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Dear Hon. Caruana,

The Maltese National Youth Council (KNŻ) has, as it has done every year for the past few years,

prepared a number of Pre-Budget Proposals for the upcoming 2022 Budget.

Such proposals are the product of weeks of in-house deliberation, ongoing discussions with our

Member Organisations and data collection from youths throughout Malta and Gozo. This

preparation was undertaken to truly capture the voice of Maltese and Gozitan youth willing and

able to participate in the democratic processes of our country, participation which the Council

adamantly believes should be present in all facets of policy creation. The importance of a youth

dimension in all policies cannot be understated, and in the same manner with which the Council

expects the proposals hereunder to be considered by the Ministry, that any and all upcoming

policies are complimented with a youth dimension.

As Covid-19 recovery is hastening in light of the successful vaccination rollouts, the Council

envisages a society which can transcend differences and come together to allow not only for the

recovery of what was lost, but to share a volition to build back better. Such a collaboration cannot

be limited only to the sphere of relevant stakeholders to a particular policy, but rather, the Council

is of the opinion that increased inter-office collaboration between the Ministries and Parliamentary

Secretariats of the present, and future executives, is necessary to facilitate the proper

implementation of the proposals hereunder as well as broader National Policies and Strategies.

The Council trusts that the proposals hereunder will serve as an adequate display of the current

youth sentiment and desire moving forward to the 2022 Budget, and hopes to be included as a

relevant stakeholder in the upcoming deliberations.

_______________________

Liam Axisa

KNŻ President

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KNŻ Pre-Budget Proposals 2022

Environment

• An increase in subsides for the development of the renewable energy sources which Malta has at its disposal, specifically solar energy, in addition to exploring the potential of creating new provisions of renewable energy, such as wind and biomass (biogas) energy.

• A re-evaluation of existing public spaces policy with tangible projects as is the rehabilitation of Manoel Island into a green public space.

• The installation of solar panel “roofing” over major car parks that would both provide shade and generate energy.

• The introduction of monitoring mechanisms so as to ensure environmental compliance, with the objective of monitoring the technological appliances utilised by businesses, corporations and other private entities, report any irregularities should they occur, and encourage more environmentally friendly practices to be used by such entities.

• The provision of economic incentives for rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling to reduce water consumption by households and industries.

• The introduction of a carbon tax to balance the increase of emissions recorded in the Maltese Islands.

• The setting of a specific deadline has been announced for the ban on petrol/diesel powered vehicles.

• The push to interministerial collaboration to ensure that the Economic Strategy for 2050, the Sustainability Strategy for 2050 and the Environmental Strategy for 2050 are consistent and work in tandem to plan for the best future scenario in the Islands.

• In recognition of the devastating natural fires happening in the limited areas of forestation, the dedicated maintenance of such areas and imposition of harsher fines on litterers.

Construction and Land Usage

• The implementation of a coherent and consistent building aesthetic policy in order to limit the uglification of property in Malta.

• The priotisation of a biodiverse plan rather than an aesthetically pleasing one in urban greening projects, in order to conserve the natural flora and fauna.

Sports

• The construction of facilities geared towards the accommodation for Paralympic sports, accompanied with the creation of a technical supervisory committee led by the Malta Paralympic Committee.

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• The allocation of funds for the renovation of existing sport facilities in Malta and Gozo. • The installment of public drinking fountains in parks, playgrounds and public spaces in

order to support an active lifestyle for citizens.

Societal Norms, Freedoms & Civil Liberties

• The continuation and extension of existing funding programmes aimed towards providing assistance for media houses and news outlets which have incurred financial difficulties as a result of COVID-19 pandemic monitored by a supervisory committee led by the Institute of Maltese Journalists.

• The adequate maintenance of public latrines as well as the building / re-designating of more gender-neutral public lavatories.

• The allocation of further resources to the Hate Crime & Speech Unit in its tackling of online abuse, and the efforts which are undertaken by it in combatting hate speech which is present online.

• The introduction of a “cohabitation” tax bracket for cohabitants who share in direct ownership of the residential home, granting certain benefits currently restricted to the “married” tax bracket.

Health

A. Mental Health

• An exploration into the possibility of opening ‘walk-in clinics’ which particularly cater for mental health. The recently opened Health Clinic in Kalkara stands as an example of what potential such facilities may have.

• The allocation of adequate resources for the provision of out-patient mental health care in Mater Dei Hospital year-round, in accordance with the Mental Health Strategy.

• The provision of mental health first aid courses in schools and creattion guidelines for standardised mental health education in compulsory education.

• The implementation of a much needed refurhishment of Mount Carmel Mental Hospital.

• An increase in investment in Community Mental Health Clinics and opening of a new facility to cater for the Northern Region.

• The assurance that the provision of courses concerning mental health first aid is mainstreamed amongst entities pertaining to public healthcare, whilst guaranteeing that such courses are offered free of charge, to whoever may be interested.

B. Physical Health

• The provision of nutritional classes for students conducting their studies at a primary and secondary level, with these outlining the importance of healthy eating, a balanced diet and

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of living an active lifestyle, and occurring throughout the entirety of a students’ primary and secondary education.

• The introduction of health checks to be carried out by trained and qualified medical professionals on a bi-annual level, with these health checks being applicable for all students attending all educational institutions across the Maltese Islands.

• The initiation of after-school programmes to be offered on a free-of-charge basis, with such programmes consisting of recreational sessions tackling an alternation of a wide variety of sports, and each session being led by coaches working on a rotational basis.

• The infrastructural improvement of healthcare centres located within all localities and communities found across the Maltese Islands, in order to accommodate residents in need of medical attention, and so as to alleviate the strain on Mater Dei Hospital.

• The increase in the occurrence and length of lessons concerned with Physical Education (P.E.), as opposed to their currently established timeframes, and with these changes being implemented at both primary and secondary education lessons, whilst ensuring that the importance physical activity is promoted at post-secondary and tertiary levels, be it in recreational or academic fora.

• The launch of a nation-wide campaign geared towards informing the general public regarding the importance of physical exercise, healthy eating, and of living an active and health lifestyle.

• The completion of a National Public Pool in Gozo, ensuring that access is unrestricted.

C. Sexual Health

• The maintenance and running of GU Clinics in Malta and Gozo through the recruitment of additional medical staff so as to reduce waiting time for patients making use of such clinics, and specifically allocating further resources to improve the functioning of the GU Clinic at Mater Dei Hospital.

• The assurance that already legal contraceptive methods (such as the Morning After Pill) will be made readily available upon demand in all pharmacies across the Maltese Islands.

• The prioritisation sexual education in schools, together with assuring the necessary access to sexual health services across Malta and Gozo.

• The facilitatation of affordable HIV treatments and HIV related medication as well as ease access to such treatments in Gozo.

• The updating of the National Sexual Health Strategy with adequate programmes for 2022, with age appropriate outreach, educational and informative elements sustaining the written policy.

Transport and Infrastructure

• The commission of studies to determine the costs and feasibility of a metro system.

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• The allocation of safe and adequate bicycle lanes joining Malta’s urban hubs.

• The provision of solar panelled streetlamps to provide an environmentally friendly source of lighting.

• The introduction of ‘smart traffic lights’ to facilitate traffic management, with preferential treatment being given to public modes of transportation

• The implementation of a system by means of which individuals engage in a bidding process in order to purchase and make use of a vehicle for a limited number of years, with this system being modelled off what has been introduced in Singapore in relation to car ownership.

Education

• The extension of the stipend and maintenance grant scheme to all students who undertook employment of longer than 20 hours weekly during the study period and have had their employment hampered by restrictions arising out of Covid-19 related directives.

• A waiver on fees for all local, EU and EEA applicants pursuing post-graduate education at tertiary educational institutions in Malta.

• The introduction of a considerable increase in the wages of professional educators.

• The introduction of robust age-appropriate civic education schemes in all primary and secondary schools throughout Malta and Gozo, together with a ‘train the trainer’ programme and annual CPD sessions for educators on the topic.

• The provision of grants to students conducting their education at a tertiary level, in cases where such students intend to carry out research projects related to their respective academic fields.

Employment & Housing

• The implementation of practical exercises into the educational curriculum, with the purpose of preparing students better for the “work life”, through means such as but not limited to lessons on financial literacy and career exposure activities, with this acting as an increase to already-existing initiatives.

• The consideration of social security paid by youths under the age of 18 when calculating the amount of work with respect to a person’s pension.

• An exploration into the possibility of the introduction of a 4-day work week following similar studies by national authorities in other jurisdictions.

• In order to eliminate unpaid traineeships and internships, we propose that this be carried out through a facilitation program wherein employers hiring interns and trainees may apply for subsidisation to partly offset added expenses.

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• The re-opening and re-establishment of trade schools, with these catering for the training and development of a local workforce, together with aiding socio-economic sectors in need of additional human resources

• The setting of the same beneficial 7.5% income tax rate for income derived from employment in Sporting Activities for an individual who derives income from a full-time or part-time Artistic Activity, recognised by the Arts Council, that is practiced wholly or mainly in Malta. This is to include work done for the stage and film that will include the Production team, Performers and the Backstage Crew.

• The expansion and improvement of services tied to housing assistance, in particular by better integrating employment-related incentives and services.

Economy

• The ensuring of transparency on the energy usage of new sectors that require a significant amount of electricity to operate such as blockchain, crypto currency and server-providing companies registered in Malta and thus also ensuring that the necessary steps are taken in order to limit their carbon footprint as much as possible.

• The incentivisation of Research and Development regarding aviation powered by renewable fuel sources, such as hydrogen and electricity, in order to ensure that the country remains a proactive force in this sector and attracts significant potential jobs and economic diversification.

• The publishing of a strategy on foreign workers in Malta in order to safeguard economic, environmental and social stability for generations to come.

• A proportionate increase in the national minimum wage to keep up with the growth in average wages.

Voluntary Sector

• The construction of a Youth Hub/Centre in Valletta, Malta and Victoria, Gozo. Placing them in the centre of both of the Maltese Islands is crucial so as ensure access for youths originating from all localities across both Malta and Gozo.

• Affirming the allocation of funds, together with increasing the currently existing funds, for NGO’s, be it NGO’s run by people of all ages, or administered specifically by youths.

• The qualification of donations given to registered Voluntary Organisations as tax deductible, as is the current state for donations given to the Malta Community Chest Fund, with appropriate Anti-Money Laundering safeguards in place to prevent abuse.

• The creation of a Diversity Hub in Malta & Gozo that will welcome organisations from different socio-economic, religious, cultural, sexual and gender backgrounds to foster greater collaboration, ensure that Voluntary Organisations have a space to operate and sustain the good work such organisations are doing.

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• The allocation of funding for registered Voluntary Organisations undertaking work within the field of journalism to strengthen such an important pillar of our democracy.

Arts and Culture

• The catering for academic subjects related to arts and culture such as music, drama, dance, and music amongst others, within the national educational curriculum, as a component of compulsory education, thus asserting the status of the arts as an established academic discipline.

• The allocation of further resources and funding to the Mikiel Anton Vassalli College (MAVC), and its respective branches, so as to guarantee that it fulfils its purpose in instilling individuals the ability to appreciate aesthetic and intrinsic values, whilst enriching their holistic development with regards to visual and performing arts.