Malta Chamber of SMEs meets Prime Minister Robert Abela as part of Pre-Budget discussions
20 September 2024
On Friday 20th September the Malta Chambers of SMEs met Prime Minister Robert Abela and...
There is no other stronger word than idiots. What has been written or stated by a section of the media about Green MT recently is nothing but dirty lies and insinuations aimed at the gullible. Green MT has for this section of the media become "Vince Farrugia's company". Vince Farrugia in his capacity as Director General of GRTU is ex-officio Chairman of the Board of Directors of Green MT.
He gives Green MT a lot of his time and energy as he has even before Green MT was set-up and was still only a concept and a commitment, to Malta's largest packaging waste producers and to Government, that he will leave no stone unturned to ensure that Green MT is established and managed professionally.
Vince Farrugia does not receive one single euro as remuneration for his dedicated service to Green MT and he owns one share simply because that is what the law implies, but again in his capacity as Director General of GRTU. But to say that Green MT is "Vince Farrugia's" company is sheer fabrication. Green MT is a professional organisation managed efficiently by an experienced manager, expert in the waste management field, Joe Attard, ably assisted by a team of professional full time executives and a team of well trained Eco-consultants and supervisors. Green MT competes only with the other registered scheme and does not compete with any service provider, as all services given by Green MT are sub-contracted to independent micro-and small private suppliers. Any one who has dealt with Green MT knows that if it weren't for the absolute dedication of CEO Joe Attard and Chairman Vince Farrugia, the concept of a not-for-profit national waste management and compliance scheme to relieve the businesses of the excessive costs and burdens of administrating the worst management and compliance responsibilities imposed upon them at law would have never seen the light of day.
The Directors of Green MT, besides Vince Farrugia and Joe Attard, are the President of GRTU Paul Abela and Vice president for Administration Marcel Mizzi. None of the Directors receive any remuneration. Vince Farrugia and all other Directors do not own Green MT. The company is owned by GRTU on behalf of the business community members of Green MT, but GRTU does not receive any dividends or any profits from Green MT as all positive balances are fed-back as reduced charges to Green MT members and additional services to the Local Councils participating in the Green Mt Scheme.
"Why the section of the media, known for its political bias has decided on a campaign to damage Green MT is honestly beyond comprehension. Green MT operates in 41 Localities managed by elected local councils, both nationalists and labour. All mayors that deal with Green MT can confirm that Green MT never brings in any minutest shade of partisan politics in its operations. Further more, Green MT is responsible for the success Malta is achieving in its battle to substantially improve its performance in waste separation in relationship with other EU Member States. An increase of 200% on previous separated waste collection is no mere feat". Comments Vince Farrugia.
Insinuations have also been made on the accounts of Green Mt. Green Mt is the only national waste compliance scheme that supplies MEPA as the Public Regulator, with all details of its operations. Unlike Green MT, the competitor has still failed to submit recovery and recycling figures for the first quarter of 2010 to MEPA. But of course for the detractors Green MT is the target so others may fail and remain unnoticed. Green MT's annual and quarterly audit reports of performance submitted to MEPA are prepared by an independent firm of Auditors who provide audit trails of all operations under the supervision of a professional independent Environment Assessment firm registered and recommended by MEPA. The accounts of Green Mt are not held by GRTU staff but by an independent firm of accountants.
It is therefore absolutely outrageous that a company which is not-for-profit, that does not pass on any profits to any share holder and one that genuinely acts on behalf of its clients and the communities it serves and who is managed by persons of great integrity to ensure that no conflict of interest whatsoever exists between any personal interest of the Scheme Managers of Green Mt and any interests of anyone of Green MT's clients and suppliers, is so abusively vilified. "GRTU is proud of Green Mt and so are all Green Mt's members and the same applies to the public regulators responsible for accrediting and approving Green MT's performance records. We have enough written testimonials to prove this." Says Vince Farrugia Chairman of Green MT. "The promotion and effective execution of not for profit schemes on behalf of participating members is the way forward for Business Chambers like GRTU. The age when organizations like GRTU simply grumbled and protested are long over. The future needs of independent private businesses need a Chamber that is capable of providing services that individual firms cannot provide on their own except at an exorbitant price. These services are best provided on a not-for-profit basis by a collective business community effort". Emphasises Vince Farrugia.
Green Mt is only one service collectively offered by GRTU to assist its members. Other services are planned. The idiots may scream. The wets may have to change their pants more often. But GRTU is not for turning Vince Farrugia is big enough to withstand the unjustified and invented attacks. Honesty always prevails.
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