RATIONING ġ S.L.117.08 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 117.08
RATIONING REGULATIONS
15th September, 1956
GOVERNMENT NOTICE 556 of 1956, as amended by Government
Notices 298 and 696 of 1958; Legal Notices 6 of 1959, 39 of 1960, 24 of
1963, 15 of 1964, 99 of 1971, 10 and 30 of 1972, 85 of 1973, 97 and 117 of
1974, 107 of 1975, 10 and 98 of 1976.
Title.
P A R T  I
Definitions
Interpretation.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958;
L.N. 24 of 1963;
L.N. 15 of 1964;
L.N. 10 of 1972;
L.N. 85 of 1973;
L.N. 117 of 1974;
L.N. 107 of 1975;
L.N. 10 of 1976;
L.N. 98 of 1976.
2. In these Regulations -
''baker'' means a person whether in receipt of flour for the baking
of bread or not, who owns or has been lent or who leases a bakery
and the person who is licensed by the Commissioner of Police to
keep a bakery;
''bread'' means bread, other than fancy bread, produced from
subsidised flour, salt and water, with the addition, if necessary, of
yeast and/or any other ingredient to improve quality of the bread as
may be permitted by the Director from time to time;
''bread seller'' means a person who retails bread to customers
registered under these Regulations and is in receipt of flour for the
baking of bread under these Regulations;
'' burdnar '' means a person engaged in the trade of carrying flour;
''butter'' means butter issued for ration purposes;
''distributor'' means a person appointed by the Director to effect
the distribution of one or more rationed commodities to retailers
and other persons;
''commodity'' means any article which is ordinarily sold to the
public but does not include a rationed commodity;
''Director'' means the Director of Trade and includes any officer
of the Department of Trade to whom the Director may from time to
time assign any powers or duties under these Regulations;
''edible oil'' means edible oil issued for ration purposes;
''family'' includes all persons who habitually for not less than
five days in the week sleep in the same tenement and have their
food together, or who sleep in separate tenements in the same area
and have their food together, and also persons within the above
definition as regards sleeping notwithstanding that they take any or
all their meals elsewhere;
''fancy bread'' means bread produced from unsubsidised flour;
''flour'' means all wheat flour, except such parcels thereof that
may be certified by the Sanitary Authorities as unfit for human
2 ġ S.L.117.08 RATIONING
consumption;
''head of the family'' means the member of a family who owns or
has been lent or who leases the tenement in which the family lives;
''miller'' means any person engaged in the production of wheat
flour from imported wheat and includes also the Malta Millers
Association, and any other association of persons performing such
functions;
''paste'' means the paste produced from subsidised flour;
''person'' includes an association of persons;
''ration book'' means any document issued by the Director to
regulate the purchase or sale of rationed commodities, and includes
documents or permits valid only for one purchase or one sale;
''rationed commodity'' means any article mentioned in the
Schedule to these Regulations;
''ration period'' means such period as may be prescribed by the
Director by direction published in the Gazette in respect of the
periodic distribution of rationed commodities;
''retailer'' means any person authorised to sell to the public by
retail any commodity and/or rationed commodity;
''rice'' means rice issued for ration purposes;
''sugar'' means subsidised sugar;
''to supply'' includes, in the case of bakers and/or breadsellers, to
deliver in accordance with such instructions as may be given from
time to time by the Director;
''tinned milk'' means tinned milk issued for ration purposes.
P A R T  II
Control of Rationing Documents and Licences
Licence, ration 
book, etc.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
3. Any licence, ration book, permit, registration form or other
document issued by the Director under these Regulations, by which
or in virtue of which any rationed commodity may be acquired,
shall be personal to the person or family to whom it is issued, and
shall not be transferable unless otherwise provided in the document
itself.
Exchange or 
transfer.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
4. No person shall sell or give in exchange or otherwise
transfer any of the documents referred to in regulation 3 issued in
his name or to him or to a member of his family by the Director as
aforesaid, and no person shall purchase or receive in exchange or
otherwise acquire or have in his possession any such document
which has not been issued in his name or to him or to a member of
his family as aforesaid.
Use of forged 
documents.
Cap. 9.
5. Any person who makes use or attempts to make use of any
forged document of a nature referred to in regulation 3 shall, for all
purposes of the Criminal Code or of any other law, be presumed to
have knowingly made or attempted to make use thereof unless from
the evidence produced as to how and when that person came into
possession of such document the court is satisfied that that person
RATIONING ġ S.L.117.08 3
did not know that the document was forged.
Grant of a licence 
or permit.
6. The grant of a licence or permit under these Regulations
shall not exempt a trader from obtaining any other licence or permit
required by law for the exercise of his trade.
Penalty.
a fine ( multa ) of not less than ten liri but not exceeding fifty liri.
P A R T  III
Control of Registration for Rationed Commodities
Ration book.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
8. A ration book issued by the Director to any head of a
family or to any other authorised person shall be valid for the
purchase of each rationed commodity in accordance with the
quantities entered on the ration book at the time of issue or with
directions given from time to time by the Director and published in
the Gazette.
Director may 
require 
information.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
9. The Director may require any head of a family or his
representative to give information and to sign a declaration on any
matter relating to registration for rationed commodities.
Lost ration book.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
10. (1) Any person who alleges that any ration book issued to
him has been irretrievably lost or destroyed may apply to the
Director who may replace it and may on replacing it impose the
payment of a fee not exceeding one lira.
(2) Any person who, having has such a ration book replaced,
finds the original and fails to return the original to the Director
within seven days or who uses or attempts to use it, shall be guilty
or an offence against these Regulations.
Prohibition to be 
registered for 
rationed 
commodities.
11. No person who is serving in the Armed Forces or with any
other person or authority and who draws rationed commodities in
kind or obtains food from his place of employment shall be
registered for rationed commodities under these Regulations.
Persons not being 
citizens of Malta.
Added by:
L.N. 30 of 1972.
Cap. 217.
12. The Director may, by directions to be published in the
Gazette, provide that any person not being a citizen of Malta (or
class of persons not being citizens of Malta) and permitted to reside
in Malta in terms of the Immigration Act, may be registered for
only such rationed commodities as may be specified in the
direction:
Provided that the Director may not refuse registration for
any commodity unless such commodity is also available on the
open market.
Tourist not to be 
registered for 
rationed 
commodities.
Added by:
L.N. 97 of 1974.
13. No person who is visiting these Islands as a tourist shall be
registered for rationed commodities under these Regulations.
4 ġ S.L.117.08 RATIONING
Persons registered 
for rationed 
commodities.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
14. For the purpose of these Regulations all persons shall be
deemed to be registered for rationed commodities according to the
records held by the Director on the date on which these Regulations
come into operation.
Duty of head of the 
family to report to 
the Director.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
15. When any member of the family dies or ceases even
temporarily to be a member of the said family, the head of that
family shall report the fact to the Director within seven days. It
shall also be the duty of the head of the family to report to the
Director the name of any person joining the family, and of any
change of address of any or of all the members of the family.
Cancellation of 
rationing 
documents.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
16. Where any member of the family is about to leave these
Islands, the head of the family shall present to the Director his
rationing documents for cancellation or adjustment, as the case may
be, and shall obtain from the said Director a certificate that this
obligation has been complied or been dispensed with. Such
certificate must be presented to the Passport Office before
departure from these Islands, in default of which the person
concerned may be prevented from leaving.
Prohibition to 
change retailer, 
bread seller etc.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
17. No head of a family shall be allowed to change the retailer,
bread seller or paste manufacturer with whom he is registered for
the supply of any rationed commodity unless permission for so
doing has been granted by the Director under such conditions as
may be laid down by him.
Offences. 18. It shall be an offence -
( a ) for any head of a family to register any member of his
family more than once at a time;
( b ) for any person to be knowingly registered more than
once at a time;
( c ) for any head of a family or any person in registering or
for the purpose of obtaining any rationed commodity,
to make any statement or to give information which he
knows to be false, or to fail to give any information
which he knows to be relevant;
( d ) for any person to fail to give the information or to sign
a declaration required under regulation 9.
Fines. 19 On conviction for any offence against regulation 10(2), or
any one of regulations 11, 15, 16 and 18, the offender shall be
liable to a fine ( multa ) of not less than ten liri but not exceeding
fifty liri.
PART IV
Control of Production, Distribution, Use or Consumption
Prohibition to 
acquire rationed 
commodities from 
other persons.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.   
20. No person shall acquire rationed commodities from any
person otherwise than in accordance with these Regulations and
with directions given by the Director.
RATIONING ġ S.L.117.08 5
Rationed 
commodities 
authorised by the 
Director.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
21. Distributors, bakers, bread sellers, paste manufacturers,
retailers and  burdnara  shall acquire, from the persons indicated by
the Director during each ration period or during such other period
as the Director may direct, the whole quantity of rationed
commodities authorised by the Director in respect of that period. 
Quantities and 
periods prescribed 
by the Director.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
22. Distributors and paste manufacturers shall supply rationed
commodities to retailers in the quantities and within the period
prescribed in relation to them by the Director in respect of each
ration period, and shall not dispose of any rationed commodity
except as directed by the Director.
Excess of rationed 
commodities.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
23. Retailers, bakers and bread sellers shall supply within each
ration period rationed commodities to each family registered with
them in the quantities shown on the ration book; and they shall not
supply rationed commodities except in accordance with, nor in
excess of, the quantities entered upon the appropriate ration book,
unless such excess is authorised by directions given by the
Director.
Direction to fix 
period of time.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
24. The Director may, by direction to be published in the
Gazette, fix the period of time within which one or more specified
rationed commodities may be withdrawn by consumers from
retailers, bakers or bread sellers. Such direction may also provide
that retailers, bakers or bread sellers may dispose otherwise than in
accordance with ration books of the quantities which have not been
withdrawn within the period of time so specified.
Returns to be 
furnished by 
distributors and 
paste 
manufacturers. 
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
Substituted by:
L.N. 10 of 1972.
25. The Director may by direction to be published in the
Gazette require distributors and paste manufacturers to furnish
returns regarding rationed commodities within such periods as may
be specified in the direction.
Returns to be 
furnished by 
bakers, bread 
sellers and 
retailers. 
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
Substituted by:
L.N. 10 of 1972.
26. The Director may by direction to be published in the
Gazette require bakers, bread sellers and retailers to furnish returns
regarding rationed commodities within such period as may be
specified in the direction.
Disposal of 
rationed 
commodities.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
27. Millers, distributors, paste manufacturers,  burdnara ,
retailers, bakers and bread sellers shall be responsible for the
proper disposal of all rationed commodities issued to them, and any
miller, distributor, paste manufacturer,  burdnar , retailer, baker or
bread seller who is unable to account in accordance with the
provisions of these Regulations, or in directions given by the
Director, for all rationed commodities issued to him shall be
deemed to have disposed illegally of such commodities, unless
from evidence produced the court is satisfied that he exercised all
reasonable care and diligence in the maintenance and disposal of
such commodities.
6 ġ S.L.117.08 RATIONING
Spoiled or 
deteriorated 
rationed 
commodity.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
28. (1) Where any rationed commodity is spoiled, deteriorated
or in any way altered while it is in his possession or control or
while it is being processed or manufactured, every miller,
distributor, paste manufacturer,  burdnar , retailer, baker or bread
seller shall forthwith report the case to the Director.
(2) The Director may direct such miller, distributor, paste
manufacturer,  burdnar , retailer, baker or bread seller to acquire a
fresh supply to replace the rationed commodities so spoiled,
deteriorated or altered under such conditions,  inter alia , as to
quantity and price, as he may determine.
Excess of 
quantities of 
rationed 
commodities.
29. No person shall be in possession of or shall have under his
control rationed commodities in excess of the quantities established
by or under these Regulations and/or in excess of the quantities
shown on the returns made under regulations 25 and 26.
Inspection of 
books, documents, 
etc.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
30. The Director may authorise in writing any person or
persons to inspect, at any reasonable time, the books, documents,
stocks and premises of any trader to whom or by whom rationed
commodities are issued. Any person who hinders or obstructs any
duly authorised person or persons in the performance of his or their
duties under this regulation shall be guilty of an offence.
Prohibition to 
dispose of rationed 
commodity.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
31. No person shall without being in possession of a licence or
a ration book issued by the Director make use of or dispose in any
way of any rationed commodity for any purpose other than that for
which the acquisition of any rationed commodity was allowed, or
in contravention of any of the conditions laid down in the licence or
ration book issued for the acquisition of any rationed commodity:
Provided that heads of families shall not be precluded from
making use of or disposing otherwise than by sale of the rationed
commodities to which they are entitled as heads of families under
these Regulations in any manner they deem fit.
Prohibition to 
manufacture fancy 
bread.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
32. No person shall manufacture fancy bread unless he is
granted a special licence by the Director.
Delivery of flour.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
33.  It shall be the duty of every miller or  burdnar  to deliver to
the person, authorised by the permit issued by the Director, the
quantity of flour specified therein.
Bags of flour. 34. No miller shall issue or keep for issue bags of flour of a net
weight of less than eighty  rtal . Such bags shall have a resisting
label clearly and indelibly bearing the name of the mill, and they
may also be clearly and indelibly marked with the name of the mill
on the outside of the bag. Such label shall be firmly sewn or
attached to the mouth of the bag in such manner that it may not be
detached unless the bag is opened for use.
Carriage of flour.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
35. No  burdnar  shall work in the carriage of flour unless he is
granted a special licence by the Director.
Shape of bread. 36. No bread shall be offered for sale except in the shape either
of one piece oven bottom loaf or of a tin loaf. 
RATIONING ġ S.L.117.08 7
Bread.
Discontinuation of 
trades.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
38. Any distributor, retailer, baker, bread seller or paste
manufacturer who intends to discontinue his trade shall give at
least two months’ notice in writing of his intention to do so to the
Director stating his reason for doing so.
Report to Director 
if baker is unable 
to bake or 
distribute bread.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
39. Any baker who is unable on any day to bake bread, or any
bread seller who is unable on any day to distribute bread, shall
before 9.00 o’clock on the morning of the same day report the
matter to the Director, either personally or through his
representative.
Prohibition to sell 
other than to 
registered 
customers.
40. Subject to any direction given under regulation 24, no
retailer, bread seller or baker may sell bread to persons other than
his registered customer.
Direction by the 
Director.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
Substituted by:
L.N. 117 of 1974.
41. The Director may give such directions to any miller,
distributor,  burdnar , baker, bread seller, retailer, paste
manufacturer or any other person making use of or having under his
control any commodity and/or rationed commodities as he
considers necessary for the maintenance and control of production,
distribution, sale, use or consumption of rationed commodities.
Failure to comply with any such direction shall constitute a breach
of these Regulations.
Offences and 
penalties.
42. On conviction, the offender shall be liable to a fine
( multa )- 
( a ) of not less than fifty liri but not exceeding two
hundred and fifty liri in the case of an offence against
any one of regulations 20, 21, 22, 30, 32, 33 and 38
and, in the case of an offence against regulation 20, the
rationed commodities irregularly acquired shall also
be confiscated;
( b ) of not less than ten liri but not exceeding fifty liri in
the case of an offence against any one of regulations
23, 29, 31, 34 and 35, and in the case of an offence
against 29, the rationed commodities irregularly
possessed or controlled shall also be confiscated;
( c ) of not less than five liri but not exceeding twenty liri
in the case of an offence against any one of regulations
25, 26, 28(1), 36, 37 and 40;
( d ) of not less than one hundred liri but not exceeding five
hundred liri in the case of every and single offence
against any one of regulations 39 and 41;
( e ) of not less than twice and not more than four times the
profit made by the offender in connection with the
transaction in contravention of regulation 27 and if the
profit made by the offender in contravention of
regulation 27 cannot be assessed by the court, then the
offender shall be liable to a fine ( multa ) of not less
than one hundred liri but not exceeding one thousand
8 ġ S.L.117.08 RATIONING
liri.
P A R T  V
Control of Establishments
Interpretation. 43. In this part -
''establishment'' means any catering establishment and includes
hotels which have their restaurants open to the public, restaurants,
cafes, bars and any other places of refreshment open to the public,
clubs, hostels, boarding houses and other similar establishments,
but does not include any establishment under the control, directly
or indirectly, of the Maltese Government;
''food'' means any article of food which is cooked or prepared and
any beverage with the exception of wine, beer, spirituous liquor
and aerated water or other non-alcoholic drinks;
''management'' means the person or persons actually in charge of
the catering of any establishment, either because he owns or runs or
they own or run the establishment or because he is or they are under
a contract, oral or written, to supply food in an establishment, and
includes the licensees of the establishment;
''supply'' includes keep in an establishment and offer or attempt
to supply.
Prohibition to 
supply food for 
consumption in 
any establishment.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
44. The Director may, by direction, prohibit any article of food
from being supplied for consumption in any establishment and
specify conditions under which articles of food may be supplied.
Supply of food for 
manufacture and 
consumption.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
45. The management of any establishment, confectioners and
manufacturers of cheese-cakes, pies and hard biscuits shall obtain
rationed commodities for the purpose of supplying food for
manufacture and consumption, only from such traders as the
Director may specify and under such conditions as may be laid
down by him.
Prices to be 
displayed.
46. The management of any establishment shall display in a
conspicuous place in the establishment the price of every article of
food supplied therein for consumption.
Offences and 
penalties.
47. On conviction, the offender shall be liable to a fine
( multa )-
( a ) of not less than ten liri but not exceeding fifty liri in
the case of an offence against any one of regulations
44 and 45;
( b ) of not less than five liri but not exceeding twenty liri
in the case of an offence against regulation 46.
RATIONING ġ S.L.117.08 9
P A R T  VI
General
Compliance with 
conditions.
Amended by:
G.N. 298 of 1958.
48. In issuing any licence of permit under these Regulations
the Director may impose such conditions as he may deem fit. Any
holder of a licence or permit who contravenes or fails to comply
with any such conditions shall be deemed to have acted without a
licence or permit.
Offences by an 
association of 
persons.
49. When an offence under these Regulations has been
committed by an association of persons, every person who, at the
time of the commission of the offence, was a director or officer of
the association shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence, unless
he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge
and that he exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of
the offence.
Applicability. 
anything contained in any other enactment or regulations.
Previous licences 
and permits.
51. Licences and permits issued or granted under previous
Rationing Regulations shall be deemed to have been issued or
granted for the purposes of these Regulations.
Offences against 
regulations.
52. All offences against these Regulations shall,
notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, be cognizable by the
Court of Magistrates (Malta) or the Court of Magistrates (Gozo).
Amended by:
G.N. 696 of 1958.
L.N. 6 of 1959;
L.N. 39 of 1960;
L.N. 99 of 1971;
L.N. 85 of 1973;
L.N. 107 of 1975;
L.N. 98 of 1976.
SCHEDULE 
(Regulation 2)
Bread
Butter
Edible Oil
Flour
Imported wheat
Paste
Rice
Semolina
Sugar
Tinned Milk (except powdered milk)
