle ‒ Malta Police Force

Advocates

Darmanin, Dr Andrea

Magri, Dr Julia

Muscat, Dr Claudia

Rausi, Dr Sarah Jane

By Authority

Jonathan Attard

Minister for Justice and Reform of the Construction Sector

THE Permanent Secretary in the Ministry for Health and Active Ageing has approved the following acting appointment:

Notice in terms of Article 29 of the Income Tax Management Act (Cap. 372) and Article 73(2) Value Added Tax Act (Cap. 406)

In terms of the proviso to Article 29(1) of the Income Tax Management Act and/or Article 73(2) of the Value Added Tax Act, the Commissioner for Tax and Customs hereby notifies the person listed hereunder to call at the Malta Tax and Customs Administration, Objections and Appeals Directorate, Block 1, Triq Vincenzo Dimech, Floriana FRN 1700, by not later than thirty days from the date of this publication to collect the notice/s issued on such person.

NameReference

Mr Darren Steven Formosa    MT2468-0307

Mr Joseph Casha                    757858M

Notice by the Registrar for Legal Persons

Notice is hereby given by the Registrar for Legal Persons in terms of subsection (2) of Section 68 of the Second Schedule to the Civil Code, that the undermentioned organisations shall be struck off the register at the expiration of three months from the date of this notice, unless cause is previously shown to the contrary.

The remaining assets of the undermentioned organisations shall devolve in accordance with the provisions of the statute or in the absence of such statute, in accordance with the provisions of the Second Schedule to the Civil Code as would occur on dissolution, once their names are struck off the register.

NameRegistration number

MOJ FOUNDATION                                                  PFLP 133

Dr Geraldine A. Spiteri Lucas, LLD

Registrar for Legal Persons

Government Grant Scheme, including Scrappage Scheme, for the purchase of new or used Plug-in Hybrid vehicles and used electric vehicles in Category M and N, and the conversion of bicycles to pedelecs, for Persons, Local Councils, Voluntary Organisations and Undertakings

The scheme will enter into force on the 1st of January, 2025, and will remain in force until 31st December 2025, unless modified or terminated beforehand by a Notice in the Government Gazette. This scheme, which shall only cater for applications received by Transport Malta that could not benefit from the similar scheme that was in place in 2022, shall be considered as terminated when the allocated budget is exhausted. Notwithstanding, Government may terminate the scheme at any time by giving prior notice.

In terms of the provisions of paragraph 9 of the Government Notice No. 1746 published in the Government Gazette No. 20,980 dated 23rd December, 2022, the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Public Works is making the following amendments to the Scheme:

1. Paragraph 2.9 of the Scheme shall be deleted and substituted by the following new sub-paragraph:

“2.9 In the case of applications for a grant under this scheme by undertakings established in Malta or Voluntary Organisation that carry out an economic activity within the meaning of Article 107 TFEU, assistance will be provided in line with one of the following de minimis regulations:

a) For undertakings that are active in the primary production of agricultural products: Commission Regulation (EU) No. 1408/2013 of 18 December 2013 on the application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to de minimis aid in the agriculture sector (OJ L 352/9, 24.12.2013), amended by Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/316 of 21 February 2019 amending Regulation (EU) No. 1408/2013 on the application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to de minimis aid in the agriculture sector (OJ L 51I, 22.2.2019), by Commission Regulation (EU) No. 2023/2391 of 4 October 2023 amending Regulations (EU) No. 717/2014, (EU) No 1407/2013, (EU) No. 1408/2013 and (EU) No. 360/2012 as regards de minimis aid for the processing and marketing of fishery and aquaculture products, and Regulation (EU) No. 717/2014 as regards the total amount of de minimis aid granted to a single undertaking, its period of application and other matters (OJ L, 2023/2391, 05.10.2023) and by Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/3118 of 10 December 2024 amending Regulation (EU) No. 1408/2013 on the application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to de minimis aid in the agriculture sector (OJ L, 2024/3118, 13.12.2024);

b) For undertakings that are active in the primary production of fishery and aquaculture products: Commission Regulation (EU) No. 717/2014 of 27 June 2014 on the application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to de minimis aid in the fishery and aquaculture sector (OJ L 190/45, 28.6.2014), as amended by Commission Regulation (EU) 2020/2008 of 8 December 2020 amending Regulations (EU) No. 702/2014, (EU) No 717/2014 and (EU) No. 1388/2014, as regards their period of application and other relevant adjustments (OJ L 414/15, 9.12.2020), by Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/2514 of 14 December 2022 amending Regulation (EU) No 717/2014 as regards its period of application (OJ L 326, 21.12.2022) and by Commission Regulation (EU) No. 2023/2391 of 4 October 2023 amending Regulations (EU) No. 717/2014, (EU) No. 1407/2013, (EU) No. 1408/2013 and (EU) No. 360/2012 as regards de minimis aid for the processing and marketing of fishery and aquaculture products, and Regulation (EU) No. 717/2014 as regards the total amount of de minimis aid granted to a single undertaking, its period of application and other matters (OJ L, 2023/2391, 05.10.2023);

​c) For undertakings that are active in all other sectors: Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2831 of 13 December 2023 on the application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to de minimis aid (OJ L, 2023/2831, 15.12.2023).

The total amount of de minimis aid granted to a single undertaking must not exceed the thresholds established in the applicable de minimis Regulation outlined above. The applicable de minimis thresholds are as follows:

a) For undertakings active in the primary production of agricultural products, the total amount of de minimis aid granted to a single undertaking shall not exceed €50,000 over any period of three years;

​b) For undertakings active in the primary production of fishery and aquaculture products, the total amount of de minimis aid granted to a single undertaking shall not exceed €30,000 over any period of three fiscal years;

c) For all other undertakings, the total amount of de minimis aid shall not exceed €300,000 per single undertaking over any period of three years.

This maximum threshold would include all State aid granted under this aid scheme and any other State aid measure granted under the de minimis Regulation including that received and/or applied for from any entity other than Transport Malta over a period of three years established according to the applicable de minimis Regulation. Any de minimis aid received in excess of the established applicable threshold will have to be recovered, with interest, from the undertaking receiving the aid.

All applicants that carry out an economic activity within the meaning of Article 107 TFEU are to fill in and submit, together with the application form, a signed de minimis declaration form indicating all undertakings forming part of the single undertaking related to the applicant undertaking, and any de minimis aid received and/or applied for by the single undertaking during the applicable three-year period established according to the applicable de minimis Regulation. This declaration shall also be signed and confirmed by a warranted auditor or accountant."

2. Immediately after sub-paragraph 3.1.3 of the Scheme, there shall be added the following new sub-paragraph:

“3.1.4 A buyer who had placed an order to purchase an eligible vehicle under the Scheme with a seller by not later than the 31st of May, 2022, shall have the right to cancel such order and place another order with another seller within the same parameters:

Provided that such buyer shall be obliged to procure the written consent of the first seller for the cancellation of the original order". 

3. Paragraph 7 of the Scheme shall be amended as follows:

(i) Immediately after sub-paragraph 7.1 of the Scheme there shall be added the following two new sub-paragraphs:

“7.2 The refund referred to in sub-paragraph 7.1 shall not be due in the following circumstances:

(i) When the transfer involves a plugin hybrid vehicle purchased under this grant which is declared to be beyond economical repair following an accident or for any other reason, and is replaced by a new plugin hybrid vehicle;

(ii) When the transfer involves a plugin hybrid vehicle purchased under this grant which is returned to the original seller for any reason, and where the seller accepts to replace the said plugin hybrid vehicle with a new plugin hybrid vehicle or electric vehicle:

Provided that in the circumstances referred to in sub-paragraphs (i) and (ii), the conditions related to this grant shall be transferred to the plugin hybrid or electric vehicle replacing the original one and the three-year period referred to in sub-paragraph 7.1 shall be reckoned from the date of registration of the original new plugin hybrid vehicle;

(iii) When a vehicle registered in the name of a single undertaking is transferred to another undertaking within the same single undertaking;

(iv) When a vehicle registered in the name of an undertaking is transferred to another undertaking in which a shareholder of the transferor undertaking holds a majority shareholding and controlling interest; and

(v) When a vehicle registered in the name of an undertaking is transferred to the name of a shareholder who has a majority shareholding and controlling interest in that undertaking.

7.3 When a plugin hybrid vehicle purchased under this grant is, for any reason, returned to the seller, and the seller does not replace it with a new plugin hybrid vehicle but refunds the applicant with all or part of the price paid for the new plugin hybrid vehicle, or replaces it with a vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine, the applicant shall refund part of the grant received for the new plugin hybrid vehicle depending on the period which would have elapsed from the date of purchase of the vehicle and the date of its return to the seller, which refund is to be calculated as follows:

a) Less than 12 months: 75%;

b) More than 12 months but less than 24 months: 50%;

c) More than 24 months but less than 36 months: 25%."

(ii) Sub-paragraph 7.2 shall be renumbered as sub-paragraph 7.4.

4. Sub-Paragraph 8.1 of the Scheme shall be deleted and substituted by the following new sub-paragraph:

“8.1. The grants for the registration of new or used Plugin Hybrid Vehicle or Used Electric Vehicles, listed in Table 1 of Annex A, shall remain into force as follows:

Grants 1 to 7: until the 31st of May 2022 provided that eligibility to the Grants shall be guaranteed for all Plugin Hybrid vehicles ordered by the 31st of May 2022, even if they are registered in 2023, 2024 or 2025 as long as the respective vehicle importers included such vehicles in a list submitted to Transport Malta by not later than the 3rd of June 2022 along with:

copies of the relevant receipts of deposits, orders or contracts;

name, address and ID card number of the prospective buyers;

vehicle make and model, EU category and fuel type; and

indication of whether the buyers intend to opt for the scrappage scheme.

Provided that any vehicle which, for any reason, was not purchased by the person who originally ordered it and which was included in the list of vehicles submitted to Transport Malta by vehicle importers by not later than the 3rd June 2022, may be sold to a different buyer and will be eligible for the Government Grant as prescribed in Government Notice No. 1746 published in the Government Gazette No. 20,980 dated 23rd December 2022."; 

Save for the above, all other provisions stipulated in the Scheme shall remain firm, valid and unimpaired.

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:

State Aid for an Agroforestry Scheme for Land Farmers

The Agriculture and Rural Payments Agency (ARPA), within the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights (MAFA), informs eligible farmers that it is extending the deadline for the submission of applications under the Agroforestry Scheme. In this regard, applications will continue to be accepted until the new deadline date, that is, until Wednesday 2nd of April, 2025. Applications submitted after this date will not be accepted.

Application Process

Applicants must indicate the parcels they wish to commit to the scheme by:

Providing the parcel identification number;

Marking the boundaries of the parcel on a site plan supplied by ARPA's Front Office.

Applications must be completed and signed in person at one of the following locations:

ARPA Front Office, Pitkali Markets, Ta' Qali, l/o Ħ'Attard

Gozo Front Office, Government Experimental Farm, Triq l-Imġarr, Xewkija

For more information one may:

Access the detailed guidance notes available on the Agency's website (https://arpa.gov.mt/)

Call ARPA's Front Office on 2292 6148 (Malta)

Send an email to (arpa.mafa@gov.mt)