The government said this evening that, contrary to the impression being given by the Opposition, several initiatives were taken in hand to assist Maltese enterprise in Libya, and these go beyond the measures that were taken by the previous administration during the Libyan revolution in 2011.
Malta Enterprise is serving as a reference point to all companies that have been hit by developments in Libya, and a special team has been appointed within the same corporation to keep in touch with all Maltese operations in Libya.
The statement, issued jointly by the finance and economy ministries, said that the VAT, Income Tax and Treasury departments are helping out on an individual basis all companies that are suffering financial damage because of the Libyan crisis.
The assistance package being offered depends on the impact each of the companies is facing.
These measures include accelerated payments of government dues to these companies, and income tax and VAT refunds. These companies will also be asked to temporarily only pay part of the taxes due.
This is being done to reduce tax flow issues these companies are facing. The government is also assisting workers who were employed in Libya.
The government said it is helping companies try to find new markets in Africa.