Tonight's 'Gvern li Jisma' saw Economy Minister Chris Cardona as well as Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness Jose Herrera say that they aim to establish 300 such hotspots by the end of 2016.
Currently the Malta Communications Authority operates 192 WI-FI hotspots around the islands.
Minister Cardona mentioned that in the 1st quarter this year, Malta Enterprise approved 8 projects with direct foreign investment, that will see €7.3 million invested over three years. He said that in just two years, 200m2 of industrial land was allocated by the Malta Industrial Parks.
The Minister also mentioned Crafts Village, mentioning that the design for the project is complete and 95% of the operators have signed the contract. Once the EU application for funds is complete, the tendering process will launch and work will begin through a €9 million government investment and a €4 million investment from the operators.
Responding to questions about businesses in Libya, Dr Herrera said that one cannot not give their full support to operators there. "Once Libya again stands on its feet, government will facilitate support so that Maltese companies will begin to work within the Libyan economy".
Dr Herrera was asked about the skills gap and mentioned the gaming sector as an example. In this sector, there are 7,000 foreigners working, out of 10,000. The ICT sector is not a subject area that is 'sexy for women'. MITA will launch initiatives to try and incentivise women into this sector, he said.
Dr Cardona also touched upon the maritime industry, explaining that negotiations relating to the Maritime Hub are coming to a close. He mentioned White Rocks, where an Advance Request for proposals will be published in the coming weeks.
Turning to employment, the Minister mentioned that thus far this year, the number of jobs in Malta grew by 2.7%. "This momentum is expected to continue throughout the year," he said, adding that in real terms, the economy grew by 4%.
He spoke of the Family Business Act, explaining that such businesses tend to die during the second or third generation. "Through Malte Enterprise we want to give incentives to pass them down from one generation to the next".
Jose Herrera said that said that debt in Malta is local and not foreign. He argued that government recently released a number of bonds, which were over-subscribed in just a day.
Dr Herrera mentioned cruise casinos, where the law was changed and allows cruise liners to remain in port while operating a casino. He said one cruise liner has already made use of this.
Turning to the gaming industry, Dr Herrera mentioned that é35 million had been injected into the economy and that the sector grew by 19% last year.