Supporting The Public Sector of Malta
Education
Public spending on education was 5.8 per cent of GDP in 2008. There are 11 years of compulsory education starting at the age of five. A combination of state, private and religious institutions provide an extensive education system. Church schools are subsidised by the government and their tuition is free.
The main public universities are the University of Malta and Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology in Paola. There are a number of private colleges and universities.
Health
In 2010 Malta’s public spending on health was six per cent of GDP, equivalent to US$1,697 per capita. Health care in Malta relies on a combination of private and statutory systems, with care in the public sector highly centralised and rehabilitation services available in public health centres and hospitals; people with low incomes are ‘means tested’ to determine if they qualify for access to free pharmaceuticals. The Ministry of Health, Elderly and Community Care is responsible for all health services including policy and planning, health promotion and primary care, as implemented through the nine departments in the Health Division. There are eight public health centres offering primary health care, supplemented by a variety of specialised services, and a further 42 clinics around the country. Many residents opt for the services of private general practitioners and specialists in the primary care setting. There are two private hospitals offering secondary and tertiary care and five public hospitals, the principal being Mater Dei, which offers a full range of secondary and tertiary medical services.
Transport
Mass privatisation, rather than the implementation of public–private partnerships, has characterised Malta’s transport sector over the past decades, particularly of marine facilities. Yacht Marinas, formerly operated by the Malta Maritime Authority (MMA), was contracted out to the private sector in 2009–10. MIMCOL advised the privatisation unit on the process, which awarded a concession for the operation and management of three yacht marina facilities: Msida Yachting Centre (Msida Gardens), Ta’ Xbiex Yachting Centre and Mgarr (Gozo) Marina. Similarly, in 2009–11 the government contracted out the operation of the facilities of Malta’s shipyards to Manoel Island Yacht Yard Consortium, and Palumbo SpA. In 2004, the government signed an agreement for the 30-year concession of Malta Freeport with the CMA-CGM Group, which granted it the right to operate and develop the site.
Airports: The Gudja International Airport, 6 km south of Valletta, remains public. MIMCOL has been tasked with divesting Air Malta’s subsidiaries, before the eventual voluntary dissolution and concluding of the holding company and its subsidiaries.