Government Notices published in Government Gazette No. 21,447 of 30th May 2025

IN exercise of the powers conferred by Article 91A(1) and by Article 124 (5) (a) of the Constitution of Malta, the President of Malta, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister, has approved the appointment as Acting State Advocate, of Dr Andria Buhagiar, Deputy State Advocate, with effect from 2nd June, 2025 until 4th June, 2025.

IT is notified for general information that the Hon. Robert Abela, KUOM, BA, LLD, Adv. Trib. Melit., MP, resumed duties as Prime Minister on Thursday, 29th May, 2025, and that the arrangements made by Government Notice No. 836 of the 28th May, 2025 ceased to have effect accordingly.

It is notified for general information that the Prime Minister has approved the appointment of the Board of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, as follows:

President

Mr George Borg

Members

Mr Emanuel k/a Noel Abela

Ms Sharon Bond

Dr Karen Carachi

Ms Marietta Cassar

Ms Amanda Grech

Mr Saviour Grima

Mr Nicholas Saliba

Mr Stephen Rizzo

These appointments are for a period of one year with effect from 23rd May, 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

Camenzuli, Mr Gabriel ‒ Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Malta to the United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland

Fenech, Mr Mark ‒ Second Secretary, Embassy of the Republic of Malta, Beijing, The People's Republic of China

Ghigo, Mr Albert ‒ Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Malta to the United Nations, New York, The United States

Sacco, Ms Mariel ‒ First Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of Malta, Dublin, Republic of Ireland

Public Officers/Public Employees

Zerafa, Ms Denise ‒  Executive Officer, Gozo Public Registry, Identità

Advocates

Micallef Formosa, Dr Sabrina

Legal Procurators

Camilleri, Mr Paul

 By Authority

Jonathan Attard

Minister for Justice and Reform of the Construction Sector

Government Grant on the purchase of Bicycles, on the conversion of Bicycles to Pedelecs, and the Installation of Bicycle Racks and/or Ancillary Facilities and/or Repair Stations

The Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Public Works, together with the Authority for Transport in Malta (Transport Malta) is publishing a financial grant scheme aimed at promoting physical activity and active mobility through the following initiatives:

1. The purchase of one bicycle by persons residing in Malta;

2. The purchase of bicycles by undertakings established in Malta, Voluntary Organisations, and entities with the intention of offering them for hire;

3. The conversion of bicycles to pedelecs by persons residing in Malta or undertakings established in Malta or Local Councils or entities or Voluntary Organisations;

4. The installation of bicycle racks and/or ancillary facilities and/or repair stations by undertakings established in Malta, Voluntary Organisations, entities, and Local Councils.

The scheme is effective as of 1st of January 2025 and closes on 31st of December 2025, or until the allocated budget of two hundred thousand Euro (€200,000) is exhausted.  

The grants in this scheme shall be assigned on a first-come-first-served basis.

The Scheme

1. Interpretation

For the purpose of this scheme, unless the context otherwise requires:

1.1. 'Applicant' means any:

person residing in Malta who purchases a bicycle;

undertaking established in Malta, voluntary organisation, or entity that purchases one or more bicycles with the intention to offer them for hire;

person residing in Malta, undertaking established in Malta, voluntary organisation, entity or Local Council that converts a bicycle to pedelec;

undertaking established in Malta, voluntary organisation, entity or Local Council that installs one or more bicycle racks and/or ancillary equipment and/or repair station within a public location or within the premises of the applicant;

1.2. 'Application' means the application made for a grant under this scheme;

1.3. 'Authority' means the Authority for Transport in Malta set up under the provisions of the Authority for Transport in Malta Act (Cap. 499 of the Laws of Malta);

1.4. 'Entity' means an entity established in Malta which is neither a business undertaking nor a voluntary organisation and which is not controlled directly or indirectly by the Government of Malta or funded through public funds, such as private and church schools;

1.5. 'Grant' means the grant being given under this scheme to an applicant that satisfies the requirements of section 4;

1.6. 'Undertaking established in Malta' means a commercial entity established in Malta, including a self-employed person in accordance with National Law, a foundation or a cooperative society;

1.7. 'Single undertaking' means, for the purposes of this scheme, all enterprises having at least one of the following relationships with each other:

a) one enterprise has a majority of the shareholders' or members' voting rights in another enterprise;

b) one enterprise has the right to appoint or remove a majority of the members of the administrative, management or supervisory body of another enterprise;

c) one enterprise has the right to exercise a dominant influence over another enterprise pursuant to a contract entered with that enterprise or pursuant to a provision in its memorandum or articles of association;

d) one enterprise, which is a shareholder in or member of another enterprise, controls alone, pursuant to an agreement with other shareholders in or members of that enterprise, a majority of shareholders' or members' voting rights in that enterprise.

Enterprises having any of the relationships referred to in points (a) to (d) above through one or more other enterprises shall also be considered to be a single undertaking;

1.8. 'Fiscal receipt' means a receipt as defined in the Thirteenth Schedule to the Value Added Tax Act (Cap. 406 of the Laws of Malta), and also includes any regulation made by the same Act;

1.9. 'Local Council' means a local council established under the Local Government Act (Cap. 363 of the Laws of Malta);

1.10. 'Malta' means the Maltese Islands;

1.11. 'Capital expenditure' means expenditure related to the purchase and installation of bicycle racks and/or ancillary facilities and/or repair stations;

1.12. 'Voluntary Organisation' has the same meaning given to it in the Voluntary Organisations Act (Cap. 492 of the Laws of Malta);

1.13. 'Person' means a natural person and does not include any organisational entity;

1.14. 'Person residing in Malta' means a person who either holds a legally valid identification document issued in terms of the Identity Card and other Identity Documents Act (Cap. 258 of the Laws of Malta) or who has a residence permit, or a letter issued from the expatriate office at the Ministry for Home Affairs, Security, and Employment;

1.15. 'Pedelec' means a pedal electric bicycle whose electric motor is activated as soon as the rider starts pedalling and is deactivated as soon as the rider stops pedalling, and which can reach a maximum speed of 25km/h;

1.16. 'Purchase price of the bicycle' means the total purchase price of the complete bicycle including VAT, as shown on fiscal receipt, however excluding any additional parts or accessories and which purchase price have been paid in full by the applicant prior to applying for this grant.

1.17. 'Bicycle' means any bicycle that is not a motor-powered bicycle;

1.18. 'Bicycle racks' means facilities for short-term or long-term bicycle parking as defined in the guidelines that are intended as instructions for purchase and installation of bicycle racks and/or ancillary facilities and/or repair stations;

1.19. 'Repair station' means a stand-alone unit equipped with the tools needed to fix, tune and repair the most common mechanical problems with bicycles;

1.20. 'Ancillary equipment' means equipment, buildings, structures, repair kits and improvements that expand the comfort and safety necessary to support the use of a bicycle as a means of transportation;

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

2. Area of applicability

2.1. This scheme for a financial grant applies as explained hereunder.

2.2. One-Time Grant for the purchase of bicycles by persons residing in Malta

2.2.1. This one-time grant applies to the expenditure incurred by persons residing in Malta on the purchase price of a bicycle, which bicycle is purchased by the applicant during the duration of this scheme.

2.3. Grant for the purchase of bicycles with the intention of being offered for hire

2.3.1. This grant applies to the expenditure incurred by undertakings established in Malta, Voluntary Organisations, and entities on the purchase price of one or more bicycles intended to be offered for hire, which bicycle, or bicycles, are purchased by the applicant during the duration of this scheme.

2.4. Grant for conversion of a bicycle to a Pedelec

2.4.1. This grant applies to persons residing in Malta, undertakings established in Malta, Voluntary Organisations, Local Councils or Entities that convert a bicycle to a pedelec.

2.5. Grant for the installation of bicycle racks and/or ancillary equipment and/or repair station in public locations or within the premises of the applicant

2.5.1. This grant applies to the capital expenditure incurred by undertakings established in Malta, voluntary organisations, entities, or Local Councils, for the installation of bicycle racks and/or ancillary equipment and/or repair stations within public locations or within the applicant's premises which shall be made available for public use free of charge , which installation must be approved by the Authority in terms of Section 3.4.3 during the duration of this scheme.

2.5.2. Prior to purchasing and installing the bicycle racks and/or ancillary facilities and/or repair stations, the applicant must read and follow the guidelines that provide the applicable specifications and instructions. These guidelines are accessible from the page dedicated to this scheme in Transport Malta's website (www.transport.gov.mt);

2.6. State Aid Regulations

In the case of grant applications under this scheme by undertakings, or voluntary organisations and  entities that carry out an economic activity within the meaning of Article 107 TFEU, assistance will be provided in line with 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 €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 implemented in line with the de minimis rule, including that received from any Maltese entity other than Transport Malta, over a rolling period of three years. Any de minimis aid received in excess of the established 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 any de minimis aid received and/or applied for by the single undertaking during the applicable three-year reference period. The information to be provided shall include details regarding de minimis aid received and/or applied for, by all undertakings forming part of the single undertaking related to the applicant undertaking. This declaration shall also be signed and confirmed by a warranted auditor or accountant.

As of 1st January, 2026, information on de minimis aid granted in line with this scheme, shall be made publicly available in the central register at national or Union Level. 

The following information shall be made public:

a) the identification of the beneficiary, 

b) the aid amount, 

c) the granting date, 

d) the aid instrument, and 

e) the sector involved on the basis of the statistical classification of economic activities in the Union ('NACE classification').

3. Manner of application and supporting documents

3.1. One-Time Grant for the purchase of bicycles by persons residing in Malta

3.1.1. An application for this grant must be made through the application form VEH080 in compliance with any conditions stipulated therein.

3.1.2. Applications under this grant, including the necessary documents, must be submitted no later than three months from the date of purchase of the bicycle.

3.1.3. Applications submitted after these three months will be considered as invalid applications.

3.2. Grant for the purchase of bicycles with the intention of being offered for hire

3.2.1. An application for this grant must be made through the application form VEH080 in compliance with any conditions stipulated therein.

3.2.2. Applications under this grant, including the necessary documents, must be submitted no later than three months from the date of purchase of the bicycle.

3.2.3. Applications submitted after these three months will be considered as invalid applications.

3.3. Conversion of a bicycle to a pedelec

3.3.1. An application for a grant for the conversion of a bicycle to a pedelec shall be made by the owner by submitting paper application form VEH080 along with any information, details and documents required therein. The owner of the bicycle shall be considered as the ultimate applicant in terms of this grant. Applications shall be accompanied by a report issued, signed, and stamped by a warranted engineer certifying that the converted bicycle complies with EN Standard 15194:2017, or equivalent.

3.4. Grant for the installation of bicycle racks and/or ancillary equipment and/or repair stations in public locations or within the premises of the applicant

3.4.1. An application for this grant shall be done in two stages.

3.4.2. Stage 1: Before affecting any procurement and installation, Section A of application form VEH081 shall be submitted, duly filled, and containing all the information, details and documents as required in the said form. The street furniture permit referred to in 4.5.3.1 shall be submitted as supporting documentation with this application.

3.4.3. Once the applicant receives a written approval of the grant from the Authority, the procurement and installation of the bicycle racks and/or ancillary equipment and/or repair station may start.

3.4.4. The Authority shall not be held responsible for any expenditure incurred by any applicant unless this is done following a written approval issued by the Authority in accordance with section 3.4.3 and in line with the information included in the application to which this approval is related.

3.4.5. Stage 2: Following the complete installation of the bicycle racks and/or ancillary equipment and/or repair stations, Section B of application form VEH081 shall be submitted, duly filled, and containing all the information, details and documents as required in the said form.

3.5. Submission of applications under this scheme

3.5.1. Electronic applications under this scheme, where applicable, together with all the relevant documents, shall be submitted through the e-form accessible from the information page about this scheme in the Land Transport section of Transport Malta's website.

3.5.2. Paper applications under this scheme, together with all the relevant documents, shall be submitted by the applicant during working days between 7.30 a.m. and 1.00 p.m. or mailed to Transport Malta's Driver and Vehicle Licensing Unit (DVLU) at:

a) Level 1, A3 Towers, Arcade Street, Paola PLA1212; or

b) Malta Transport Centre, Pantar Road, Ħal Lija LJA2021; or

c) Licensing and Testing Services Gozo Directorate, St. Francis Square, Victoria, Gozo.

4. Eligibility

4.1. To be eligible, an applicant shall conform with Section 2.

4.2. One-Time Grant for the purchase of bicycles by persons residing in Malta

4.2.1. To qualify, the vehicle must be a bicycle, as defined in this document, that the applicant purchased new from the manufacturer, or the manufacturer's agent or representative.

4.2.2. An applicant will be entitled to one (1) grant under this scheme and under all schemes for the purchase of a bicycle issued in previous years.

4.3. Grant for the purchase of bicycles with the intention of being offered for hire

4.3.1. To qualify, the vehicle must be a bicycle, as defined in this document, that the applicant purchased new from the manufacturer, or the manufacturer's agent or representative.

4.3.2. An applicant will be entitled to fifty (50) grants under this scheme.

4.4. Conversion of bicycles to pedelecs

4.4.1. To qualify for the scheme for the conversion of bicycles to pedelecs, the converted bicycle shall comply with EN Standard 15194:2017, or an equivalent standard. Where an equivalent standard is quoted, the applicant shall demonstrate or prove such equivalence to the Authority's satisfaction.

4.5. Grant for the installation of bicycle racks and/or ancillary equipment and/or repair stations in public locations or within the premises of the applicant

4.5.1. To qualify, the bicycle racks and/or ancillary equipment and/or repair stations must comply with the guidelines, as stipulated in section 2.5.2.

4.5.2. The installation of bicycle racks and/or ancillary equipment and/or repair stations in public locations requires the following permits:

a) Street Furniture installation equipment issued from the Technical Consultancy Unit of Transport Malta in accordance with Chapter 16 of the Guidelines published by the Traffic Management Division of Transport Malta.

b) Road works permit to carry out the installation works.

5. Payment of Grant

5.1. One-Time Grant for the purchase of bicycles by persons residing in Malta

5.1.1. When an applicant qualifies for the grant, they will be entitled to a one-time grant of 15.25% on the purchase value of the bike, up to a maximum value of €85.

5.1.2. The grant is paid to the applicant, or to the parent/s or legal guardian/s in the case of a minor applicant under the age of sixteen, through direct credit to the bank account indicated in the application.

5.1.3. The grant given under this scheme shall not be assessed as income for income tax purposes.

5.2. Grant for the purchase of bicycles by undertakings with the intention of offering them for hire

5.2.1. When an applicant qualifies for the grant, they will be entitled to a grant of 15.25% on the purchase value of the bike, up to a maximum value of €85 per bike.

5.2.2. The grant is paid to the applicant, through direct credit to the bank account indicated in the application.

5.2.3. The grant given under this scheme shall not be assessed as income for income tax purposes.

5.3. Conversion of bicycles to pedelecs

5.3.1. The grant amount applicable for the conversion of bicycles to pedelecs shall be €400 per bike per applicant.

5.4. Grant for the installation of bicycle racks and/or ancillary equipment and/or repair station in public locations or within the premises of the applicant

5.4.1. Local Councils, and Voluntary Organisations and Entities that do not carry out an economic activity within the meaning of Article 107 TFEU, are eligible to apply for a grant of up to 100% of the approved capital expenditure incurred.

5.4.2. Undertakings, and Voluntary Organisations and Entities that carry out an economic activity within the meaning of Article 107 TFEU, may apply for a grant of up to 70% of the approved capital expenditure incurred.

6. Validity of application

6.1. An application shall not be deemed to have been submitted by the applicant unless it is completed in full and is accompanied by all the relevant documents. If the application is not completed correctly and the relevant documents are not included, the claim for the grant shall not be processed unless the missing information is provided.

6.2. The Authority shall not be held responsible for any loss of grants or opportunities resulting from the submission of an incomplete or incorrect application.

7. Refunding of grant

7.1. The grants for the installation of bicycle racks and/or ancillary equipment and/or repair stations in public locations or within the premises of the applicant, will be granted on the conditions that the bicycle racks and/or ancillary equipment and/or repair station shall remain installed, accessible and properly maintained for a period of 3 years.

7.2. If the applicant for a grant for the installation of bicycle racks and/or ancillary equipment and/or repair stations uninstalls such bicycle racks and/or ancillary equipment and/or repair stations or makes such bicycle racks and/or ancillary equipment and/or repair stations unusable in any way, then that applicant shall refund the grant received from Transport Malta.

7.3. The refund mentioned in 7.2. above shall not be required in the following circumstances:

7.3.1. When the bicycle racks and/or ancillary equipment and/or repair station purchased under this grant is declared to be unrepairable for any reason and is replaced by a new bicycle rack and/or ancillary equipment and/or repair station, in which case the conditions related to this grant shall be transferred to the new bicycle rack and/or ancillary equipment and/or repair station. The three years restriction shall apply from the date of installation of the original bicycle rack and/or ancillary equipment and/or repair station.

7.3.2. When the bicycle racks and/or ancillary equipment and/or repair station purchased under this grant which is returned to the original supplier for any reason, and where the supplier accepts to replace the said bicycle racks and/or ancillary equipment and/or repair station with new ones, in which case the conditions related to this grant shall be transferred to the new bicycle rack and/or ancillary equipment. The three years restriction shall apply from the date of installation of the original new bicycle rack and/or ancillary equipment.

7.3.3. When the bicycle rack and/or ancillary equipment and/or repair station is transferred from the applicant to another owner who commits to keep the same the bicycle rack and/or ancillary equipment and/or repair station installed and usable.

8. Duration of scheme

8.1. This scheme shall remain in force until the 31st of December 2025 unless modified or terminated beforehand by a Notice in the Government Gazette. The scheme shall be automatically terminated when the total amount of approved grants reaches the amount of two hundred thousand Euro (€200,000). Notwithstanding, Government may terminate the scheme at any time by giving prior notice.

8.2. The scheme may be renewed as deemed necessary by the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Public Works by a Notice in the Government Gazette.

8.3. Applications received within the deadline stipulated in 8.1 may be processed, approved, and paid out until 31st December 2026.

9. Amendments to the scheme

9.1. The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Public Works has the right to make any amendments to this scheme by a Notice in the Government Gazette.

10. Fraudulent claims

10.1. Where a fraudulent claim arises, the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Public Works shall report the matter to the Police for criminal procedures to be instituted.  In the event of an incorrect payment of a claim, the Minister responsible for Transport reserves the right to recover funds paid in error. This also applies to undertakings and entities and voluntary organisations that carry out economic activity, especially with respect to State Aid regulations. Applicants are to make sure that the information provided is correct.

11. Requests for revision of Authority's decisions

11.1. Where an applicant is informed that an application for a grant is refused or does not agree with the grant amount assigned for a given application, the applicant shall have the right to request a revision of the Authority's decision concerning the application concerned.

11.2. To exercise such right, the applicant shall present a request within 30 days from receipt of the Authority's decision, whether this is received via letter or email. Such request shall be sent, by mail or by email to the office of the Chief Executive Officer of the Authority, or to another office as delegates by the Chief Executive Officer and shall include an explanation of why the applicant does not agree with the Authority's decision, along with any applicable supporting documents.

11.3. The Chief Executive Officer of the Authority shall appoint an internal board composed of at least three (3) persons who are not involved in the processing of the grant applications. This board shall review the applicant's request, the original decision of the Authority, the original application and any other relevant documents and information and shall decide whether the Authority's decision shall be withheld or changed. The board shall present its decisions to the Chief Executive Officer, or to the office delegated by the Chief Executive Officer, who shall then communicate the final decision to the applicant.

Expression of Interest to Participate as a Registered Retailer in the Tap Water Scheme for Vulnerable Households

The Regulator for Energy and Water Services (REWS) is pleased to invite expressions of interest from eligible retailers in Malta who sell activated carbon filters to participate in a national scheme aimed at encouraging tap water use and to promote sustainable household water use in vulnerable households.

Retailers who wish to participate can review the guidelines and submit their application online via (https://form.jotform.com/251411420433037) by not later than 6th June, 2025.

Appointment of Notary Delegate/Keeper

IT is hereby notified that in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 20 of the Notarial Profession and Notarial Archives Act, the Court of Revision of Notarial Acts has appointed Notary Dr Henri Darmanin to be notary delegate and keeper of the Acts for Notary Dr Tonio Cachia for the period between the 1st January, 2025 till the 31st December, 2025.

Today Monday, 26th May, 2025

RUTH PISCOPO

Deputy Registrar Court of Revision of Notarial Acts

Lower Barrakka Gardens

It is notified for general information that as enabled by Section 2 of the Public Gardens (Closing) Ordinance (Cap. 34) the Director of Agriculture has approved that Lower Barrakka Gardens will be closed to the public on Saturday, 14th June, 2025, and will be under the control of  Rebecca McCarthy.

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: