Author: SME Chamber

The
appointment of an independent Ministry for Economy, Investment and Small
Business, incorporating a Parliamentary Secretariat for Competitiveness and
Economic Growth is for GRTU a very welcome decision by the Prime Minister on
the formation of the new Cabinet of Ministers.

The
previous Ministry for Finance, Economy and Investment, incorporating the
Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of
Industry, was too heavy and it led to unnecessary bureaucratic delays for
organizations like GRTU that deals on day to day issues affecting SMEs and
Micro and Small businesses in particular.

When
the Ministry for Fair Competition, Small Businesses and Consumers was
established the necessary legal empowerment on important matters like the Small
Business Act were never clearly defined, with the result that a second tier of
bureaucratic hurdles was created. GRTU now expects that the new Ministry for
Economy, Investment and Small Business and the new Parliamentary Secretariat
for Competitiveness and Economic Growth will act to reduce existing
bureaucratic hurdles. GRTU will be glad to learn, as matters develop further,
that the down-grading of responsibilities for small enterprises from the level
of full Ministry to that of Parliamentary Secretariat will not be to the
detriment of micro and small businesses in the level of importance these
enterprises need to constantly have in the Governments' overall Agenda.

GRTU is particularly happy with the choice of the
Hon Dr Christian Cardona B.A., LL.D., LL.M., M.P. as Minister for Economy,
Investment and Small Business and of Dr Edward Zammit Lewis B.A., LL.D., M.P.
as Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth and looks
forward eagerly to work closely with these very valuable young politicians for
the continued advancement of the interest of all Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

GRTU is one of the entities chosen to host a Europe
Direct Information Centre in Malta and Gozo for the next five years.
This following an application submitted by GRTU which was received well by the
Commission Representation and approved. The other entities chosen are The Local
Council Association, and the Gozo Business Chamber

The Europe Direct network is one of the main channels of
information about the EU for European citizens. The overall objective of the
network is to provide citizens with easy access to information about the EU and
its activities. The centres are hosted within existing entities that guarantee
a good geographical coverage as well as the necessary capacity and expertise
to deal with queries from the public.

The three centres will be able to provide answers to
general questions related to the EU and to direct enquiries to the best sources
of information on EU matters. They will also have a number of EU publications
available for public dissemination.

The choice of the Europe Direct host organisations was
made through a Call for Proposals launched in all EU Member States towards the
end of 2012. The Europe Direct centres in Malta are part of a network of about
480 EU information centres across the EU.

As a Europe Direct Information Centre (EDIC) GRTU will be launching a
number of dedicated contacts, amongst which a website:
www.europedirectvalletta.eu; email: and landline:
21228843. A specific desk will be dedicated to the EDIC for interested
individuals to access information and review and take readily available
material. A number of events will also be held. GRTU's EDIC is headed by GRTU's
EU Desk Team.

More information on the functions of EDICs is available on: http://europa.eu/europedirect/index_en.htm.

Vince Farrugia, Direttur General tal-GRTU jichad ghal
darb ohra bl-aktar mod kategoriku li hu xi darba irrefera ghal xi haddiema
bhala grieden. L-argument kollu li nqala fl-MCESD kien dwar self employed genwini
u self employed "bogus" jigifieri dawk li jilghabuha ta' self employed genwini
imma jikkompetu b'mod dizonest billi la jiddikjaraw l-income veru taghhom, la
jhallsu VAT u licenzji u obligazzjonijiet ohra u jikkompetu b'mod ingust kontra
self employed genwini.

Il-Kunsill Ezekuttiv
Nazzjonali tal-GRTU Kamra Maltija tan-Negozji Zghar u Medji f'isem  l-eluf
ta'  membri tal-GRTU u f'isem is-sidien tal- intraprizi u self-employed
fis-settur kbir rapprezentat mill-GRTU, tifrah lil l-Onorevoli Dr Joseph Muscat
ghall-elezzjoni u l-hatra tieghu bhala Prim Ministru ta' Malta.

Il-GRTU
tawguralu l-akbar success b'fiducja shiha li taht il-gwida tieghu l-Gvern gdid
ta' Malta jwettaq il-pjanijiet u aspirazzjonijiet li l-poplu Malti u Ghawdxi
 b'mandat enormi  fdaw f'idejh.
Il-GRTU tifrah wkoll lil
Partit Laburista ghar-rebha kbira elettorali fl-Elezzjoni tad- 9 ta' Marzu 2013
u tawgura li jibqa' jsir kull sforz biex b'hila u entuzjazmu jintlahqu  l-aspirazzjonijiet
maghzula demokratikament mill-poplu Malti u Ghawdxi.

Il-Kunsill Ezekuttiv
Nazzjonali tal-GRTU jifrah u jawgura wkoll lill-Membri Parlamentari kollha
eletti.

Il-Kunsill Ezekuttiv Nazzjonali tal-GRTU jiehu din
l-opportunita biex jirringrazzja lil l-Onor Dr Lawrence Gonzi ghax-xoghol siewi
kollu tieghu u tal-Gvern immexxi minnu matul is-snin li kellu f'idu il-mandat
tat-tmexxija ta' pajjizna.

Wara diskussjonijiet mall-Ministru Chris Said il-Gvern accetta
wahda mit-talbiet fundamentali tal-GRTU f'isem l-inkwilini ta' proprjeta
kummerrcjali mikrija, dik li jigi rikonoxxut id-dritt ta' right of first
refusal  fuq offerta ta' kera ghal postijiet fejn il-kera ha tiskadi
skond it-termini tal-Ligi tal-kera kif approvata mill-Parlament.

Klikkja fuq it titli hawn taht:

Ftehim favur l-inkwilini kummercjali f’kirjit privati milquta hazin bil-Ligi tal-Kera. 

Memorandum ta' Ftehim

Atlas Insurance PCC Limited and GRTU Services Limited
have partnered to provide GRTU members with quality insurance protection,
excellent prices and exclusive benefits. Through this agreement, GRTU members
will benefit from various initiatives that will be introduced with the primary
aim of assisting the members with all their insurance needs.

Is your Business at Risk?

Your business is exposed to many risks and an
unexpected loss can cause real financial hardship in the short or long term.
The right insurance product can provide you with the desired protection for
your business.

Atlas offers a broad range of insurance products and
industry-specific packages. We offer customised solutions to small and
medium-sized companies including, amongst others:

Property Insurance

Loss of Profits

Public/Products Liability

Employers Liability

Electronic Equipment

Machinery Breakdown

What are the Benefits to
GRTU Members?

GRTU members can now benefit from personalised service
from Atlas representatives and other additional benefits in terms of cost and
cover. The GRTU Business Insurance Plan includes great free extra insurance for
added protection of your business:

Personal Accident

Goods In Transit

Money

Deterioration of Stock

Shop Window

Special
Offer: 2 MONTHS FREE on your new business insurance policy for the 1st year!

Payment
by installments available!

Malta Enterprise has launched a new scheme by means of
which companies that commission a digital game as a marketing tool to promote
their products or services online. 
Through this scheme enterprises 
may get a tax credit equivalent to 100% of the total subcontracted costs
incurred, up to a maximum of €15,000.

The integration of social media and online marketing
into different aspects of a business is a development that businesses cannot
ignore, and the scheme thus seeks to help them further embrace the new digital
technologies.

In addition, the Tax Credits for Digital Applications
Development scheme – which will be available until December 31, 2013 – will
also help in creating demand for digital games, thereby generating more
economic activity and facilitating further growth within the digital media
industry in Malta.

In order to qualify for the incentive, the digital
game should be available online and developed for at least one widely available
electronic device. The game should additionally educate users about the
beneficiary's products or services or serve as a promotional tool.

The full incentive description and eligibility
criteria may be viewed at:

In accordance with the Food Safety Act and Regulation
(EC) No 178 of 2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and
following information received via the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed,
the Environmental Health Directorate within the Superintendence of Public
Health wishes to inform the public that the following product may contain
traces of undeclared horse meat.

The Company involved was instructed to withdraw the
batch in question from the market, however since it reported that not all
consignment has been withdrawn, as it is done in these cases, this Directorate
is obliged to inform consumers of this recall.

For further information, the public is kindly requested
to contact the Health Inspectorate Services between 8:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on
telephone number 21337333, or by calling personally at its offices at
Continental Business Centre, Cutrico Buildings, Old Railway Track, Santa Venera
or by email

Product
Description: Lasagne alla Bolognese

Brand:          Artica – Ricette Italiane

Weight:
750g

Date
of Minimum Durability: 15/05/2014

Lot:
12318

Origin:
Italy

Food consumption habits differ in EU countries.
Accurate, comprehensive and comparable data on food consumption are crucial,
when a new hazard is found in the food chain, for scientists to assess who is
exposed, through which foods and by how much.

Since 2007 EFSA started developing the Comprehensive
European Food Consumption Database which provides more extensive and detailed
information for a majority of EU countries in refined food categories and
specific population groups, including children. However, EU MS use different
methods to collect food consumption data, which makes it difficult to carry out
EU-wide analyses or comparisons.

EFSA has taken steps to harmonise the collection of
food consumption data to allow for more comprehensive exposure assessments. The
"What's on the Menu in Europe?" project aims to provide standardised
information on what people eat in all countries and regions across the EU. EFSA
continues to extend and update the databases with new data collected by MS.
Thanks to this, food consumption summary statistics for different countries and
age groups, are now accessible for use by all food safety and public health
experts.