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Updated 1200

PM starts consultation meetings for 2026 Budget: Prime Minister Robert Abela has begun consultations with social partners ahead of the 2026 budget, starting with the Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises. He reaffirmed government’s commitment to support businesses, particularly SMEs, through incentives, a planned reduction in company tax, and continued energy subsidies on electricity and fuel. Abela pledged a strong budget aimed at sustainable growth, innovation, and investment, while ensuring families and businesses remain supported during global challenges. He welcomed the Chamber’s proposals, many of which align with Vision Malta 2050, and assured that government will back SMEs in digital and green transitions, leveraging European funds to enhance competitiveness locally and internationally. (TVM)

Creditas Acquires Malta’s MeDirect Bank: Czech-based Banka Creditas has completed its acquisition of Malta’s MeDirect Bank, following a 2024 share purchase agreement and European Central Bank approval in August 2025. Founded in 2004, MeDirect was Malta’s first digital bank and has since expanded into Belgium, serving over 160,000 customers and managing €6 billion in assets. The bank will remain under the MeDirect brand but now operates as a subsidiary of Banka Creditas, which has been active in Czechia since 2016. Executives from both groups highlighted shared values of innovation and customer focus, with Creditas CEO Jiří Hrouda emphasising MeDirect’s strong digital platform and growth potential, and MeDirect CEO Jean-Claude Maher promising further European expansion while retaining a strong Maltese identity. (Times of Malta)

National protest against planning bills on 4 October: A national protest, Ġustizzja għal Artna: Irtirawhom Issa!, is set for Saturday 4 October at 10am, starting from the Law Courts and marching to Castille. Organisers warn that government’s proposed planning “reform” – two bills and three legal notices – will dismantle safeguards, block effective appeals, and regularise widespread illegalities, leaving Malta and Gozo at the mercy of developers. They condemned the package as structurally flawed, drafted solely to serve developers, and said no real consultation is possible. The campaign accuse

Morning Briefing

Alex Borg to put forward small shadow cabinet reshuffle

New PN leader Alex Borg said he will carry out a small reshuffle of the shadow cabinet to include new portfolios such as artificial intelligence and solitude, but ruled out major changes so close to a general election. Speaking on TVM, he said the close election result showed potential in both candidates and pledged to unite the party, stressing Labour fears a united PN most. Borg confirmed plans to appoint a party CEO to oversee finances, while publishing overdue PN accounts before the election. He also committed to civil rights, backing Pride and retaining cannabis laws, while opposing euthanasia. On immigration, he called for a labour market study to identify sector needs and promote Maltese participation. (Times of Malta)

George Degiorgio seeks pardon, offers details on old murders

Convicted hitman George Degiorgio is seeking a presidential pardon and a reduced sentence in exchange for revealing details about the 2014 murder of Tyson Butcher owner Jonathan Pace. In a sworn application filed on 3 September, his lawyers requested immunity for crimes committed before December 2017, with Degiorgio offering to testify about murders, bomb threats, and other crimes. He specifically pledged to provide details on Pace’s murder, which remains unsolved. Degiorgio also asked that his 40-year sentence for the Daphne Caruana Galizia assassination be cut to 15 years. Pace was shot dead in 2014, with the case reopened in 2021 after new leads emerged. (Maltatoday)

Project Green rules out roofing of Triq Diċembru Tlettax

Project Green has ruled out the idea of roofing over Marsa’s Triq Diċembru Tlettax to create an open space, deeming it “not technically viable.” The project, first proposed in Labour’s 2022 electoral manifesto, aimed to connect both sides of Marsa with a landscaped area above one of Malta’s busiest roads. A spokesperson confirmed that a study was commissioned, but after assessing the road’s topography and the need to retain a minimum five-metre clearance for traffic, the concept was dismissed. The agency said the only realistic alternative to improve connectivity would be the addition of another footbridge. (The Malta Independent)