20 artisans operating in the Craft Village in Ta’ Qali who have followed the government’s work plans, having already completed construction work on their property, will be benefiting from assistance provided by INDIS Malta. Minister for the Economy and Industry Silvio Schembri announced this while also saying that the government’s goal is to act justly with regard to all artisans in the completion of this village.
Through this assistance, these artisans will be exempt from paying the first two years of rent due to INDIS Malta, which globally amounts to just under €100,000 between them, over a period of two years. He also announced that in the next eight years of the next lease, that is, from the third to the tenth year of the lease, the rent will be deferred to the subsequent eight years, which means that they will start paying rent from the 11th year onwards.
As Minister Schembri explained, this means that for the next ten years, INDIS Malta will not be collecting rent payments from these tenants, which will improve their cash flow and consequently enable their business to continue to be sustainable. This will help them to gradually start recovering from the investment they have made in their property in recent years, while at the same time protecting their jobs and those of their employees.
“Given that their incomes have fallen sharply in the circumstances of the pandemic and the fact that the regeneration project is still ongoing, this aid will be very important in assisting them to get back on their feet while allowing them to focus on their Craft”, said Silvio Schembri.
He emphasised that INDIS Malta is also assisting those Craft Village tenants in Ta’ Qali who have faced difficulty in developing the property allocated to them, so that they also will be able to operate from a modern property in line with today’s requirements. Through this aid, work is currently underway on 10 buildings, while work is expected to begin soon on another 10 buildings.
“While this is important in keeping us from falling behind and for this area to no longer be a construction site and be able to attract more visitors, a group of artisans who on their own managed to invest in their property, felt that they were being put at a competitive disadvantage. To this end, we are providing the assistance we announced today”, said Minister Schembri.
The minister added that this aid is part of the government’s commitment to reviving the Craft Village in Ta’ Qali. He reminded all present that this regeneration has been pledged for almost 30 years and it is by virtue of the work of this administration that it has now reached its final stages.
He mentioned that the work on the communal areas was completed in the past months, while the work on the Centre for Creativity as well as another centre for the exhibition of Craft is also to be completed. Work is underway on a start-up centre, a new kiosk, a parking lot on the north side, and a new childcare centre.
Silvio Schembri concluded by saying that all this work will lead to a vision of making this village a home worthy of the skills of 70 artisans and their employees – an area that will become a landmark on the local map and one which offers a complete product, both for tourists visiting the Maltese islands and for the people who live here, which will lead to an increased appreciation for local artisanal products.
Chairman of INDIS Malta Jean Pierre Attard said that, “The regeneration project of the Craft Village in Ta’ Qali is an ambitious one that as INDIS Malta we are proud to be implementing. We are doing our best to continue at a steady pace, and at the same time to support the artisans themselves”.
Mr Attard also thanked the INDIS Malta workers who are putting in the work in order to implement the vision for the village, as well as the artisans, their employees, and all those who in one way or another are providing their valuable contribution to once again make the Craft Village in Ta’ Qali a success story for everyone’s benefit.
Source: Office of the Prime Minister