Copyright maltatoday
He insisted there are no red lines and every effort will be made to reach a compromise. Abela was speaking during a press conference at Castille shortly after Finance Minister Clyde Caruana unveiled Budget 2026. During his budget speech, a massive crowd of protesters gathered in front of parliament to protest the planning changes proposed by the government. Prior to Caruana’s arrival in parliament, Abela met with the organisers of the protest. When asked about his meeting, Abela said he had met other environmentalists days before, naming lawyer Claire Bonello as one of them. He claimed that he understood their concerns, adding that the proposed changes are the subject of meetings with several environmentalists. Abela added that amended proposals will then be passed on to NGOs, stating that more changes can be made if need be. “There’s no need to rush this process,” he said, promising that there will be no progress in parliament before proper consultation. “There are no commitments or deadlines with anyone,” Abela clarified. Clyde’s short and sweet answer During the same press conference, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana was asked whether the parents’ tax cut was enough to improve Malta’s birth rate, which has become an economic issue. He referred journalists to his budget speech, where he had stated, “No lone measure can solve all problems, but there should be a collection of measures, and this is one of them. I think that’s clear.” Under the measure, parents and married couples with children will benefit from overhauled tax bands over the next three years. The progressive tax savings will start being felt next year with higher tax-free income thresholds and the widening of intermediate tax brackets across the board for parents. This key measure of Budget 2026 will leave €160 million in people’s pockets over the three-year span and effect thousands of families. The changes will apply also to families with one child.
