Author: SME Chamber

From 1 July 2012, the European Union's mobile roaming regulation will be extended to include price caps for data downloads which will mean significant savings for those using maps, email and social networks when travelling. For a typical businessperson travelling in the EU this will mean savings of over €1000 per year. A family taking an annual holiday in another EU country can expect to save at least €200. (Full details of these data roaming case studies are in Annex II).

Overall, the improved EU roaming regulation – taking into account calls, SMS and data – will deliver consumers savings of 75% across a range of mobile roaming services, compared to 2007 prices. This year Europeans will spend around €5 billion on roaming services, a saving of around €15 billion compared to what the same services would have cost under 2007 prices.

Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes said: "By putting price caps on data we have created a roaming market for the smart phone generation. More than that, we have ended the rip-offs familiar to anyone who has used a mobile phone while travelling abroad. I am pleased that year after year the European Union is putting money back in the pockets of citizens."

"From 2014 we are also delivering a permanent solution to the roaming issue, something better than any price cap. We are bringing full competition to this market by making it easy to choose a separate roaming provider. If you can find a better offer compared to your standard contract you'll be able to do it in a few simple swipes, just like when you choose a wifi network."

From summer 2012: data downloads get much cheaper

Since 2007 the EU has placed price caps on calling and texting. Now data is being brought under the same system. The new prices caps, which will enter into force on 1 July 2012, are:

• 29 cents per minute to make a call, plus VAT
• 8 cents per minute to receive a call, plus VAT
• 9 cents to send a text message, plus VAT
• 70 cents per Megabyte (MB) to download data or browse the Internet whilst travelling abroad (charged per Kilobyte used), plus VAT.

Downloading data previously cost more than € 4 per Megabyte from many operators in July 2009 – now those prices will be cut by around six times. By 2014, as prices are cut further, the maximum cost of downloading data will be just 20 cents per Megabyte, plus VAT, a saving of 90% on many current rates.

Operators are free to offer cheaper rates. Price caps are a maximum level, acting as a safeguard, and competition should drive them lower.

Bill shock: information when travelling outside the EU

To help avoid "bill shock" from 1st July 2012, people travelling outside the EU will get a warning text message, email or pop-up window when they are nearing €50 of data downloads, or their pre-agreed level.

Consumers will then have to confirm they are happy to go over this level in order to continue their data roaming.

This extends the alert system currently in place within the EU.

From 2014: competition will deliver cheaper roaming

From 1 July 2014, customers will have the option to shop around for a separate mobile roaming provider – either through a contract or by choosing a provider at their destination, like they would choose a Wi-Fi network. All with the same number.

Mobile network operators in visited countries will have an incentive to offer such services at rates close to national prices, on the basis of their own low national network costs. As people's mobile data use intensifies, and they want to use their devices anywhere, any time, many travelers are likely to find this Wi-Fi – like option very attractive. These forces will reinforce each other to create lower prices and better network coverage.

Price caps will stay in place until 30 June 2017 as an extra safety net for consumers.

Workshops on Local Action Plan on Renewable Energy – Local residents, local administrators, private sector representatives and technical operators are encouraged to attend. Interested participants are requested to register for this seminar by sending an email on or by phone on 22955116/22955184. For more information view our website www.mra.org.mt Date: Monday 21 July 2012 Venue : Europa House Valletta Time: 8.30am – 1.00pm

 

A total of 200 applications which between them are requesting grants amounting to €13.9 million have been submitted in the latest call for applications issued by Malta Enterprise for five schemes co-financed through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The scheme most in demand was that for Innovation, for which 85 applications were submitted, evidence of the local entrepreneurs' increasing awareness about the need to constantly innovate their products, service offering or processes they implement in their operations as a means of ensuring their long term sustainability and competitiveness.

Almost 50 applications were submitted for assistance through the International Competitiveness scheme, which assists enterprises to seek and enter foreign markets; around 30 for the Small Start-Up scheme; and around 20 each for the Environment and the R&D schemes.

As for the previous calls of these Schemes, through which Malta Enterprise approved almost €35 million in assistance to around 570 beneficiaries – albeit these also included the Energy and eBusiness schemes – the response has been very encouaraging.

Indeed, the amount being requested reaches €14 million and thus significantly exceeds the remaining budget of €8.5 million from the ERDF funds. The value of the projects for which applications have been submitted is envisaged to reach a global investment of around €35 million.

Wholesale and retail trade businesses accounted for 20.4 per cent of the total registered business units in 2011, according to this week's latest release by the National Statistic's Office. In 2011, the number of registered business units rose by 2.8 per cent to 64,933 from 63,139 in 2010.

The majority of the increase are micro businesses. By legal organisation, 64.3 per cent of all business units were ‘sole ownerships/partnerships'. These amounted to 41,739 registered units.

2011 has registered the lowest number of births and deaths of business units since 2006. In 2011 births amounted to 4,160 and deaths amounted to 1,594.

Size of businesses in 2011 were recorded as follows:

Micro Enterprises 0-9 employees: 62,979

Small Enterprises 10-49 employees: 1,512

Medium Enterprises 50-249 employees: 361

Large Enterprises 250+ employees: 81

The total business units amounted to 64,933. The majority are Micro Enterprises totaling 97.0 per cent of all business units.

GRTU Director General and EESC Employers Representative Vincent Farrugia has this week participated at the EESC Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society, which amongst several other papers discussed the draft EESC Opinion on: Digital market as a driver for growth. Mr Farrugia was Rapporteur of a related paper on Expanding the use of eProcurement in the EU, which was adopted as EESC Opinion last year.

The digital economy profoundly alters habits and affects the entire social and economic fabric of our societies. Its security and interoperability are crucial. The Union's Digital Agenda is one of the flagship initiatives of the EU 2020 strategy.

Aware of the challenges, the Danish presidency has asked the EESC to identify what needs to be done in order to make it a driver of growth. Any consideration of the digital economy should involve social and civil dialogue, as well as agreements and partnerships.

The market for the market's sake is not an end in itself. ICTs must be a means to serve the economy and must not threaten our economic, social, human and cultural gains. Producing and trading online and developing the digital economy changes the employment market. The EESC called for more visibility and information for entrepreneurs and consumers, and appropriate safeguards for all.

The EU is lagging behind the great designers and providers (United States) and the great manufacturers (Asia). It should urgently implement the whole of its digital strategy and shift its approach towards confronting the challenges, both short-term (IPRs) and long-term (ageing of the population). The EESC's priorities are:

Triggering growth through ICTs

Creating growth by means of confidence in the digital economy

Developing productivity and inclusive growth

ICTs as a lever for sustainable growth

Post Crisis policy measures in the financial sector give way to longer-term growth goals Commission report finds – Resilience in the financial sector has improved in the aftermath of the financial crisis, and action is now focusing on longer-term growth goals, although vulnerabilities remain, according to an annual European Commission report on financial integration and stability.

The European Financial Stability and Integration Report (EFSIR) will be presented at today's joint conference with the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt. The event brings together policymakers, financial market leaders and academics for discussion on financial stability and integration in Europe.

"We all know that 2011 was a difficult year for Europe," said Internal Market and Services Commissioner Michel Barnier, a keynote speaker at the event. "The report's careful analysis of past and current challenges is a solid basis for continuing our reform programme and shaping future policies. The reforms we are introducing are essential to restore financial stability and to pave the way for a more resilient and integrated European market in financial services. In turn, this is the essential basis to allow for long-term growth to return in Europe."

Background

This year's report:

• 1. presents a comprehensive account of the main market trends and developments in 2011 that had a direct impact on financial stability and integration;
• 2. sets out the major policy steps taken in 2011 to redress the crisis situation and provide the foundations for more stable and sustained growth;
• 3. provides an overview of broad trends in the evolution of the structure of the EU banking sector;
• 4. gives an assessment of the impact of the crisis and regulation on the insurance sector; and
• 5. considers how household sector financial wealth and household borrowing evolved in the crisis.

More information:

Read the European Financial integration and stability report:

http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/economic_analysis/financial_integration_reports_en.htm

 

In December, Eurydice officially launched Eurypedia – the European Encyclopedia on National Education Systems. Eurypedia is a new, online resource for understanding education systems in Europe and learning about recent reforms.

 

Aiming at providing the most accurate picture of the education system organization in Europe, Eurypedia  contains more than 5000 articles and covers 38 school and university systems within the 33 countries participating in the EU's Lifelong Learning Programme (all 27 EU Member States as well as Croatia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey). Eurypedia is a wiki-based tool and its articles are drafted and published directly by the Eurydice National Units, in collaboration with their respective education Ministries and/or national experts.

All Eurypedia content is available in English and, where applicable, in the language of the country. Information in Eurypedia is conveniently organized by topic and country and can be used to either learn about aspects of one particular education system or to compare topics between countries.

Eurypedia is available online at:

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurypedia

In all sectors, whether these sectors are covered by a Wages Council Wage Regulation Order or not, the employer may introduce schemes to bank hours, whereby up to three hundred and seventy-six hours of the normal annual working hours in each calendar year may be banked, thus allowing extra hours over and above the normal weekly working hours to be worked during periods of higher work activity which would be redeemed during periods of lower activity by having working hours below the normal weekly working hours.

 

Provided that the average weekly working time, including overtime, shall not exceed an average of forty-eight hours over the applicable reference period in terms of the Organization of Working Time Regulations 2003, unless the employee concerned has given his consent in writing to work more than a weekly average of forty-eight hours.

LN 46 of 2012 permits the employer to introduce schemes to bank hours, whereby up to 376 hours of the normal annual working hours in each calendar year may be banked, thus allowing extra hours over and above the normal weekly working hours to be worked during periods of higher work activity which would be redeemed during periods of lower activity by having working hours below the normal weekly working hours. Provided that the average weekly working time, including overtime, shall not exceed an average of 48 hours over the applicable reference period as stipulated by the Organization of Working Time Regulations 2003, unless the employee concerned has given his consent in writing to work more than a weekly average of forty-eight hours.

Only those hours on any day in a week which attract the normal hourly rate of payment can be banked. Similarly, any hours of work which have been banked in order to be utilized during weeks of lower work activity shall only be so utilized on a weekly day of work where the hours of work are paid at a normal rate.

The legal notice provides a number of safeguards to prevent abuse and also deals with the relationship of entitlements such as leave with banking hours. This information was provided by the Department of Industrial Relations.

Why did you become an entrepreneur? At first I was employed by a local firm and as time went by I ended up being a shareholder. At a later stage I decided to open up my own business and started everything from scretch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How have you come to choose your line of business?

About 40 years ago I received some correspondence from a foreign company producing household goods and since this company was not represented in Malta I decided to start importing these products.

Where did you go on your last holiday?

South of Germany – The breath taking views of the Alps and country Side.

What is your earliest memory?

When we used to use the paraffin lamps.

If you could chose to be someone famous who would you be and why?

Michael Buble – For his style of music !