This call is being extended to Friday 8th May, 2020. For more information, please refer to guidelines and apply through Malta Enterprise website.

In view of the spread of COVID-19, Jobsplus has decided to suspend all its front-office services at all its offices with immediate effect and until further notice. Clients are encouraged to either contact the Corporation by phone or else make use of its electronic services to avail themselves of Jobsplus’ services.

Employing Third Country Nationals

Jobsplus are now accepting applications for Third Country Nationals who were previously in possession of a valid Residence/Work Permit and who had their employment terminated as from the 9^th of March 2020. Applications from prospective employers may be submitted for Temporary Employment Licences via email to applications-licences.jobsplus@gov.mt. All applications for licences are to be submitted electronically.

For more details visit: https://jobsplus.gov.mt/announcement-coronavirus

Registering for Work
Jobseekers who need to register for work can contact Jobsplus on the following numbers:
Malta: 22201250 / 22201252-8 / 22201912-3 / 22201972 / 22201922-4 / 22201933-4.
Gozo: 22201957-8

Disabled jobseekers can contact the Lino Spiteri Foundation on the following numbers:
Malta: 22201765-8
Gozo: 22201965

Further guidelines on the registration process can be found here.

Recruiting Employees
Employers who need to recruit employees can contact Jobsplus on 22201601-3 / 22201609 / 22201614 for assistance. Further guidelines on how to open vacancies online can be found here.

Termination of Employees
Employers who are going to dismiss or have recently dismissed employees including Third Country Nationals are requested to contact us on 22201601-3 / 22201609 / 22201614.

For more information visit https://jobsplus.gov.mt/

In the light of the COVID-19 situation, MBR would like to announce new measures taken in relation to penalties. See attached notice.

Update from press conference of the 24^th March 2020 – 3^rd financial package.

Social Security measures will be as follows:

• Where both parents work in the private sector, and teleworking is not doable, €800 per month will be given to one of the parents to take care of the children at home.

• Individuals with disabilities (registered with Jobsplus and working in the private sector) that cannot work from home but had to stay at home due to the risks of COVID-19 with respective to their disability will benefit from €800 monthly.

• Individuals that have been made redundant as from 9^th March 2020 shall benefit from a temporary increase in their unemployment benefit of up to €800 monthly.

These measures apply for both employees and self-employed and will apply retrospectively as from 9 March 2020. Separate applications will be made available online via servizz.gov. More information available through 153.

Malta Enterprise measures will be as follows:

There is a distinction between those sectors that have been significantly impacted (Tourism and those industries that had to shut down – Annex A) and others impacted with moderation (manufacturing, wholesale and warehousing – Annex B).

• For those sectors which have been significantly affected (Annex A), the government has increased the benefit to €800 monthly for each employee. This will be paid to the employer and those on minimum wage (Є179.33 weekly) will still be paid €800. Those employees being paid between €800-€1200, it is suggested that the employer still pays the employee for the difference, with a maximum of €400. If an employer cannot sustain this payment due to a substantial fall in operations and employee earns more than €1,200 monthly, this will be dealt with between the unions, employee, employer and the DIER, on a case by case basis. However, the government asks for flexibility and cooperation from both the employees and employers. 

• For those sectors impacted a bit less than the former sector (Annex B) will benefit from one day per week based on a monthly wage of €800, with the possibility of an increase to two days per week.

• The government noted that Gozo has been more affected than Malta, so for these other sectors (Annex B) in Gozo, they immediately qualify to benefit from two days per week based on a monthly wage of €800.

• Part-time employees will be paid pro-rata based on a monthly wage of €500.

These benefits all apply retrospectively from the 9^th of March 2020 and all apply to both self-employed individuals and employees. Depending on the relevant VAT number, the respective NACE code will determine which category of sectors each business falls into. For more information refer to the attached annexes.

Eligible sectors can apply online via https://covid19.maltaenterprise.com/

Annex A 
Annex B 
Source:  http://covid19.maltaenterprise.com/

On 24^th March, MFSA has issued two circulars which relate to:

• A set of guidelines to consumers which is also outlining the measures it has put in place to safeguard their interests during such extraordinary times. These guidelines can be found in Link

• Interim Measures for the Processing of Physical Documentation in Link

As events unfold, the general public is encouraged by MFSA to keep following updates on financial products and heed advice on their relationship with financial services providers through a dedicated section on the MFSA website.

In order to help minimize the effect of the current instability in relation to COVID-19, the Government of Malta is issuing the following incentives for business. These incentives along with the application process shall be handled by Malta Enterprise. 

1.  Tax Deferral Scheme: Eligible Taxes for such scheme are;

• Provisional tax,

• employee taxes,

• maternity fund,

• payments and social security contributions,

• social security contributions of self-employed persons and

• value added tax.

Eligible taxes which fall due in March and April 2020. 
Complete and submit an online application form by 14th of April 2020.

2.   Facilitation of teleworking activities

All undertakings irrespective of size and sector, Employers who incur eligible telework expenses , the role of the employee must addressed through teleworking, a formal teleworking agreement must be in place that connects to the work place via a VPN (or similar) solution. Eligible for costs incurred between 1st March and 30th March 2020.

Support includes:

• A cash grant shall be awarded against 45% of the eligible cost which are the following:

• • Purchasing and/or leasing of computer hardware (included operating systems) which are considered portable including installation and setting up of connectivity software.

  • Communication solutions (hardware and software) that allows different users to connect to their place of work (VPN, Point-to-point connection etc.)

• The total support is capped at €2,000,000 and limited up to €500 per teleworking agreement and €4,000 per undertaking.

• The de minimis regulation limits the total support per single undertaking to €200,000 undertaking over a period of three rolling fiscal years, and to €100,000 for undertakings engaged in Road Freight Transport.

• Costs supported under this measure may not be claimed from MicroInvest.

The call is being extended till 8th May 2020.

3.    Quarantine Leave

• Businesses who have employees on mandatory quarantine shall receive a grant of €350 per employee.

• Application will be online from Wednesday 25th March 2020 on the Malta Enterprise.

More information will be provided by Malta Enterprise in due course.

As a reminder the MIA is here to facilitate matters with regulatory bodies, so any queries MIA members can be forwarded to technical@miamalta.org, collated by the MIA and forwarded to the respective bodies.

The Minister for Finance and Financial Services, Prof Edward Scicluna issued the following financial aid with regards to disruptions caused by COVID-19 for employers and employees on the 18th of March 2020. 

• Where both parents work, and teleworking is not doable, two months additional leave of €800 per month will be given to one of the parents to take care of the children.

• Employees within industries that have suffered significant repercussions from the suspension of operations based on decisions taken by the government to safeguard the well being of the population (Hospitality, Restaurants, Entertainment and English language schools), will benefit from two days per week based on a monthly wage of €800.

• All self-employed individuals without employees that work in these industries; Hospitality, Restaurants, Entertainment and English language schools will also benefit from two days per week based on a monthly wage of €800. Whilst self-employed individuals with employees that work in the same industries will benefit from three days per week based on a monthly wage of €800.

• Those entities that suffered a fall of 25% in their operations will benefit from one day per week based on a monthly wage of €800.

• Self-employed individuals without employees who suffered a decrease of 25%+ in their operations will benefit from one day per week based on a monthly wage of €800. Whilst self-employed individuals with employees that suffer 25%+ loss in operations will benefit from two days per week based on a monthly wage of €800.Individuals that have been made redundant as from 9th March 2020 shall benefit from a temporary increase in their unemployment benefit of up to €800 monthly.
  
  

• Individuals with disabilities that cannot work from home but had to stay at home due to the risks of COVID-19 with respective to their disability will benefit from €800 monthly.
  
  

• All employers terminating employment for their employees, will not be allowed to hire third country nationals instead.
  
  

• Malta will not accept more third country nationals unless they are highly-skilled.
  
  

• There will be aid provided to those third country national individuals that become unemployed.
  
  

Source of information: DOI press release

Parliamentary Secretary for Financial Services and Digital Economy Clayton Bartolo is announcing a dedicated helpline to all employers and employees within the gaming industry. Anyone who requires assistance may contact the helpline on (+356) 25469111 or by sending an email on gaming.assist@gov.mt.

The FIAU has taken a number of measures in response to the COVID-19 outbreak to protect the well-being of its officers and visitors, including Subject Persons, and also to contribute to national efforts to slow its spreading.
 
Despite these measures, some of which are outlined below and affect persons subject to domestic AML/CFT regulations and obligations, the FIAU is striving to ensure the normal continuity of its operations, with all officials still attending to their functions, where possible, on a remote basis when not present at the FIAU's offices, and meetings being conducted through remote means.
 
These precautionary measures may still however impact our capability to conduct the FIAU’s functions and reply to electronic or written correspondence with normal efficiency.
 
1.     REQs:
The FIAU appreciates that, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several Subject Persons are also implementing measures, and that these may impact their capability and efficiency in responding to regulatory submissions.
 
In this regard, the FIAU would like to notify Subject Persons that the late submission penalty fee of EUR 100 applicable throughout the REQ submission period from 1st April 2020 to 4th May 2020 shall not be applicable. There shall also not be a ‘late submission’ period, and the only deadline for the submission of the REQ shall, for the time being and unless further extended by the FIAU which will be monitoring the situation, be set for 4th May 2020 at 17:00hrs. Subject Persons who submit their REQ after the 4th May deadline may be subject to administrative penalties.
 
Should you have any queries regarding the REQs, kindly contact the FIAU by email on caspar@fiumalta.org.
 
2.     Queries from Subject Persons:
Should Subject Persons have any queries, including REQ-related queries, Subject Persons are kindly requested not to contact the FIAU by telephone, but to send an email on one of the following email addresses, depending on the subject matter in question. In the email, kindly include a contact number.
·        caspar@fiumalta.org for REQ and Caspar-related queries;
·        queries@fiumalta.org for AML/CFT technical queries;
·        compliance@fiumalta.org for all other queries regarding the FIAU’s AML/CFT supervisory and enforcement functions;
 
3.     Physical meetings:
To a large extent, and unless it is strictly necessary, the FIAU is not holding any physical meetings, and is either postponing them or holding such meetings through other alternative means, such as videoconference or teleconference. In this respect, we kindly ask Subject Persons to refrain from coming to the offices of the FIAU unless a meeting has been scheduled.

Due to disruptions caused by COVID-19, Malta Enterprise is extending from 24th March 2020 to 30th April 2020 the primary deadline for self-employed persons to submit their MicroInvest application.

Applicants are still urged to submit their applications at the earliest possible so that the evaluation process can still function efficiently.