In this scheme, unless the context otherwise requires:

‘applicant’ means the person applying for the grant and who, apart from being a person residing in Malta, is the purchaser of the fitness equipment.  When the applicant is under the age of 16 as on the date of application, one of the parents or the legal guardian must apply on his/her behalf;

‘effective date’ means 1st January 2013;

‘date of purchase’ means the date on which the entire purchase price of the fitness equipment was paid by the applicant.

‘fitness equipment’ means any equipment similar to the ones found in fitness centres but intended for home use, purchased by a person residing in Malta for the sole use at his/her residence.  This includes treadmills, air walkers, ab machines, rowing equipment, dumbbells, steppers, etc, however, it does not include attire such as track suits, kits, gloves and similar items.  This fitness equipment must be confirmed by the Kunsill Malti għall-Isport that it qualifies under such interpretation;

‘Malta’ means the islands of Malta;

‘Minister’ means the Minister for Finance;

‘person’ means a natural person and does not include any organisational entity;

‘person residing in Malta’ means a  person who either holds an identity card in terms of the Identity Card Act (Cap. 258) or who has a residence permit or a letter issued from the expatriate office at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs;

‘fiscal receipt’ means a receipt as defined in the Thirteenth Schedule to the Value Added Tax (Chap. 406), as subsequently amended, and also includes any regulation made by the same Act;

‘purchase price of the fitness equipment’ means the total purchase price of  the complete sport equipment including VAT, and which purchase price have been paid in full by the applicant prior to applying for this grant.

This scheme applies to the expenditure that is incurred once only on the purchase price of the fitness equipment bought by the applicant or for the applicant, in the case of an applicant under the age of sixteen, for his/her personal use on the effective date or afterwards during the duration of the scheme.  The applicant is entitled to a once-only grant on the  purchase of a fitness equipment.

The expenditure to be reported is in respect of the purchase price of the fitness equipment as defined in section (1) above.

(i) Applications under this scheme shall be made in the form, from the websites: (www.finance.gov.mt) or (www.sportmalta.org.mt), and shall contain all the information, details and documents as required in the said form and in terms of this scheme.

(ii) Applications shall be accompanied by the documents shown hereunder:

(a) a copy of the Identity Card of the applicant, or, in the absence of an Identity Card a copy of any other official document as referred to in the interpretation of a ‘person residing in Malta’ in Section I of this scheme. When the applicant is under the age of sixteen, the parent/s or legal guardian/s applying on the applicant’s behalf should produce a copy of his/her Identity Card, or in the absence of the Identity Card a copy of any other official document as described in Section 1, as well as the applicant’s junior Identity Card or, in the absence of the latter, the official birth certificate;

(b) the original fiscal receipt relating to the purchase of the fitness equipment, together with the original invoice indicating the type of fitness equipment purchased.

In the case of fitness equipment not purchased from Malta the original invoice issued by the supplier indicating the type of fitness equipment purchased, together with the delivery note, the original documentary proof that final payment has been effected, and clearance from Maltapost/Department of Customs Malta as may be required. These documents must confirm that: the fitness equipment was really purchased by the applicant or on behalf of the applicant in the case of a minor under the age of sixteen; the purchase price of the fitness equipment, which price includes duty and VAT as may be required was really paid in full; such a purchase was effected by the applicant for the applicant and the equipment was delivered to the applicant’s residence. The purchased fitness equipment must also have a certificate of conformity with EU standard safety regulations, as may be required;

(c) in the case of fitness equipment purchased from Malta an official document, bearing the supplier’s letterhead, listing the details of the fitness equipment purchased, in particular its serial number (if any), the type of fitness equipment  and the name and I.D card number of the purchaser;

(d) any other document which the Minister may, from time to time, require.

(iii) Only those applications that are found to conform with the provisions of this scheme shall be eligible for payment of the grant referred to in section 5 of the scheme.

(iv) Applications under this scheme, including the documents which are required to be filed with the application, shall be submitted to  ‘Grant Scheme on the purchase of Fitness Equipment,  Regulatory Affairs Department, Kunsill Malti għall-Isport, Cottonera Sports Complex Cospicua, BML 9020’, by not later than three months from the purchase of the fitness equipment.  Applications received after this three month period shall be deemed to be invalid applications. Application forms are available on www.finance.gov.mt or on (www.sportmalta.org.mt).

Eligible applicants may apply for a once only grant of 15.25% on the purchase price of the fitness equipment subject to a maximum grant of €100 (one hundred  euro).

The grant will be paid to the applicant, or to the parent/s/legal guardian/s in the case of applicants under the age of 16, by cheque posted to the address shown on the application.

An application shall not be deemed to have been submitted unless it is full and complete in all material respects and unless it contains all the information and is accompanied by all documentation requested therein.  If the application is not completed correctly and the relevant documents are not included, the application form shall not be processed unless the missing information is provided.  The KMS shall inform the applicant to request the missing information.

This scheme has a definite duration and shall start as from the effective date, and ends on the 31st December 2013, until this scheme is not modified/terminated beforehand by means of a Notice in the Government Gazette. The scheme shall be automatically terminated when 1,000 eligible applicants have benefited from this grant scheme. Notwithstanding, Government may terminate the scheme at any time by giving prior notice in the Government Gazette.

The scheme may be renewed as deemed necessary by the Minister by a Notice in the Government Gazette.

The Minister reserves the right to make any amendments to this scheme by the publication of the said amendments in the Government Gazette.

Applications made under this scheme relating to the expenditure on the purchase price of the fitness equipment, and which purchase was carried out between the effective date and the date of publication of this Notice shall be deemed to be valid applications under this scheme. In such cases applications shall be submitted within three months from the date of publication of this Notice. Applications received after this three month period shall be deemed to be invalid applications.

– Friday, 9th August, 2013