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DIARY OF EVENTS

Published by the Department of Information

Important Note: Dates hereunder do not denote the actual dates on which the respective events occur, but refer to the dates on which they are reported in the local print media, which is normally on the morrow.

MAY

• 1 May 2008 Malta’s economy is doing well but this should not be taken for granted as there are many challenges ahead that can only be overcome by working together as a nation, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi told a national conference organised to mark Workers’ Day.

• 1 May 2008 The volume and wholesale value of fish landings in the first three months went up by 52.9 percent and 72.1 percent respectively over the first quarter of last year, the National Statistics Office said.

• 1 May 2008 Tourism from January to March rose 22 percent over the same quarter last year to reach a total of 211,689 visitors, the National Statistics Office said.

• 1 May 2008 Unemployment continued to decline last month, with Eurostat figures showing it fell to 5.6 percent in March, one percentage point less than 12 months earlier and a slight drop of 0.1 percent on February.

• 1 May 2008 The number of reported traffic accidents in the first quarter of this year reached 3,639, a drop of 224 cases or 5.8 percent over the corresponding quarter last year, the National Statistics Office said.

• 1 May 2008 Resources Minister George Pullicino had an introductory meeting with European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs. The meeting took place at the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels.

• 2 May 2008 Archbishop Paul Cremona led the funeral mass of President Emeritus Sir Anthony Mamo at St. John’s Co-Cathedral. The congregation was headed by President Edward Fenech Adami as well as Chief Justice Vincent DeGaetano, the Speaker, Anton Tabone, and Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.

• 3 May 2008 A conference entitled ‘Healthy Youth, Healthy Nation: Enhancing Relationships For The Common Good’ was held for people who work with young people. The conference, held under the auspices of the Commissioner for Children Carmen Zammit and AIESEC, the international student organisation, covered various issues concerning young people such as adolescent development, spiritual development, the path to success and the active participation of young people.

• 3 May 2008 Sustainable development shall be the main thrust of the government’s action in the coming years, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said while speaking at the Valletta Waterfront during the inauguration of the new offices of the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (Rempec).

• 5 May 2008 Last month was one of the driest Aprils on record with just 3.6 mm of rainfall, the Malta International Airport Met Office said.

• 6 May 2008 Brice Hortefeux, French Minister for Immigration, Integration, National Identity and Development Partnership came to Malta for talks, as France prepares to assume the EU presidency from the middle of this year. His visit included talks with Foreign Minister Tonio Borg and Justice and Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici.

• 6 May 2008 Gozo Channel ferries carried almost 80,000 passengers and 20,000 vehicles in the five days between April 30 and May 4, the Ministry for Gozo said.

• 6 May 2008 Clyde Puli, Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sport, and APS Bank signed an agreement on a Youth Specialisation Studies Scheme (YSSS). The agreement incorporates the forthcoming three years and involves MCAST and ITS students.

• 7 May 2008 The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) said that it determined 739 applications in April and received 591 new applications. The net pending caseload at the end of the month was 4,801.

• 8 May 2008 French Prime Minister François Fillon underscored the need for common EU rules on immigration following talks at Castille with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi. The French PM was in Malta for a few hours as part of a tour of EU capitals ahead of the French presidency of the EU, which starts in July.

• 8 May 2008 Malta International Airport (MIA) said passenger movements in April increased by 14,621 for a total of 251,548, an increase of 6.2 percent over the April 2007 figure.

• 8 May 2008 The volume of fresh fruit and vegetables passing through the official markets in the first quarter of this year amounted to 10 million kilos, a drop of 12.2 percent over the same period last year, the National Statistics Office said.

• 9 May 2008 Official figures issued showed a decline in Malta’s international trade in March. The National Statistics Office said that imports fell by €22.7 million and exports were down by €32.2 million.

• 9 May 2008 Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Tonio Fenech underlined the government’s intention to safeguard economic stability in an increasingly volatile global scenario when he launched the first public consultation meeting ahead of the Budget 2009.

• 9 May 2008 Malta International Airport registered yet another increase in passenger movements after gains recorded over the previous months. It said it had seen 251,548 movements on scheduled and non-scheduled flights in April, a 6.2 percent rise over the same month last year.

• 10 May 2008 The State Opening of the 11th Parliament since independence took place, with President Edward Fenech Adami outlining the government’s programme in an address in the House after Mass of the Holy Spirit at St John’s Co-Cathedral. Proceedings in the House were opened with the swearing in of the new Speaker, Louis Galea, who was escorted in the House by the Prime Minister and Opposition leader Alfred Sant.

• 11 May 2008 Air Malta was one of the most successful European airlines in the first quarter this year in terms of passenger growth, according to statistics published by the Association of European Airlines. The national airline’s passenger numbers shot up by 12.8 percent this year, substantially higher than the 2.6 percent average growth measured by the 30 other airlines surveyed.

• 12 May 2008 President Edward Fenech Adami and the High Commission of the Republic of South Africa to Malta, Lenin Shope paid tribute to Nelson R. Mandela during a celebration marking South Africa’s National Day, known as Freedom Day. This was the second time that the event was commemorated in Malta.

• 13 May 2008 While speaking in Parliament during the debate in reply to the President’s Address at the state opening of Parliament, Social Policy Minister John Dalli said that the government intended to continue pension reform with a view to concluding it.

• 13 May 2008 The government is to introduce a corporate governance framework for public enterprises and an updated code of ethics for the members of the boards of public bodies, Prime Minster Lawrence Gonzi told senior civil servants. He said the government also intends to intensify its fight against fraud and irregularities through various initiatives. Dr Gonzi was speaking at a seminar on financial controls in the public sector.

• 13 May 2008 Unemployment dropped by almost 1,000 and the gainfully occupied rose by 3,183 last December when compared to the previous December. The National Statistics Office, quoting ETC figures, said the registered unemployed decreased by 989 persons and the labour supply increased by 2,194 to 149,008 persons.

• 13 May 2008 Nearly 60,000 Maltese passengers departed by air and sea in the first three months of the year, an increase of over a quarter since the same period last year. The National Statistics Office put the figure at 59,329, an increase of 27.1 percent.

• 14 May 2008 Non-fatal accidents at work decreased by 12 percent to reach 920 in the first quarter of this year, compared to the same period last year, the National Statistics Office said.

• 15 May 2008 The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices increased by 2.3 percent in April compared to March, the National Statistics Office said.

• 15 May 2008 Answering a Parliamentary question, Social Policy Minister John Dalli told parliament that 2,250 single parents receive social security benefits.

• 15 May 2008 The Corradino Corrective Facility houses 414 prisoners, of whom 120 are still awaiting to be sentenced. Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici said in reply to a Parliamentary question.

• 15 May 2008 The European Commissioner for the Internal Market and Services Charlie McCreevy visited Malta. He met President Edward Fenech Adami, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and the Minister of Finance, the Economy and Investment, Tonio Fenech.

• 16 May 2008 Government spending on social security benefits rose by almost a fifth in the first quarter of this year, driven by higher payments on pensions and children’s allowances, the National Statistics Office said. Total expenditure on social security benefits amounted to €174.0 million during the first three months of 2008, up by €28.0 million over the same period last year.

• 16 May 2008 Inflation eased slightly last month although it still remained above the average in the euro zone. New figures published by Eurostat show that Malta’s annual rate of inflation last month stood at 4.1 percent, a 0.2 drop on the annual inflation rate for March.

• 17 May 2008 Data released by the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Department shows that over 700 people fell victim to food-poisoning last year.

• 17 May 2008 Expenditure on social security benefits rose by 19.2 percent in the first three months of this year, driven mainly by outlays on retirement and widow’s pensions and children’s allowances, the National Statistics Office said.

• 19 May 2008 Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said that despite international economic uncertainty the Maltese economy maintained its growth momentum in the first quarter of this year and the outlook remained good. Speaking at the launching the Economic Bulletin 2007, issued by the ministry, Mr Fenech said Gross Domestic Product growth this year was projected at 3 percent, slightly lower than last year.

• 20 May 2008 While speaking during a meeting with a private company, Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino said that the private sector has an important role to play in implementing initiatives to safeguard the environment and should launch schemes that provide an incentive for the purchase of environment-friendly products.

• 21 May 2008 The number of young people visiting Malta rose significantly in the first months of this year, an indication that efforts by the Malta Tourism Authority in this direction are paying off, Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco said. He said that last year, visitors aged up to 24 years constituted 15.2 percent of arrivals, while those aged 25-44 represented 36.2 percent. So far this year, those aged under 24 have increased by 53.3 percent and the 25-44 age group has shown growth of 32 percent.

• 21 May 2008 The Maltese have become more conscious, even thanks to tourism, of protecting the country’s cultural and architectural heritage - also because the number of tourists visiting Malta for cultural reasons is on the increase, the Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, Mario de Marco, said. He was addressing a meeting of tourism ministers of the so-called 5+5 Western Mediterranean forum of countries in Ajaccio, Corsica, attended also by representatives of France, Italy, Spain and Portugal, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Mauritania and Morocco.

• 22 May 2008 The importation of fossil fuels increased by 17 percent between 2000 and 2007 but the fuel mix is becoming cleaner, according to information published by the National Statistics Office.

• 22 May 2008 There are 3,819 people on the waiting list for a grave at the Addolorata Cemetery - a thousand more than the graves to be dug up, Social Policy Minister John Dalli said yesterday, in reply to a parliamentary question.

• 22 May 2008 A total of 443 foreigners reported a theft to the police in the first four months of this year, Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici said in reply to a parliamentary question.

• 22 May 2008 There are 16 prisoners on a suspended sentence in jail because of breaching a condition. Thirteen are under 30, Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici said in reply to a parliamentary question.

• 22 May 2008 Total cruise passenger traffic between January and April amounted to 56,747, a drop of 1.6 percent over the same period last year, the National Statistics Office said.

• 22 May 2008 Answering a parliamentary question, Social Policy Minister John Dalli said that 28,118 people receive subsidies on the electricity surcharge.

• 22 May 2008 A total of €11,696,824 were paid in overseas social security pensions last year, Social Policy Minister John Dalli said in answer to a parliamentary question.

• 23 May 2008 The Ministry of Education launched a new scholarship scheme for under-graduates and renewed the scheme for post-graduate scholarships. Education Minister Dolores Cristina launched the schemes at a press conference, where she underscored the importance of further education.

• 23 May 2008 As at the end of March, there were 1,096 pending applications by elderly wanting to be admitted in an old people’s home in Malta, Social Policy Minister John Dalli said while replying to a parliamentary question.

• 23 May 2008 The demand for fossil fuel energy followed a continuous upward trend over the past eight years rising by 17 percent, the National Statistics Office said.

• 26 May 2008 Unemployment in April dropped by 662 to reach 5,478 when compared to the same month last year, the National Statistics Office said.

• 26 May 2008 The President and Mrs Fenech Adami met the victims of the March 12 fireworks explosion during an official two-day visit Naxxar.

• 27 May 2008 An average of 305 persons are calling at the hospital emergency department every day, with 111,688 calls made last year, the Health Department said.

• 27 May 2008 The Retail Price Index went up by 0.37 percent last month over March, the National Statistics Office said. The increase was mainly the result of an increase of 2.77 percent in the Clothing and Footwear Index, and an increase of 1.22 percent in the Housing Index.

• 27 May 2008 The number of registered unemployed in April stood at 6,086, which is 662 fewer than in the same month a year ago, the National Statistics Office said.

• 27 May 2008 Out of 9,546 students currently following courses at the University of Malta, there are 528 foreign students from 75 nationalities. These consisted of 232 males and 296 females. Education Minister Dolores Cristina said in reply to a parliamentary question.

• 27 May 2008 The 285 prisoners currently at the Corradino Correctional Facility hail from 55 localities in Malta and Gozo, Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici told Edwin Vassallo in reply to a parliamentary question.

• 27 May 2008 Between academic year 2003-04 and May 21, 2008, the number of youths who asked to be exempted from school so that they could go to work was 402, Education Minister Dolores Cristina said in reply to a parliamentary question.

• 27 May 2008 During the first four months of this year there were 624 coronary angiograms carried out at Mater Dei Hospital, Social Policy Minister John Dalli said in reply to a parliamentary question.

• 27 May 2008 Between May and December last year, the police issued 522 tickets for the use of bus lanes by unauthorised vehicles. Between January and April this year, 210 tickets were issued, Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici said while answering a parliamentary question.

• 28 May 2008 The Retail Price Index went up from 113.66 in March to 114.08 in April this year, representing a 0.37 per cent increase. This primarily reflected an increase of 2.77 percent in the clothing and footwear Index.

• 29 May 2008 The government’s gross tax revenue for the first four months of the year reached €185,486,492, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said while replying to a parliamentary question.

• 29 May 2008 A total of 49 civil marriages took place in the first quarter of this year, Communications Minister Austin Gatt said in reply to a parliamentary question.

• 29 May 2008 Social Policy Minister John Dalli told parliament that the government should be getting €153,446 for services rendered to foreigners at hospitals in Malta and Gozo during the first four months of this year. In reply to another parliamentary question, the minister said that the government was owed a total of €850,383 for hospital services rendered to foreigners since 1994.

• 29 May 2008 Government income from court fines in the first four months of this year amounted to €550,279, Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici said in reply to a parliamentary question.

• 30 May 2008 The shortfall between government recurrent revenue and total expenditure grew by €76.6 million to €208.7 million between January and April this year, the National Statistics Office said.

• 30 May 2008 Theatres put up 475 performances during 2006 appealing to an audience of 182,464, with concerts being the most popular, the National Statistics Office said.

DOI - 04.06.2008

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