Author: SME Chamber

A new law will come into force next March 2013 on the way prices are displayed. GRTU would like to invite you to a very important meeting held in collaboration with the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA) in this regard.

 

The Consumer Affairs Act Price Indication Regulations establishes the obligation that traders who offer goods for sale on a retail basis are to indicate the prices of goods of the unit and now also the price according to its volume.

Retail outlets with a shop area of less than 200 square metres will be exempt from this obligation. Store area is not to be included.

It is very important that you attend for this meeting. Officials of the MCCAA will outline what are your obligations under the law and some practical points of how you can be compliant as otherwise legal action can be taken.

Date: 6th February 2013

Time: 13:30 – 15:30

Venue: GRTU, Exchange Building, Republic Str, Valletta

The meeting is free of charge but registration on or 21232881 is required

The European Commission has launched the last annual Call for Proposals for projects to be supported through the Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) programme, which seeks to give a boost to clean and sustainable solutions as part of the efforts to help deliver on the ambitious climate change and energy targets that the EU has set for itself.

 

With funds amounting to about €730 million being made available between 2007 and 2013, the IEE is one of the initiatives within the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) framework, of which the local National Contact Point is hosted by Malta Enterprise.

The IEE supports the use of clean and sustainable energy solutions, as well as the dissemination and the Europe-wide exchange of related knowledge and know-how.

Targeted funding is provided for creative projects putting this idea into practice with three main objectives, namely promoting energy efficiency and encouraging the rational use of energy sources; increasing the use of new and renewable energy sources as well as encouraging energy diversification; and stimulating energy efficiency and renewables in the field of transport.

More than 500 European projects involving 3,500 European organisations – including public bodies, private companies, education establishments, NGOs, associations and SMEs – have received funding through the IEE and a lot has been achieved already.

Amongst others, examples of successful projects include training on new construction techniques that can lead to 50 per cent or more in energy savings when compared with traditional buildings, as well as the improvement of support schemes for electricity generation from renewable energy sources across Europe.

A number of European cities have also tapped into the IEE funding to develop more energy-efficient and cleaner transport, leading to a better quality of life for their citizens.

Malta Enterprise will be organising an information session in January to provide further details on the IEE programme and the Call for Proposals, for which the European Commission will receive applications until May 8th, 2013.

In the coming months, the European Commission – which manages the CIP – will issue two other Calls for Proposals for projects to be assisted through the CIP's Information and Communication Technologies Policy Support Programme (ICT-PSP) and the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (EIP).

These calls will be the last ones before the CIP gives way to Horizon 2020 and the Programme for the Competitiveness of enterprises and SMEs (COSME) in the following year.

For more information, visit www.cipmalta.com  or contact the Malta National Contact Point at Malta Enterprise on or on 2542 0000.

A guidance document which regulates the renewal or amendment for planning permission has been published for public consultation by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA). This document aims to eliminate uncertainty amongst applicants by establishing clear guidelines and procedures for renewal of permits that are about to expire. The presumption lies in favour of renewal of permits save for the cases indentified in the guidelines

 

The proposed guidelines also ensure that the community's interests are safeguarded whereby there is an end in sight on permitted development. Work on this guidance document started back in October 2011, when the Chairpersons' of the Environment and Planning Commissions, at a Mepa Board meeting, raised a number of issues with the procedural system that was being adopted in processing and permitting the renewal or amendment of planning applications. Early last year, the Planning Directorate presented the Board with a proposed framework for discussion. In October 2012, the Mepa Board, following various discussion meetings, approved the document for public consultation. Prior to publishing this proposed guidance document the Authority held a number of pre-consultation meetings with the Kamra tal-Periti.

All renewal applications need to be submitted before the expiry date of a planning permit. These applications will be screened and processed in accordance with current planning regulations. All those renewal applications where no changes have taken place on site, will be accepted and a further validity period will be given. The guidance document also clarifies that when an amendment permission is granted on an existing valid planning permit, the amended permit will not have a new validity period.

The amended permit will expire with the validity of the original permission.

An applicant who simultaneously intends to renew and amend a planning permit need not submit two applications. A new category of application is being created to cater for this occurrence.

All interested stakeholders can view the draft guidance document on:www.mepa.org.mt/public-consultation.

A series of consultation meetings will the held in the coming days with a number of stakeholders including eNGOs, Periti and the Malta Developers Association to obtain their feedback and proposals for these guidelines. Submissions and comments can be sent to by not later than Wednesday 13th February 2013.

Visiting the Mepa offices to view planning applications and their relevant documents is a thing of the past. The Malta Environment and Planning Authority launched a new online service for the public to start viewing these documents free of charge.

 

Introducing the launch of this new online service Mepa CEO, Dr Ian Stafrace said, "This new service is another milestone for the Authority. The Mepa Reform was always about radically improving efficiency and the interface between the Authority, its customers and the public. This project has been made possible, ever since we introduced the practice amongst architects, that all planning applications have to be submitted electronically."

The only requirement is an internet connection and an e-ID registration, which can be obtained by any Maltese citizen and is an easy, straightforward procedure. All details of the proposed development will be included in the online version of the planning application document, enabling the public to analyse any proposed development in detail, ensuring a more transparent and efficient service offered by MEPA. For a document to be viewed online it would have had to be submitted after 31st May 2012.

The public can also view all correspondence between MEPA and its consultees online, these include proposed plans of elevations and sections and any objections that are registered against the proposed development.

EFSA has set average requirements (ARs) for energy intake for adults, infants and children, and pregnant and breastfeeding women. The ARs provide a best estimate of the energy needs of population groups within Europe and will help policymakers to develop and monitor nutrition programmes to promote public health including the establishment of food-based dietary guidelines.

The average energy requirements of the specified age and sex groups were calculated to take account of different levels of physical activity, and are based on an assumed healthy body mass index of 22kg/m². For example, the Panel has set the following ARs, based on a moderately active lifestyle:

 

 

The ARs take account of physical activity levels (PALs) that correspond to different lifestyles (sedentary, moderately active, very active, and highly active). Full report can be found at: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/3005.htm

GRTU Renewable Energy Section President Noel Gauci has today written to the Contracts Department following several complaints by our members in the Renewable Energy Sector regarding a condition in the tender issued by the contracts department bearing reference CT211 2012(CT3099 2012), GRTU formally requested that the temperature range required in the second paragraph of page 54, whereby it is specified that the panel should be able to withstand repetitive cycling between -40 and + 90 degrees Celsius, should be revised to -40 and +85 degrees Celsius.

 

This in view of the fact that most panels, branded and non-branded, are specified to withstand repetitive cycling in the suggested range. In fact GRTU carried out a research on at least 14 brands/suppliers, and all resulted within the -40 +85 degrees Celsius range except one. Due to this fact we believe that our members' complaints are justified. GRTU also spoke with various academics in the sector and all declared that the 5 degree difference above that usually requested is un-necessary and makes no difference in the performance of the PV panels. GRTU feels this condition is creating an uneven playing field and a situation that limits competition since it excludes most suppliers from the possibility of participating because they would not be compliant to the present requested specifications.

GRTU also requested the Department to extend the closing date of the tender by 30 days from revision of the temperature parameter to give tenderers adequate time to participate.

Notice to packaging waste producers who are not registered with MEPA – Green Mt advises all producers (importers) of packaging waste that have as yet not registered with MEPA, that they are in breach of Legal Notice 277 of 2006, Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations.

 

Importers of goods to Malta are to make sure that they have a Waste Management Permit No, WMP or an EPR (Environmental Permit Registration No) issued by MEPA. Beyond this registration they are to note that if they specifically sell to the end consumer even through a retailer, then they are obliged to be registered and pay financially to an Authorized Waste Packaging Scheme.

Heavy penalties are in place for those who have as yet not complied to the legislation. All producers of packaging waste are to note that a penalty of Euro 100 per ton of market placement is in place as of 1^st January 2010. In addition administrative penalties are in place going back to 2006. Any producer who is caught not complying to this Environmental Legislation will be penalized accordingly.

Green Mt urges all importers to comply with the requirements of the legislation.

Any further information is to be obtained by phoning Green Mt on 21232881/3 or Mobile 79002263.

MAKE SURE YOU COMPLY TO YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL

In exercise of the powers conferred by article 4 of the Employment and Industrial Relations Act, the Minister for Justice, Dialogue and the Family, on the recommendation of the Employment Relations Board, has made the following order:-

 

1. The title of this Order is the Wage Increase (Employees)

National Standard Order, 2012, and this Order shall come into effect on the 1st January, 2013.

2. (1) The wages of whole-time employees shall be increased by € 4.08 per week.

(2) The hourly rate of part-time employees shall be increased by the same amount as the increase in the hourly rate of a comparable full-time employee, calculated after including the weekly increase in sub-article (1), or in cases where there is no comparable category of whole-time employees at the workplace, by the hourly rate of a comparable whole-time employee in an applicable Wage Regulation Order, or in the absence of an applicable Wage Regulation Order, by one-fortieth of the rate of increase specified in sub-article (1).

GRTU President Paul Abela, Director General Vincent Farrugia and Executive Abigail Mamo have this week met the Government officials that head the Departments that are set for merger: Inland Revenue, VAT, Customs and Tax Compliance. This following communication in December 2012 by which GRTU was informed of the planned merger and to initiate a consultation process.

 

In its initial reaction GRTU emphasized that these departments are very important civil service departments that perform very important functions because these decisions have a real effect on entrepreneurship and enterprise. GRTU's initial reactions were targeted at outlining very important organizational arrangements required for Government to achieve its tax objectives within this merger, while giving an efficient service.

GRTU is convinced that by removing departmental barriers and focusing on the customer, the departments can make a step in performance and efficiency. GRTU feels that the merge is a positive move as long as it is done in the right way. It must also not be an aggressive human resource cutting exercise that will leave the joint department with insufficient resources leading to poor service and a poor tax collection track record. Human resources must be shifted to better customer care and specific focus on hand-holding and one-to-one care. Focusing much more in terms of what the taxpayer needs, and being able to deliver for the Government a more user-friendly interface in extracting the money from the taxpayer. Focus on helping taxpayers comply with the complexities of the tax system. Tax simplification must be at the heart of this change. What we need is a sea change in the view and the attitudes that taxpayers encounter within such departments.

GRTU requested that this exercise should result in a one-stop-shop that would help taxpayers and businesses and better coordination especially in inspections and visits. The Joint Department should cater for a specific desk/ department for Micro Enterprises and self-employed.

Small businesses and Individuals who try to comply with the system who are not tax evaders, who are not fraudulent, who make genuine mistakes, need to be helped rather than penalized. There needs to be a culture change of Revenue Departments that are more willing discuss, giving it a human face, with a structure of training that is recognized, well thought through and balanced. The joint department should not only remain focused on castigating evaders but also of being very supportive with the taxpayer that is genuinely trying to be compliant. Businesses cannot be treated as potential tax evaders. The approach should be "we're in this together, lets cooperate". There is no question on the amount of tax to be paid, the right amount of tax must be paid but there are different ways of getting people on your side.                          To ensure the greatest possible transparency and performance the new joint department should benefit from a new accountability framework. Committee to keep an eye on the merger (watch dog). The Committee would meet on a regular basis and be presented with reports, similar to the system that used to be carried out when the business first was set up.

GRTU was assured that we share the same ideas and these are the basis for the reform. GRTU requested that in future meetings, which should also involve the company users, the heads should explain how current difficulties and shortcomings will improve, how the customer will be better served and how solving problems will become easier and not more bureaucratic. GRTU emphasized that all prior mergers were successful only in making the life of the public servants easier and not in real improved customer care. GRTU warned that structures following mergers have the tendency of becoming more complex and powers more centralized and more difficult to reach. GRTU told the officials that for instance we work well with Customs where even though it's not always rosy it's easy to access the person you need, sit down and find a solution. This unlike the customer care system of the VAT Department where it has only added to bureaucracy and difficulty even to get basic help.

When asked about the problems the GRTU hears about from members and encounters in order to have them addressed by the merger GRTU mentioned that members are sometimes investigated for no apparent reason and the Department keeps asking them for papers for months which amounts to a ridiculous amount of time and cost not only for the member but also for the department. GRTU emphasized that evaders must be investigated but investigations for genuine mistakes and investigations for no reason but a simple sampling exercise have to be sensitized. GRTU also mentioned how difficult it is to get to the right person at the VAT Department, how long it takes for someone to answer the line and when finally a customer care representative answers they simply ask you to send an email and you have to wait for an answer. GRTU however told the representatives that they have to start giving a face to their departments and meeting people and even hold meetings on this merger in order to feel what the users are feeling. The representatives appreciated that this would be a good idea.   

GRTU also emphasized that from experience we feel that an intensive amount of training is required and that a significant investment is required in this regard as the Department is made up of people and it is these people we depend on to execute well.