We are happy to share our latest newsletter with your kind self. We are pleased to announce that our team has recently grown with a new Senior Manager taking Ġemma’s lead, Dr. Marika Enriquez. Dr. Enriquez has been working in the social field for the
past 8 years and appreciates the importance of providing each and every person with the best tools possible to properly administer his/ her assets.
As Ġemma we look forward to continuing providing our services to the Maltese public, to build further on our strengths and to explore new ways of bettering our services for your benefit. Over the past months we have continued reaching out to different target groups: to schoolaged children, even through story telling initiatives within public libraries. We have continued providing training for the 60+ community with the
support of the Active Ageing Centres. Training was also provided to private entities, with highly regarded companies seeking our assistance to further educate their employees. We have also been providing advise to private entities on how to introduce the Voluntary Occupational Retirement Pension Scheme (VORPS).
We encourage you to continue following us for new initiatives that can benefit you on a personal level. We are hard at work to provide you with all the information you need in the most efficient and easily accessible manner possible. We also encourage any private companies to get in touch so that we can discuss organising financial literacy initiatives that are tailor made for your company ’s needs.
Ġemma newsletter
CREDITS
All Members
Ġemma Team
All Contributors
Freelancers
Content Coordinator
Daniela Xuereb
Proof-Reading
Helena Holland
Grazio Barbara
Graphics Production
Peter Miceli Saydon
Distribution
Archibald Attard
Media Editor MSPC
Tonio Bonello
ĠEMMA Newsletter is another publication produced and distributed by the Ministry for Social Policy and Children’s Rights. Along with this newsletter, the Ministry produces several other publications under the brand name FAMILJA.
FAMILJA AĦJAR is an annual publication aimed at informing the general public about the measures announced in the last budget. Once a year
SUPPLIMENT SPEĊJALI
FAMILJA is produced conveying content related to a specific entity and its services within MSPC. On a quarterly basis RIVISTA FAMILJA seeks to inform the readers with the holistic works of the Ministry combined with socio-cultural themes of general interest.
If you would like to subscribe to our publications, please click here.
Il-Litteriżmu Finanzjarju: Iċ-ċavetta għal soċjetà aktar reżiljenti
F’dawn l-aħħar snin tnedew ħafna inizjattivi edukattivi madwar iddinja biex jittejbu l-kompetenza
finanzjarja u l-għarfien ekonomiku talpubbliku, speċjalment fost dawk meqjusa bħala ‘mhux esperti’ f’dan il-qasam.
Il-litteriżmu finanzjarju jipprovdi għodod importanti liċ-ċittadini biex jgħinhom isiru aktar reżiljenti għallimpatti finanzjarji. Anke meta jiġu biex jimmaniġġjaw il-finanzi tagħhom ta’ kuljum, ċittadini infurmati jkunu f’pożizzjoni aħjar biex jieħdu deċiżjonijiet li jissodisfaw il-ħtiġijiet u l-aspirazzjonijiet tagħhom. Pereżempju, meta jiddakkru bil-kultura tat-tfaddil u jagħmlu dan b’mod tajjeb, ikunu aktar kapaċi jiffaċċjaw kundizzjonijiet ekonomiċi ħżiena speċjalment meta dawn ma jkunux antiċipati.
Il-Litteriżmu Finanzjarju u l-Banek Ċentrali
Għal ħafna banek ċentrali, il-promozzjoni tal-litteriżmu finanzjarju mhijiex prijorità ewlenija. Ilpandemija talCOVID-19 kienet tfakkira li fid-dinja jaf jiġru avvenimenti mhux mistennija u ta’ malajr. Il-litteriżmu finanzjarju huwa għodda essenzjali biex wieħed jieħu ħsieb il-finanzi
personali b’mod tajjeb u bil-galbu. Dan sabiex ikun imħejji għal dak li mhux mistenni. Il-kontribut tal-banek ċentrali għat-tisħiħ talkapaċità finanzjarja u l-litteriżmu ekonomiku taċ-ċittadini huwa investiment fl-għarfien li, skont Benjamin Franklin, “dejjem iħallas l-aħjar rata ta’ imgħax”. Għalhekk, f’dawn l-aħħar snin il-banek ċentrali mpenjaw ruħhom dejjem aktar sabiex filpubblikazzjonijiet tagħhom jagħtu aktar informazzjoni ta’ natura edukattiva. Barra minn hekk, bdew jagħtu aktar importanza għallattivitajiet edukattivi bħala parti millfunzjonijiet tagħhom.
B’mod ġenerali, l-attivitajiet ta’ edukazzjoni finanzjarja tal-banek ċentrali huma maħsuba biex jikkumplimentaw il-programmi offruti mis-sistema edukattiva fil-pajjiż.
Litteriżmu Finanzjarju fil-Bank Ċentrali ta’ Malta
Il-Bank Ċentrali ta’ Malta ilu għal bosta snin jippromwovi l-litteriżmu finanzjarju b’diversi modi sabiex iċ-ċittadini jifhmu aħjar li l-mod kif imexxu
l-finanzi tagħhom huwa ta’ benefiċċju mhux biss għalihom infushom, imma għall-pajjiż ukoll. Fl-2020 daħal fis-seħħ Memorandum ta’ Ftehim għal Sħubija
Strateġika – Plan, Know, Act – bejn ĠEMMA u l-Bank Ċentrali ta’ Malta. Iż-żewġ partijiet irrikonoxxew il-ħtieġa li jinvolvu ruħhom malpubbliku, l-impjegati, il-korpi kostitwiti, l-għaqdiet mhux governattivi, u partijiet ikkonċernati rilevanti oħra, fit-twettiq ta’ inizjattivi ta’ għarfien, komunikazzjoni, informazzjoni u taħriġ relatati mal-immaniġġjar tal-flus. L-għan ta’ din is-sħubija strateġika hu li jkun hemm użu aktar effettiv u effiċjenti tar-riżorsi tal-partijiet fis-isħubija.
Pubblikazzjonijiet tal-Bank Ċentrali
Ir-riċerka hija l-għodda analitika li tiggwida lillbanek ċentrali fiddeċiżjonijiet tagħhom. Irriċerka li ssir fil-Bank Ċentrali ta’ Malta tħares lejn firxa wiesgħa ta’ oqsma u tiġi ppubblikata f’perjodiċi, rapporti, diskorsi, u dokumenti ta’ ħidma mill-impjegati talBank. Biex ngħinu lillpubbliku u nħeġġu li titqanqal diskussjoni dwar suġġetti ta’ rilevanza għall-Bank, bdew jiġu ppubblikati artikli ta’ riċerka miktuba b’lingwaġġ inqas tekniku fuq diversi gazzetti, kemm bil-Malti kif ukoll bl-Ingliż.
Użu tas-sit elettroniku
ħafna minnhom jinkludu grafika u materjal viżiv ieħor biex tkun aktar faċli għall-pubbliku ġenerali biex jifhem u janalizza.
Użu tal-midja soċjali
Il-miġja tal-midja soċjali aktar minn għaxar snin ilu tat lill-istituzzjonijiet għodod ġodda b’saħħithom biex jinfurmaw u jiddjalogaw mal-pubbliku. Ħafna banek ċentrali jqisu lmidja soċjali bħala mezz effettiv u importanti ta’ komunikazzjoni kif ukoll biex jippromwovu llitteriżmu finanzjarju. IlBank Ċentrali ta’ Malta huwa preżenti fuq Facebook, X (li qabel kien Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, u YouTube. Dawn il-mezzi tal-midja soċjali qed juru li huma għodod importanti biex jintlaħaq il-pubbliku ġenerali.
Mużew tal-Muniti
Bħala riżultat talpożizzjoni ġeografika tagħhom, il-Gżejjer Maltin kienu maħkuma minn diversi qawwiet barranin, mill-Kartaġiniżi sal-Ingliżi. Din il-kullana tal-bidliet fil-poter wieħed jista’ japprezzaha fi żjara lillMużew tal-Muniti li lBank jospita fil-foyer tiegħu. Il-Mużew huwa miftuħ għall-pubbliku mingħajr ħlas matul ilħinijiet tal-uffiċċju talBank. Il-Mużew jesibixxi muniti u karti tal-flus li kienu użati matul diversi ħakmiet barranin, dawk li inħarġu biddeċimalizzazzjoni li seħħet fl-1972, u lintroduzzjoni tal-euro fl2008. Il-Mużew jinkludi
wkoll muniti għal qalb il-kollezzjonisti u muniti kommemorattivi maħruġa mill-Bank matul is-snin.
Librerija
Il-Librerija tal-Bank Ċentrali ta’ Malta għandha waħda millaktar kollezzjonijiet ta’ kotba prestiġjużi f’Malta f’dak li għandu x’jaqsam mal-banek, il-finanzi u lekonomija. Bl-iżviluppi teknoloġiċi li seħħew flaħħar snin, il-Librerija qed tiżviluppa wkoll f’waħda elettronika sabiex tiffaċilita aktar laċċess għall-pubbliku għal skopijiet ta’ riċerka u fejn jista’ jinħoloq dibattitu fuq pjattaforma virtwali. L-edukazzjoni finanzjarja tfittex li ttejjeb il-litteriżmu finanzjarju tal-pubbliku ġenerali, billi tipprovdilhom l-għodod u l-informazzjoni li jeħtieġu biex jieħdu deċiżjonijiet aktar infurmati. Għalkemm sar progress f’dan ilqasam, hemm lok għal aktar tisħiħ fledukazzjoni ekonomika u finanzjarja. Il-Bank Ċentrali ta’ Malta jkompli jkun impenjat li jkompli jappoġġja ledukazzjoni finanzjarja permezz ta’ firxa ta’ inizjattivi mmirati lejn faxex differenti tassoċjetà f’pajjiżna, blgħan li jgħinhom sabiex ikunu dejjem aktar finanzjarjament reżiljenti. Din twassal ukoll għal pajjiż aktar b’saħħtu fi żminijiet ta’ kundizzjonijiet ekonomiċi inqas favorevoli.
Is-sit elettroniku tal-Bank jipprovdi l-aħħar informazzjoni finanzjarja dwar suġġetti bħallinflazzjoni, il-bilanċ talpagamenti, l-istabbiltà finanzjarja, l-investiment u l-protezzjoni mill-frodi. Ilpubblikazzjonijiet kollha huma disponibbli b’xejn fil-format elettroniku u Emmanuel Cachia Maniġer
Budget-friendly Christmas gatherings
Now is the perfect time to start planning for Christmas. Yes, it’s still November and no, it’s not too early. Thinking ahead will save you both time and money.
The holiday season is a time for celebration, but it may come with a long list of expenses. We’re here to help make Christmas an enjoyable experience without creating a financial burden. Below are some tips to help you plan budgetfriendly meals for your Christmas gatherings:
Put together a list of guests: figure out who’s coming for dinner, make a menu, and prepare a grocery list.
Plan a potluck: If it’ s an informal get-together invite your close friends or family members to bring over a dish to share. This is a great way to cut costs and enjoy a variety of food.
Use simple, seasonal ingredients: In produce like root vegetables, pumpkin and cabbage are hearty and perfect for budget meals.
Batch cook in advance: Prepare large portions of certain dishes ahead of time and freeze them. When the day arrives, you have less food to prepare and cook, reducing your time in the kitchen.
Shop for affordable protein options: Instead of expensive cuts of turkey, consider more economical options like chicken or plant-based dishes. They can be satisfying and easy on the wallet.
Keep it simple: There’ s no need for 10 different recipes – keep things simple for hassle-free Christmas dinners.
Amanda Lia Freelancer
Click here to discover simple, delicious and wallet-friendly recipes prepared by Peter, a dedicated member of the ĠEMMA team.
Fl-edizzjoni tas
xahar ta’ Mejju, it Ġemma, ippubblika artiklu bit-tema “Il-Maġija u l
Dan l-artiklu tkellem fuq il kunċett tal-flus u kif il għandhom jigu mqassma sew. Spikkat l bilanċ bejn ix bżonnijiet, fejn il jieħdu prijorità. Ġie rrakkomandat li wieħed jagħmel baġit biex isegwi flusu b’mod effiċjenti u jżomm kontroll fuq l
It-tim ta’ Ġemma jixtieq jgħid prosit u jawgura lil Maria Borg Bartolo li kienet ir rebbieħa tal-kompetizzjoni li kienet tikkonsisti f it-tema tal-flus. Maria Borg Bartolo ppreparat dan il
Hello Ħbieb!
Jien jisimni Maria Borg Bartolo u għadni kemm għalaqt disa' snin. Nattendi s-Sacred Heart College u nħobb ħafna nitgħallem u nilgħab mal-ħbieb l-iskola. Abbonajt mas-Sagħtar dan laħħar u l-hena tieghi naqra xi artiklu bil-Malti, kif ukoll nagħmel it-tislibiet. Ħadt gost immens meta sirt naf li rbaħt l-ewwel kompetizzjoni ta' Ġemma. Din kienet tisliba bbazata fuq il-flus, u permezz tagħha, tkellimt ħafna mal-mama' dwar flus u staqsejtha ħafna mistoqsijiet dwar dan issuġġett. Jien għandi ħafna kurzità u dejjem nara x'ħa nitgħallem ġdid! Tgħallimt ukoll kif nista' nġemma u nuża l-flus tiegħi bl-aħjar mod għal meta nikber.
Grazzi Ġemma!
SKOLASAJF
The "Skolasajf 2024" session for children aged 7 to 8 and 9 to 11 years focused on introducing the concept of financial capability in an engaging and interactive manner. During this summer, 147 sessions were delivered in 47 centres around Malta and Gozo. The 3-hour session began with the theme "Life is My Adventure," highlighting that life is full of exciting opportunities, much like an adventure, however the emphasis was that for adventures we need money and from a young age children need to learn to make wise financial choices. Key concepts covered included the importance of understanding money as a tool for achieving life adventures, earning versus spending, and distinguishing between
needs and wants. Through discussions, children learned that needs are essential for living a healthy life, while wants are nonessential items that bring joy. The presentation introduced the "treasure jar" concept, a practical way for kids to save money for specific goals, visually tracking their progress.
The session emphasised on smart spending strategies, such as comparing prices, creating shopping lists, saving for special items, and seeking advice from trusted adults. An engaging activity titled "The Toy Store Adventure" illustrated how children should make informed spending decisions. At the end of the session, participants were invited to take part in a competition to reinforce their learning and creativity while offering a chance to
win prizes.
The winners of the 7 to 8 years category are Michele Attard, Tayshaun Scholtc and Vedad Musanovic from Sta Venera Centre. The winners of the 9 to 11 years category are Ethan Raphael Noronha, Anastasiia Demianenko, Matilde D'Aiello, Eli Xuereb and Carolina Kellehe Astriabt from Sliema Centre. The prizes were presented by the Hon Minister Dr. Michael Falzon during an event which was held on 29th August 2024 at St. James Cavalier.
The GEMMA team would like to congratulate the winners and all the students for participating eagerly in these competitions. The best part of competition is that we get to discover what we are capable of and how much more we can do than we ever believed is possible.
Join the Financial Literacy Crossword Challenge!
ACROSS
3. The name of a card that takes your money directly from your bank account (5)
7. Expenses that change based on consumption (8)
9. A savings strategy to prepare for when you stop working (10,4)
11. You will have this if you owe money to someone (4)
12. This term refers to money set aside for future emergencies (7)
14. The potential to lose money on an investment (4)
DOWN
1. Money returned to you after filing your tax return (3,6)
2. This is a legal document that specifies how your belongings (assets) are distributed after death (4)
4. What term refers to the rate at which the general level of price for goods and services is rising? (9)
5. What is it called when you grow your money by putting it into stocks? (10)
6. The process of planning your income against expenses or savings (9)
8. You must pay this if you borrow money (8)
10. The amount of income left after tax and national insurance deductions (3)
13. Fraudulent schemes designed to steal your money (5)
Test your financial knowledge and have fun by participating in our crossword competition! Complete the crossword, take a clear photo of your solution, and email it to
gemma@gov.mt, along with your full name and contact details. The winner will receive worth of €60 One4All vouchers. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity. Submit the correct solution today and you could be the lucky winner!
ĠEMMA’S UPCOMING EVENTS
20th November 2024 10.00 am 60+ Sessions at Pembroke Money Management
24th November 2024 Ġemma participates in Pjazza Pedonali, Il-Għargħur
27th November 2024 10.00 am 60+ Sessions at Pembroke Money Management
9th January 2025 6.30pm
16 January 2025 6.30 pm
17th January 2025 7.00 pm
23rd January 2025 6.30 pm
24th January 2025 7.00 pm
30th January 2025 6.30 pm
31st January 2025 7.00 pm
7th February 2025 7.00 pm
18 February 2025 4.30 to 6.30 pm
25th March 2025 4.30 to 6.30 pm
Ġemma Financial Literacy Sessions in collaboration with Ħal Kirkop Local Council - Daily Money Management and Budgeting
Ġemma Financial Literacy Sessions in collaboration with Ħal Kirkop Local Council - Saving for Retirement and Private Pension Plans
Ġemma Financial Literacy Sessions in collaboration with Is-Siġġiewi Local Council - Daily Money Management and Budgeting
Ġemma Financial Literacy Sessions in collaboration with Ħal Kirkop Local Council & MFSA - Scams & Frauds
Ġemma Financial Literacy Sessions in collaboration with Is-Siġġiewi Local Council - Saving for Retirement and Private Pension Plans
Ġemma Financial Literacy Sessions in collaboration with Ħal Kirkop Local Council and MBA - Different Types of Cards and Cashless Payment
Ġemma Financial Literacy Sessions in collaboration with Is-Siġġiewi Local Council & MFSA - Scams & Frauds
Ġemma Financial Literacy Sessions in collaboration with Is-Siġġiewi Local Council and MBA - Different Types of Cards and Cashless Payment
Financial Capability Session for tutors organised in collaboration with Institute for Education. Register here. (closing date for registrations: 24th January 2025)
Financial Capability Session for parents and guardians organised in collaboration with Institute for Education. Register here. (closing date for registrations: 21st February 2025)
