The budgetary allocation for the culture sector in 2019 is being increased by 18% for a total of €82.2 million, Justice and Culture Minister Owen Bonnici told Parliament on Wednesday morning.

Bonnici said this was a clear sign that this economic niche is growing steadily.

The minister noted that the budget allocated for Festivals Malta will be increasing by 61%, bringing the total allocation to €2.4 million.

There will also be a 50% increase for Arts Council Malta initiatives, which translates into €4.6 million. The council's funding programme is being increased by 11%, for a total of €2.4 million.

€20.5 million are being allocated for Public Cultural Organisations, an increase of 17% from last year.

Another €170,000 are being allocated for fireworks factories, allowing them to make improvements in health and safety standards.

 Bonnici said 2018 was a "memorable" year for the culture sector. "We saw the first Premju għall-Arti edition, a prestigious prize which recognises our artists excellent work, and on another occasion, 8 young artists have benefited from a new fund - the Young Talend Fund.

The Band Club fund was launched for the second time round, whilst 27 Firework Factories who work on a voluntary basis have benefited from a fund which will help them increase and strengthen their work safety.

Just last week, we announced that through a €1,000,000 project, 250 public sector employees will benefit from training to increase efficiency and professionalisation within the culture sector," the minister said.

During his speech, he also referred to the establishment of an Agency, which will carry on Valletta 2018's cultural legacy.

He stated that the National Culture Policy will be launched by the end of 2019.

Bonnici said a total of 29 restoration projects were completed in Valletta, whilst other numerous restoration projects were undertaken within our localities.

He also mentioned a €300,000 investment to establish an Underwater Cultural Heritage Unit.

He also mentioned the budget scheme which will see students, and up to two adults visit all Heritage Malta sites for free. Bonnici said there were more than 1.2 million visits at Heritage Malta sites last year.

Turning to the justice sector, Bonnici said the government had introduced several reforms, all of which were "a step forward in strengthening our rule of law and democracy."

These included the barring of prescription on crimes of corruption by politicians, the new media and defamation law, the strengthening of the Commission of the Administration of Justice and the setting up of the Asset Recovery Bureau.

Next year's principal reforms include the mediation system for the Rent Regulation Board, the improvement of accessibility to Court services so that more services are available online, investing in Legal Aid and the Notarial Archives digitisation launch.