PROPOSTI KIF ĦA JIĠU NVESTITI €971 MILJUN TA’ FONDI EWROPEJ

  • Sptar ġdid għal mard mentali akut
  • Shore-to-Ship fil-Freeport f’Birżebbuġa
  • €60 miljun ta’ investiment dirett f’Għawdex
  • Charging Points għall-karozzi mal-pajjiż kollu
  • Ghotjiet diretti u strumenti finanzjarji lill-intraprizi kbar, zgħar u ta’ daqs medju għal investimenti għal efffiċjenza fl-enerġija u għall-qalba diġitali
  • Investimenti fil-provista tal-ilma u new water
  • Faċilita għall-ipproċessar ta’ skart organiku
  • Business Incubation Centre ġdid
  • “Green Corridors”, spazji miftuħa u tisħiħ tas-siti Natura 2000

Qed tiġi proposta nefqa ta’ €971 miljun ta’ Fondi Ewropej f’investimenti fil-pajjiż bħala parti mill-pakkett rekord ta’ €2.27 biljun li l-Prim Ministru Robert Abela irnexxielu jinnegozja għall-pajjiż f’Lulju tas-sena li għaddiet.

Dokument għall-konsultazzjoni pubblika dwar il-proposti għal dan l-investiment tnieda uffiċjalment mis-Segretarju Parlamentari għall-Fondi Ewropej fl-Uffiċċju tal-Prim Ministru, Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi fil-jiem li għaddew. Id-dokument huwa mimli bi proposti li mistennija jibdew jitwettqu hekk kif wara li tintemm il-konsultazzjoni pubblika, id-dokument jintbagħat għall-iskrutinju tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea u wara li jkun approvat jibdew jitwettqu l-proġetti ippjanati.

Il-pubblikazzjoni ta’ dan id-dokumenti saret wara xhur ta’ konsultazzjonijiet ma’ diversi entitajiet tal-gvern fosthom ministeri u korporazzjonijiet u awtoritajiet statali, organiżazzjonijiet privati, organiżazzjonijiet mhux governattivi u s-soċjeta ċivili u anke esperti Maltin u barranin.

Id-dokument huwa bbażat fuq sitt prijoritajiet ewlenin li huma:

  • It-trawwim tal-kompetittivita u t-trasformazzjoni lejn ekonomija innovattiva u diġitali
  • Bidla lejn enerġija nadifa u ġusta, investimenti fl-ekonomija l-ħadra u ċirkulari u s-sostenibbilta tal-mobbilta urbana
  • Tisħiħ tal-konnettivita fil-pajjiż permezz tat-trasport
  • Soċjeta aktar soċjali u inklussiva
  • Trawwim ta’ żvilupp urban sostenibbli f’Għawdex
  • Faċilitata it-tranżizzjoni lejn in-newtralita klimatika (ħelisen mill-emmissjonijiet tal-karbonju)

Waqt konferenza tal-aħbarijiet fil-Forti Sant’Anġlu, is-Segretarju Parlamentari Zrinzo Azzopardi qal li b’dan il-pjan se jkunu immobilizzati riżorsi sostanzjali fl-ambjent, sabiex niffaċilitaw l-aċċess għall-finanzjament għall-intrapriżi, l-effiċjenza fl-użu tal-enerġija u biex nkomplu nkattru l-valur tal-wirt kulturali tagħna, fost oqsma oħra. Investimenti oħra se jiffukaw ukoll fuq-is-saħħa, l-edukazzjoni u l-ilma kemm tax-xorb kif ukoll in-new water. Se jsiru wkoll investimenti fil-qasam tal-immaniġġjar tal-iskart.

Il-Programm qed jindirizza ukoll l-bżonnijiet u opportunitajiet meħtieġa t’Għawdex fl-oqsma kollha tal-prijoritajiet li qegħdin jiġu mħabbra. Barra minn dan ser jiġu investiti madwar €60 miljun għall-iżvilupp urban sostenibli gewwa Għawdex.

Allokazzjoni oħra ta’ €207 miljun ser tkun investita f’inizjattivi biex  tissaħħaħ il-kompetittività tal-pajjiz, inkluz f’inizjattivi ghal kumpaniji ta’ daqs żgħir u medju (SMEs),  investiment fit-transiżżjoni lejn ekonomija innovattiva u diġitali, kif koll fir-riċerka u l-innovazzjoni. Ser jitwaqqaf ukoll Business Incubation Centre ġdid.

Waħda mill-miri ta’ dan il-pjan ta’ investiment hija l-bidla lejn enerġija nadifa, fejn ser jiġu allokati madwar €469 miljun. Il-bażi ta’ kif ser jintlaħaq dan jiffoka fuq l-użu efficjenti tal-enerġija u tnaqqis tal-emmissjonijiet li jikkontribwixxu għat-tibdil fil-klima, permezz ta’ sistemi differenti u sostenibbli ta’ mobbiltà fl-inħawi urbani tal-pajjiż. Dawn l-inizjattivi huma fid-direzzjoni tal-European Green Deal bil-għan li tittieħed azzjoni ħalli sas-sena 2050 tintlaħaq in-newtralità klimatika skond it-trattat ta’ Pariġi. Ser jinbnew “Green Corridors”, ġonna pubbliċi u tisħiħ tas-siti ta’ Natura 2000. Ser tkompli tissaħħaħ il-provvista tal-elettriku permezz ta’ interconnector ġdid u jinbnew faċilitajiet għall-ħażna tal-enerġija. Inizjattivi oħra huma favur li tisaħħaħ il-protezzjoni u l-konservazzjoni tan-natura u il-biodiversità.

Ser titkompla l-ħidma biex tkun żviluppata aktar il-konnettività ta’ Malta man-network TEN-T Ewropew billi tkompli titjieb l-infrastruttura biex din tkun tista’ tilqa’ għad-domanda kemm preżenti kif ukoll futura. Dan kollu ser isir b’nefqa indikattiva ta’ €52 miljun. Mill-Fond magħruf bħala Just Transition Fund ser issir investiment  ta’ €33 miljun biex jitkabbar il-proġett tax-Ship-to-Shore fil-Port il-Kbir u jsir ukoll proġett simili fil-Freeport f’Birżebbuġa. Dawn il-progetti se jwasslu ghal-arja aktar nadifa u ambjent aħjar ghal eluf ta’ persuni li joqgħodu fl-ibliet u l-irħula fil-viċinanzi. Fondi minn din l-allokazzjoni se jintużaw ukoll biex jiżdiedu ċ-charging points għall-karozzi tal-elettriku mal-pajjiż kollu.

Għal livell ta’ ħajja aħjar għaċ-ċittadini kollha ta’ pajjizna  ser jitjieb l-aċċess uġwali għal servizzi fl-edukazzjoni, it-taħriġ u tat-tagħlim matul il-ħajja, li jkunu inklussivi u ta’ kwalità. Dan isir bl-iżvilupp ta’ infrastruttura aċċessibbli li trawwem ir-reżiljenza għall-edukazzjoni u t-taħriġ online. Ser ikompli l-investiment bil-qawwi fil-qasam tas-saħħa fosthom bil-bini ta’ sptar ġdid għal mard mentali akut. B’allokazzjoni ta’ €150 miljun, il-poplu Malti se jibbenefika wkoll direttament minn servizzi li se jifaċilitaw il-ħajja ta’ kuljum. B’investiment fil-patrimonju kulturali taghna se ngħinu fil-prodott turistiku taħ pajjiżna u minnu ser ikun qed igawdi ukoll il-poplu tagħna.

Is-Segretarju Parlamentari Zrinzo Azzopardi temm jgħid li l-programm u l-interventi marbuta miegħu huma maħsuba biex ikomplu jissaħħu diversi setturi ekonomici, socjali w  ambjentali biex jigu indirizzaw il-htigijiet u l-opportunitajitet, anki dawk fit-tul. Huwa ħeġġeġ lil kull min huwa interessat jipparteċipa f’dan il-proċess ta’ konsultazzjoni pubblika biex jibgħat is-sottomissjonijiet tiegħu sat-8 ta’ Ottubru li ġej lil [email protected] sat-8 ta’ Ottubru. Id-dokument sħiħ għall-Konsultazzjoni Pubblika jista’ jitniżżel mis-sit elettroniku [email protected].

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€971 million to make it to the next level

The past decade will be remembered for the rapid progress we made both in the social and physical infrastructure. Progress that was both a product of the experienced growth and a catalyst to sustain it. The next decade shall be marked with upgrading all that we have grown accustomed to – including the general standard of living on the island. The coming years must be characterised by sustainable measures as part of an integrated vision comprising social, environmental, and economic revival.

The injection of €971 million through Cohesion funds, the Just Transition Fund and the European Regional Development Fund shall form part of the comprehensive development that will be spearheaded.

Based on grants and loans, the lion’s share of such funding will find its way to enterprises and public entities in our quest to make meaningful improvement in energy efficiency, important progress in the digital transformation alongside strides in the realm of research and innovation.

In this light we published a document for public consultation inviting the public, representatives of public entities, the private sector and civil society to indulge in open forward-looking dialogue.

Built around six main priorities the document outlines the government’s vision, short to long-term goals which some of them are well within our grasp.

The strongest indicative allocation of €469 million is intended to promote the transition to clean energy, supporting investment in the green economy and sustainable urban mobility.

Reducing emissions is a short-term must in the face of Climate Change. Financial instruments will be set up to help industry players and private households to resort to energy efficient measures. Developing our own energy’s grid also through the second interconnector, will yield more security of supply for an island. Furthermore, we need to invest in energy storage.

As we consolidate quality in water preservation by investing in public infrastructure and the industry, we aim to accelerate the shift to a circular economy by improving the treatment of organic waste.

A carbon-neutral future could be made possible through a sustainable system of urban mobility that relies on a multitude of modes of transport and that primarily capitalises on surrounding waters.

Our way to the next level is digital. We can only survive in the European and global markets if we innovate digitally. For this reason we are indicatively allocating €207 million with the immediate goal to upgrade infrastructure for research and innovation, to digitalise public administration and the health sector. Funds will stimulate further growth by easing the SME’s access to finance.

This sustainable vision is set to improve the wellbeing of our society, which should grow into a more inclusive nature. €150 million are indicatively earmarked for better education that is made more accessible especially through distance learning. Continuous upgrades in our health system are necessary to keep on delivering for the best of our patients and in this realm mental health infrastructure will be prioritised. In fact it is being proposed that a new acute mental hospital will be built.

Attaining our aim to be a Climate Neutral state by 2050 will rely on our diligent maximisation of the Just Transition Fund. In line with the European Green Deal, ship-to-shore in the Grand Harbour and the Freeport will be facilitated as our road transport will be increasingly electrified through these funds.

No less than 10% will again be reserved for Gozo which is not a mere addendum to our holistic vision for the country. €60 million will be directed towards sustainable urban development in our sister Island, connectivity, spurring heightened economic activity, more work and sustainable tourism for the overarching aim to preserve its characteristics. Gozo will be enriched with open public spaces, accessible urban zones as it grows into an island that meets the dreams of its diverse population.

Our vision for the coming decade is clear and our aim is to grown sustainably into a modern, inclusive society that meets the aspirations of the whole population. €971 million are a substantial injection that will pave the way for the desired progress.

Everyone is invited to lodge their comments and proposals by 8th October on [email protected].

Electricity from the National Grid at Malta Freeport

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