ACT No. XIX of 2025 AN ACT to amend the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development Act, Cap. 431.

I assent.

(L.S.)

MYRIAM SPITERI DEBONO

President

22nd July, 2025

ACT No. XIX of 2025

AN ACT to amend the Malta Council for Economic and Social

Development Act, Cap. 431.

BE IT ENACTED by the President, by and with the advice and

consent of the House of Representatives, in this present Parliament

assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-

The short title of this Act is the Malta Council for Economic

and Social Development (Amendment) Act, 2025 and this Act shall be

read and construed as one with the Malta Council for Economic and

Social Development Act, hereinafter referred to as the "principal Act".

Article 2 of the principal Act shall be amended as follows

(a) immediately before the definition "civil society"

there shall be added the following new definition

" "Chief Executive Officer" means the Chief

Executive Officer of the Council appointed in accordance

with article 7;"

(b) immediately after the definition "Council" there shall

be added the following new definition

" "Forum" means the Young Shapers Forum as

established by article 6B;".

Immediately after sub-article (6) of article 4 of the principal Amendment of

article 4 of the

Act there shall be added the following new sub-article

principal Act.

"(7) The Chief Executive Officer shall attend for all

Council meetings in his capacity as Chief Executive Officer and

shall also act as secretary of the Council, and shall have the duty

to ensure that a record of all minutes and decisions taken during

such meetings is kept, which minutes shall be drafted by the

Chief Executive Officer or a person delegated by him

Provided that the Chief Executive Officer shall not

have the right to vote during such meetings.".

Immediately after article 6A of the principal Act there shall be Addition of new

article to the

added the following new article

principal Act.

(1) There shall be a Young Shapers Forum

which shall, as much as possible, be representative of

children aged between eleven (11) and (15) years, in

order to promote the active participation of the said

children in relation to issues of sustainable national

economic and social development for future

generations.

(2) The Forum shall be composed of five (5)

members, appointed by the Minister upon the advice of

the Commissioner for Children and shall be listed in a

register held by the Commissioner for Children.

(3) The members of the Forum shall consist of

children aged between eleven (11) and fifteen (15) years,

representing all schools in Malta, provided that where

possible these children shall represent the island of Gozo

and various demographies.

(4) The Forum shall have the following functions

which shall be carried out in relation to the sustainable

national economic and social development for future

generations

(a) assist and provide its views to the

Council in the promotion of active civic

engagement of children aged between eleven (11)

and (15) years and the well-being of future

generations;

(b) provide its views to the Council in

those issues which are referred by the Council to

the Forum;

(c) facilitate intergenerational dialogue

and cooperation to address issues which are of

interest to children aged between eleven (11) and

(15) years and the Council.

(5) Appointments of all members to the Forum

shall be made for a period of one (1) year which

commences on the date of appointment, and members

may be reappointed.

(6) The Forum shall be invited by the Council at

least five (5) times a year, to present the views of the

Forum and to discuss matters referred to it by the

Council.".

5. Article 7 of the principal Act shall be substituted by the

following new article

(1) The Minister shall appoint a Chief

Executive Officer, who among his responsibilities shall

be responsible for the implementation of the objectives

of the Council in the exercise of its functions and

without prejudice to such generality shall

(a) assume full responsibility for the

exercise of his powers under the direction of the

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry responsible

for social dialogue;

(b) assume full responsibility for the

administration and organisation and the

administrative control of the officers and

employees of the Council and for such purpose,

assign to each officer or employee such duties as

may be required;

(c) direct and assume final responsibility

for any logistics relating to Council meetings and

events;

(d) assume responsibility for all operations

relating to external communication and public

relations in connection with the work being carried

out by the Council, provided that the consent of the

Council shall be obtained prior to the publication

of any statement on behalf of the constituted bodies

of the Council;

(e) develop the necessary strategies for

the implementation of objectives of the Council

and the Committee and take the necessary actions

for the implementation of such;

(f) provide the necessary support, being

both administrative and secretarial, required by

the Council, the Committee or any subcommittee

that the Council may appoint from time to time;

(g) ensure the provision of all information

required by the Council and, or the Committee, as

may be required, for the effective carrying out of

their functions;

(h) provide information and carry out

preparatory work for the purpose of the Council’s

budget proposals, accounts and activity reports of

the Council, and oversee and assess the execution

of these tasks;

(i) ensure that the Council and its

committees operate in adherence to the

Government financial regulations;

(j) advise the Council on any matter that

it may refer to him or on any matter which he

considers necessary or expedient;

(k) ensure that as far as possible, the

Council and the organs under its remit are

provided with accessibility to the research and

resources necessary for them to perform their

duties;

(l) draft the agenda of the Council in

accordance with the guidance and requests of the

members of the Council, in conformity with article

5(3);

(m) ensure the maintenance of direct

communication between the members of the

Council and the officers or employees of the

Council.

(2) The appointment of the Chief Executive

Officer shall be for a period of three (3) years which

may be renewed, and under such terms and conditions

as the Minister may establish.

(3) In the case that the Chief Executive Officer is a

public officer seconded from the Government, the

officer shall have the right, on the termination of

secondment, to revert to the former post without any

loss of rank or seniority.".

6. Article 9 of the principal Act shall be deleted.

7. Article 10 of the principal Act shall be amended as follows

(a)

sub-articles (1) and (2) thereof shall be deleted;

(b) sub-article (3) thereof shall be substituted by the

following new sub-article

"(3) Cheques drawn on, and cash withdrawals made

from, any bank account of the Council shall be effected in

accordance with the Public Procurement Regulations in

force.";

(c)

sub-article (4) thereof shall be deleted;

(d) immediately after sub-article (4) thereof there shall

be added the following new sub-article

"(5) The Council and all the bodies mentioned in

articles 5A to 6A, including Committees and sub-

committees, shall operate in accordance with the financial

laws applicable to the Government.".

Article 11 shall be substituted by the following new article

The Council and all bodies mentioned in

"Contracts of supply of

works and services.

articles 5A to 6A, including Committees and sub-

committees, shall comply with all the applicable

laws in respect of public procurement and public

contracts.".

9. Article 13 shall be substituted by the following new article

(1) The Chief Executive Officer shall

"Accounts and audit.

ensure that proper accounts and other records in

respect of the operations of the Council are kept,

and shall ensure that a statement of accounts in

respect of each financial year is prepared.

(2) The accounts of the Council shall be

audited by an auditor appointed by the Chief

Executive Officer

Provided that the Minister responsible for

finance may, after consultation with the Minister,

require the books and other accounts of the

Council to be audited or examined by the Auditor

General who shall, for this purpose, have the

power to carry out such physical checking and

other verifications as may be deemed necessary.

(3) After the end of each financial year and in

any case not later than the date on which the

estimates of the Council are forwarded to the

Minister, the Chief Executive Officer shall ensure

that a copy of the statement of accounts duly

audited be transmitted to the Prime Minister, to the

Minister responsible for finance and to the Minister,

together with a copy of any report made by the

auditors on that statement or on the accounts of the

Council.

(4) The Minister shall, as soon as possible,

and in any case not later than eight (8) weeks after

receiving a copy of every such statement and

report, or if at any time during that period the

House of Representatives is not in session, within

eight (8) weeks from the beginning of the next

following session, cause a copy of every such

statement and report to be laid on the Table of the

House of Representatives.

(5) The financial year of the Council shall

commence on the 1st January and shall end on the

31st December of every calendar year

Provided that the accounts of the Council

for the year 2025, shall cover the period from

September 2024 to December 2025.".

Passed by the House of Representatives at Sitting No. 368 of the

16th July, 2025.

ANĠLU FARRUGIA

Speaker

ELEANOR SCERRI

Clerk of the House of Representatives

€0.72