Author: SME Chamber

EuroCommerce
has spoken out against an aggressive marketing campaign run by the card scheme
MasterCard. The media campaign, appearing in the national press in France and
other countries has sought to incite public opinion against proposed
legislation concerning fees charged on card payment transactions.

Government must admit the CVA was a failure. It has made life
for consumers, commuters and business miserable. There is definitely no space
in Valetta for all to park their car in the City and the Park and Ride must
stay but go back to a free service. CVA in the afternoon was unnecessary.

During the peak morning rationing and turnover of available parking spaces must
remain under one method or another and against payment and subject to time
limit. All reserved parking without exception irrespective of who the person,
including residents' green boxes must go. Same for reserved parking for
parliamentarians and ministers. The latter should have reserved parking outside
the City or at St Elmo and call drivers to pick them as necessary and MP's
should be offered free battery run taxi service from reserved car parks outside
the City.

The City belongs to all of us and Ministers and
Parliamentarians and other big shots must give an example of Eco friendliness
and social responsibility. What should be avoided at all costs is a free for
all as we had before CVA. The city build by gentlemen for gentlemen slowly is
returning to glory thanks to the massive investment refurbishment of historical
buildings, street paving and new public and private capital investment and the
City deserves serious traffic and parking management. Definitely the policy of
the previous government to oppose all underground car parking investment in the
city must be reversed. Failure to invest on underground parking in the City was
a gross mistake. There is scope also for investment in the open spaces in the
ditches and in lifts to the City. The concept must be pedestrianisation on top
and cars underground.

Il-GRTU laqghet in-negozzjanti
Ghawdxin nhar it-Tnejn 24 ta' Gunju 2013 gewwa Ghawdex stess. Din kienet
laqgha parti mill-ezercizzju li l-GRTU ta` spiss taghmel biex iggib
il-politikanti iktar konxji mis-suggerimenti u d-diffikultajiet tan-nies
fin-negozju billi jisimghu min ghandhom dirett u l-GRTU tkompli ssegwi biex dak
li gie diskuss u miftiehem jigi implimentat. Il-Laqgha saret fil prezenzq tal-Ministru ghal Ghawdex l-Onorevoli
Anton Refalo.

Fid-diskors tieghu l-Onorevoli Dr
Anton Refalo qal li d-diffikultajiet li Ghawdex ghandu llum huma marbuta
mal-konnettivita fil-qasam tal-ICT u t-transport bl-ajru u bil-bahar li holqu
sitwazzjoni difficli biex Ghawdex jirreplika mudell ekonomiku li f'Malta halla rizultati
tajbin fejn jattira investiment barrani. Dr
Refalo qal li dawn il-limitazzjonijiet f'Ghawdex qed jissarfu f'telf
tar-rizorsa umana ta' hafna gradwati li qed jaghzlu li joqoghdu f'Malta biex
itejbu l-opportunitajiet taghhom. Dan il-Gvern, sostna Dr Refalo irid fost
affarijiet ohra jisma u jtejjeb l-interessi
tal-SMEs.

Dr Refalo emfasizza fuq l-fast
service bejn iz-zewg gzejjer fejn l-gvern ghandu road map bil-possibilta ta'
link permanenti bejn iz-zewg gzejjer. Ser isir
feasibility study dwar il-mina u iehor dwar il-pont. Possibilta ohra li
jitnaqqas b'mod konsiderevoli t-tragitt bejn Malta u Ghawdex. Qed jigi diskuss
ukoll servizz iehor li jghaqqad ukoll Ghawdex u Sqallija bil-ghan li jizdiedu
l-opportunitajiet ghan-negozji u l-industriji f'Ghawdex. Qed tigi miflija
l-possibilta li jigi ntrodott s-servizz tal-ajru bejn iz-zewg gzejjer.

Dr Refalo informa ukoll li sabiex
jigi incentivat iktar is-suq tat-turizmu domestiku fix-xhur tax-xitwa ser jigu
ntrodotti skemi ta' vjaggar bl-irhis bejn iz-zewg gzejjer. Ser tohrog
expression of interest fil-granet li gejjien sabiex issir yacht marina ohra
f'Ghawdex bil-kooperazzjoni ta' Ministri ohra u bl-appogg shih tal-Prim
Ministru. Dr Refalo qal li ser jsir titjib infrastrutturali fil-villagg
tas-snajja f'Ta' Dbiegi sabiex jigu ppriservati s-snajja tradizzjonali.

Dwar l-SMEs Dr Refalo qal li
l-Gvern  huwa kommess li jinholoq SME
park min fejn dawn l-entitajiet ikunu jistghu jahdmu. Dr Refalo informa li hu
ga hatar l-Gozo Regeneration Group sabiex jiehu hsieb jfassal framework
finanzjarju sabiex jigi attirat l-investiment lejn Ghawdex. Dan  l-group qieghed jahdem ma' kumpanija
internazzjonali ta' konsulenza. Dr Refalo qal li fir-rigward ta' Ghawdex
l-isfidi huma ferm akbar mill-bqija tal-pajjiz izda konvint li b-impenn ser
jilhaq l-miri fl-ahjar interess kemm ghan-negozju kif ukoll tas-tishih
tal-ekonomija f'Ghawdex.

Joe Attard min naha
tal-GRTU rringrazzja lill-Onorevoli Dr Anton
Refalo, li gie ewlieni li jisma l-problemi u
jelenka t-triq il-quddiem ghall-Ghawdxin. Fost l-issues li qajmu l-partecipanti kienu:

Proprjetarju ta'
tlett stabbilimenti gewwa r-Rabat Ghawdex wera it-thassib tieghu dwar il-futur
tal-business tieghu. Irrefera ghall-ligi tal-Kera bhala xi haga maghmula bla
hsieb. Fil-kas tieghu jrid jghaddi c-cwievet lura lis-sid fi zmien erbatax (14)
il-sena.

L-GRTU diga ghamlet diversi
sezzjonijiet ta' laqghat mall-Gvern precedenti u din l-kwistjoni ser tigi
pprezentata mall-Gvern prezenti. L-GRTU ser tkun ekwa sabiex tinstab soluzzjoni
kemm ghas-sid kif ukoll ghall-proprjetarju.

Persuna ohra
nformat li kien ilu hamsa u ghoxrin sena (25) jitlob post min fejn jista
jahdem. Applika l-Malta Enterprise (ME) u sal-lum ghadu ma gie offrut l-ebda
post. Staqsa fejn qed imorru l-miljuni msemmija f'investiment il-ghaliex
Ghawdex mhu qed jigri xejn.

Operatur iehor
ilmenta li fl-2007 ha art minghand l-Malta Industrial Parks (MIP). Ilu hames
snin (5) biex igib il-permess. Meta beda jippjanta sab problema fil-faccata
ghaliex skopra li kienet ghaddejja bankina.

Operatur iehor
bi tlett stabbilimenti gewwa r-Rabat u
b'ammont sostanzjali ta' impjegati infurmat li r-Rabat qieghed jinqered
bil-problema ta' parking. Gie issugeriet li jinholoq parking taht l-playing
field eziztenti.

Proprjetarju ta'
restaurant wera it-thassib dwar impjegati meta jonqos ix-xoghol fil-perjodu
tax-xitwa.

Operatur iehor
talab lill-Ministru sabiex l-ETC terga toffri skemi ta' ghajnuna fil-konfront
ta' impjieg.

Operatur li
xogholu huwa fil-kostruzzjoni, tkellem dwar il-problema tal-heavy plant u
l-parking ta' trakkijiet. Huwa sostna li f'Ghawdex ma hemmx estates bhal Malta
fejn jista jsir dan. Ippropona l-heliport fejn hemm spazju bizzejjed. Talab
ukoll sabiex jinsab post adekwat fi Pjazza Savina fejn it-turist ikun jista
jitnizzel safe mill-coach

Operatur iehor
semma il-parkegg ta' taht ic-Cittadella u ghalfejn ma hux qed jintuza.

Persuna ohra
staqsiet x'jista jsir dwar businesses li jghamlu xoghol ta' distribuzzjoni min
u lejn Malta fejn l-haddiema taghhom jghamlu sieghat jistennew sabiex jaslu
lura l-ufficcju specjalment fix-xhur tas-sajf. Dan qieghed jirrizulta f'hela
ta' hin bi spejjes f'overtime. Gie
ssugeriet li jinholoq logistic centre sabiex jkun jista jindirizza din
l-problema. Suggeriment iehor kien li jsir pre booking fejn jidhol servizz gej
jew sejjer lejn Malta/ Ghawdex.

Dwar il-problema ta' parking
il-Ministru wiegeb li sabiex tittaffa l-problema gewwa ir-Rabat qed jsiru
pjanijiet sabiex jintuza l-ground tal-football. Parir iehor kien li jinholoq
mechanical parking.

Dwar l-ME u l-MIP il-Ministru qal li trid tinqata
l-borokrazija li tezizti fejn hemm industriji li ilhom snin bla dawl. Isir
clearance certificate mill-MEPA biex 
wiehed jkun jista jahdem. L-ME tohloq politika ghal Ghawdex.

Dwar d-distribuzzjoni bejn Malta u
Ghawdex, l-Ministru irrefera ghal din l-issue bhala sikkina li taqta min zewg
nahat. Irid jigi studjat kif tahdem is-sistema dwar boarding pass ghal
haddiema. Irriduha tahdem b'soluzzjoni li jkun kuntent kulhadd.

Diffikultajiet f'Ghawdex ghandna
hafna u kbar qal l-Ministru. Irridu nahdmu fuq framework ekonomiku li jkun
b'sahhtu u aktar protett fejn nghinu lin-negozjant zghir billi noholqulu post
fejn jahdem u nghinuh jibbenifika mill-EU funds.

Joe Attard  irringrazzja lill-Ministru u wieghed li
l-GRTU ser taghti s-support shih sabiex tigi emeljorata l-posizzjoni tal-SMEs
gewwa Ghawdex. Irrefera ghall-istudji bhala xi haga posittiva izda fil-fehma
tieghu ahjar xi haga tangibbli.

Joe Attard informa  li l-GRTU ser tibda taghti s-servizzi taghha
gewwa Ghawdex mill-Ufficcju tal-NGO's fix-Xewkija kull nhar ta' Hamis bejn
s-saghtejn (2) u s-sitta (6) ta' filghaxija. L-ewwel gimgha ser jkun prezenti
hu stess sabiex jiltaqa' man-nies. Huwa talab sabiex dawk li jriedu jiltaqghu
mall-GRTU fuq suggetti diversi ghandhom icemplu l-GRTU  fuq 21 230459 jew 21 232881 ghall-appuntament
sabiex jiltaqghu mall-Ufficcjal inkarigat mis-suggett.

Joe Attard talab ghas-support ta'
dawk prezenti u heggighom sabiex ma jgergrux izda jahdmu sabiex isibu
soluzzjonijiet tangibbli.

GRTU Director General Vincent Farrugia as Maltese Employer's
representative at the European Economic and Social Committee was extremely busy
with strong participation in meetings of the Section for External Relations
(REX), the Section for Employment Social Affairs and Citizenship (SOC) and the
Section for Single Market, Production and Consumption (INT).

This week Mr
Farrugia also presented during a study group meeting his draft Opinion as EESC
rapporteur on the Commission proposal on
promotion the free movement of citizens and businesses by simplifying the
acceptance of certain public documents in the European Union:

Free Movement
of Citizens & Businesses by Simplifying the Acceptance of Public Documents
across the EU

Vince
Farrugia is the EESC Rapporteur-General drafting the Opinion for approval by
the Plenary Session on this important issue. This is the fourth Report Vince
Farrugia is presenting on issues relating to the removal of obstacles hampering
citizens and businesses from enjoying their full rights as within the EU.         

Vince Farrugia is a very active member
of the 2013 European Year for Citizens and on the removal of obstacles such as
Apostle and Certified translations that make life difficult and acceptance of
certain public documents expensive. Vince Farrugia as Rapporteur is insisting
on the removal of all escape clauses like reasonable doubt that continue to empower member
state Governments to further with their 
restrictive practices. The Draft Opinion presented by Vince Farrugia will be made public following its
adoption by the EESC Plenary and its publication in the EU official journal.

Rethinking Education: Investing in Skills for better
Socio-Economic outcomes

At the SOC meeting
Vince Farrugia spoke on the need to reach specific Framework Agreements
among
the Social Partners and with Governments at national and at EU level on
resolving specific issues that are the cause of much mismatch between
Employers
demands for skilled workers to occupy the jobs that are being
offered and the lack of availability of adequately qualified persons.
Vince
Farrugia reported on his practical experience as one of the negotiators
on the employers' side representing UEAPME on the negotiations  on the
Framework of Actions on Youth
Employment.

These Framework
"Agreements together with the establishment of National Skills Council
accompanying European skills Councils on various specific economic sectors
together with enhanced labour mobility and employment support schemes will go a
long way to resolve mismatching problems. Generalities and complaining alone
will not resolve problems. There's a lot of work that needs to be done and Governments and the Social Partners are not
doing enough. And we need more money on the table "emphasised Vince Farrugia.

EU-Turkey Relations

Vince Farrugia spoke at the REX meeting on the
EU-Turkey
Joint Consultative Committee Report on the state of the EU-Turkey
relations. Vince Farrugia said that it is
not the role of the EESC to comment on the
implementation  by democratically elected
Governments on policies and actions voters choose to
vote for in free elections. The EESC however must be very strong where
Governments as
in the case of Tayyip Erdogan where we see the attempt
and actually act to capture the courts, silencing media critics and
attack protestors.
Introducing controversial or wrong headed policies is an elected
Government
prerogative but EESC must openly criticise and condemn when Governments
deliberate and act in the interest only
of its supporters and not of national interests and when Governments as
in the
case of Turkey become not just hostile to their opponents but deaf to
their companies. It is our worse where as in the case
of Turkey voters are not only pulverised with tear gas and water cannons
but the Government talks of tinkering with the constitution to
perpetuate the rule of the existing Government. True democrats aspiring
for
European Union membership must be endowed fundamentally with an
understanding
that the minority who did not vote for them are as much citizens of
their
country as those who did and are entitled to a respectable hearing.

Internal Market Issues

Vince Farrugia
also spoke at the meeting on the exploratory
opinion demanded by the EU Lithuanian Presidency on the Unexplored Economic
Potential of EU Competitiveness with reference to state-owned
enterprises and on the Commission Communication on Smart
regulation and Response to the needs of Micro, Small and Medium sized
Enterprises.

Vince Farrugia
also took the podium on the Communication from the Commission on the Setting up
A European Action Plan and also gave his reaction on the Green Paper on Unfair
Trading practices in the Business to business food and non-food Supply Chain in Europe.

European Year of Citizens 2013

As member of EYC
Committee Vince Farrugia also spoke on the  performance of the Commission in the execution of the 25 promises made by the
Commission in its Citizens Report of 2010 and expressed his views on
the 12 new commitments in the Commission 2013
Citizenship Report.

The Tunisian
Business Council together with Malta Enterprise and GRTU, would like to invite
interested parties to participate at a Business Forum on Thursday, 27th June
2013 at 09:00am. The
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Center in Tunisia is leading a
delegation of Tunisian businessmen from various sectors seeking to build
commercial links with Maltese counterparts.

Following
a series of brief presentations and speeches, one-to-one meetings will be held
with interested Maltese importers, distributors, manufacturers and exporters of
the following industries: Embroidery and Serigraphy, Landscaping Services
production od ornamental plants and fruit trees, Agricultural products and
fertilizers, mineral water, canned seafood, olive oil, building materials,
recycling materials, consultancy and assistance for industrial companies,
travel agency.

Companies
and individuals interested in holding meetings with any of the Tunisian
businessmen are kindly requested to contact Ms Lara Fiott on
by not later than Tuesday 25th June 2013.

During a public
consultation with Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Business Chris
Cardona and Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth Edward
Zammit Lewis, Philip Fenech asked whether aid to finance for small businesses
such as JEREMIE and other schemes would be re-introduced or extended. Hon.
Chris Cardona answered yes there would also be other financial schemes that
will help to start ups or further expansion.

During
another public consultation meeting with Minister for Finance Edward Scicluna
and Minister for Energy and the Conservation of Water Konrad Mizzi, Philip
Fenech Deputy President of GRTU discussed with Konrad Mizzi the 25% reduction
in tariffs, emphasising that in many businesses the water and electricity
tariffs are intensive to an extent that it is even more than what
establishments pay in rent for their business. Mr. Fenech was particularly
referring to the leisure industry, industrial factories and so on, which
experience the highest tariffs.

With
Minister Edward Scicluna, Mr Fenech discussed issues concerning Cyprus and
emphasis was made that Malta will not get a bad name with the transfer of
Russian money from Cyprus to Malta.

In a
separate public consultation with Minister for Home Affairs and National
Security Manuel Mallia and Parliamentary Secretary for Justice Owen Bonnici, Mr Fenech spoke
about the discussion taken regarding the Paceville debate to the Social
Committee. A booklet was published with a summary of people who spoke and it
also included the conclusion that Paceville need Town Centre Management
Committee that was already a pilot project. In this committee issues could be
resolved in real time to elevate any hardship to the residents in the
area. 

With
Parliamentary Secretary Owen Bonnici, Mr Fenech spoke about the case of
Government expropriation and asked Government to treat the issue with urgency.
Since many of these cases pending 20years and reminded the Minister that
‘Justice delayed is Justice denied!'

During this morning's session of
Appuntament ma l-Ewropa organized by the European Parliament Office in Malta a
Public Lecture was delivered by Dr Joanna Drake, Director for SMEs and
Entrepreneurship and Deputy SME Envoy at the European Comission, DG Enterprise
& Industry.

Dr Drake stated that SMEs
have always been at the centre of the political agenda and that is exactly what
their office always strives to do. She mentioned an important report announced
by the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso and made public
today, which next week will be handed to all Member States and on which the
Commission will demand a clear commitment by all Member States to inject part
of these funds in the real economy. The report clearly outlines how funds need
to be directed in a way as to increase loans, guarantees and securitization for
SMEs which are those deemed to be at higher risk. It also provides examples of
best practices by Member States of funds are being utilized in such a a manner.

Dr Drake continued stating that we
have today 21 Million SMEs which is less than the 23 Million we were used to. 2
Million have died due to the recession and were not regenerated. Recovery has
started but it is a jobless recovery which is worrying and therefore the
Commission is cautiously optimistic. She said that unfortunately we have taken
things for granted for too long and SMEs have been through so much that the
level of wanting to be entrepreneurs has gone drastically worldwide but
especially in the EU which went down to 30% compared to 50% in the US and 70%
in China. GRTU's Director General Vincent Farrugia said that this comes to no
surprise when we see what enterprises went through these last years everyone
fears to go into entrepreneurship.

The issue of second chance and
bankruptcies is something Dr Drake says that it stands out and that the
Commission intends to take serious action on. She stated the Commission
issues a yearly report on how Member States are faring on the implementation of
the Small Business Act – the Country Specific Fact Sheets. GRTU remarked how
useful such fact sheets are.

GRTU's Director General called on
the commission to give statistics on how much bureaucracy has really been
reduced and how much funds are really going to SMEs. Dr Drake admitted that the
Commission and Parliament ask for such a statistic in relation to funds and it
is very difficult to get a clear picture of how much SMES have benefited, how
much business was created and how much employment was generated.

Mr Farrugia demanded funds that are
more effective and accessible and a more direct approach. He said the
Commission needs to breath down the neck of Member States to ensure funds are
made accessible and the Commission must measure with a formula how affective we
have been. 

European
citizens are entitled to live in freedom, without fear of persecution or
violence, anywhere in the European Union. Yet international crime and terrorism
are among the main concerns of Europeans today. Clearly,
freedom of movement must mean giving everyone, everywhere in the EU, the same
protection and the same access to justice.

So, through successive amendments to
the Treaties, the European Union is gradually being made into a single ‘area of
freedom, security and justice'.

Fighting international crime

A
coordinated effort is needed to combat criminal gangs who run
people-trafficking networks and who exploit vulnerable human beings,
particularly women and children.

Organised
crime is becoming ever more sophisticated and regularly uses European or
international networks for its activities. Terrorism has clearly shown that it
can strike, with great brutality, anywhere in the world.

This
is why the Schengen information system (SIS) was set up. This is a complex
database which enables police forces and judicial authorities to exchange
information on people for whom an arrest warrant or extradition request has
been issued, and on stolen property such as vehicles or works of art.

One
of the best ways of catching criminals is to track their ill-gotten gains. For this
reason, and to cut off the funding of criminal and terrorist organisations, the
EU has brought in legislation to prevent money-laundering.

The
greatest advance made in recent years in the field of cooperation between law
enforcement authorities was the creation of Europol. It tackles a wide range of
international crime: drug trafficking, trade in stolen vehicles, people
trafficking and illegal immigration networks, the sexual exploitation of women
and children, child pornography, forgery, the trafficking of radioactive and
nuclear material, terrorism, money-laundering and counterfeiting the euro.

Towards a ‘European judicial
area'

International
crime and terrorism have no respect for national boundaries. This is why the EU
needs a common framework to guarantee its citizens a high level of protection
and to improve international cooperation in this area. The EU also needs a
common criminal justice policy, to ensure that cooperation between the courts
in different countries is not hampered by their differing definitions of
certain criminal acts.

The
main example of practical cooperation in this field is Eurojust, a central
coordinating structure that enables the national investigating and prosecuting
authorities to work together on criminal investigations involving several EU
countries. Another tool for practical cross-border cooperation is the European
arrest warrant, operational since January 2004. It is intended to replace
lengthy extradition procedures.

In
the area of civil law, the EU has adopted legislation to help apply court
rulings in cross-border cases involving divorce, separation, child custody and
maintenance claims. The aim is to ensure that judgments in one country are
applicable in another. The EU has established common procedures to simplify and
speed up the settlement of cross-border cases in small and uncontested civil
claims like debt recovery and bankruptcy.

The Malta Competition and
Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA) would like to invite you to the seminar,
entitled ‘TERMS & CONDITIONS APPLY?! – Do you know your Consumer Rights?'.
This is the third seminar in a series of five being organised by MCCAA. This seminar
will focus on the following topics:

Air Passenger Rights

Travel
Packages

Home
Loans

Consumer
Credit

Consumer
Guarantees

Consumer
Claims Tribunal

If any of your colleagues, friends, peers or staff,
would also like to attend please pass on this invitation or simply register on
their behalf. Attendance is free but to confirm your attendance you need to
register at: http://www.mccaa.org.mt/en/gozo-seminar and fill in the Online Registration Form on the MCCAA
website.

This
half day seminar will be taking place on

Friday 19th July,
2013

between 09.00 and
13.00,

at the Grand Hotel in
Mgarr, Gozo.

(All presentations
will be done in Maltese)