Author: SME Chamber

GRTU National Executive Council met the Prime Minister to discuss important pending issues that the GRTU has been striving to solve for quite some time but no solution with the authorities has been reached till now.
GRTU told the Prime Minister that for the last 60 years GRTU was very instrumental for self-employed and SMEs but the list of issues GRTU has pending with Government Authorities is too long. GRTU members can no longer bear being left pending and waiting to receive an answer they have been waiting for months if not years.

Accompanying the Prime Minister was Dr Simon Busuttil who spoke highly of the work done by GRTU and spoke about Government's initiative of meeting people, including people in business. The Prime Minister continued by thanking the GRTU for the several important proposals put forward along the years and for every year's Budget, from which Government issues schemes according to the GRTU suggestions as to what are the needs of SMEs. The Prime Minister also condemned the attacks on GRTU's Director General Vincent Farrugia and the GRTU and stated that respect should be    given to individuals and  organisations working for the betterment of our country.

Small Business Act

GRTU explained that according to the Small Business Act no Legal Notice having some kind of impact on the private sector had to be issued without an Impact Assessment. So far GRTU has never been presented with an impact assessment and as such no Legal Notices effecting business had to be issued, this is not however the case.

The Prime Minister informed the GRTU that Hon Jason Azzopardi will be discussing the issue with GRTU during a meeting that will take place in the coming days.

Right of Representation

GRTU explained the unjust decision taken by the Commission for Fair Competition where it was decided that GRTU cannot represent its members on issues that effect prices of goods and services. GRTU argued strongly this is a right most of our members depend on and therefore both the GRTU members and GRTU itself cannot be denied the right of representation.

The Prime Minster asked the GRTU to present an official case. This was done by the GRTU and currently Government officials are following up on the issue.

Rent Reform

GRTU explained this is a long standing issue both the GRTU and even more so its members are very hurt by. It is an important law that brought about drastic charges without any kind of consultation or modifications following strong representations by GRTU and its members. GRTU was never against the reform but this reform was very unjust on enterprise. GRTU once again presented its strong cases.

The Prime Minister once again told the GRTU he understood the points raised but he also understood the cases presented by the landlord. The Prime Minister was once again non committal on any of the aspects presented.

Cargo Hauliers

GRTU informed the Prime Minister that operators were very unhappy with the administration practiced by the Valletta Gateway Terminal (VGT) as they are encountering significant obstacles when trying to carry out their work.

The Prime Minister stated he did see the correspondence presented by the GRTU and thinks it is an issue of mismanagement on the side of VGT. The Prime Minister did however state that he would look into the matter and asked Dr Simon Busuttil to check if VGT is breaching the laws of concession.

Gas Distributors

GRTU explained how a Legal Notice changed the life for 31 distributors and how the situation was made worse with the involvement of the two companies. GRTU argued that either the distributors were kept to the districts or compensation would be given.

The Prime Minister said he is exploring a potential solution.

GRTU will be shortly reporting on further issues discussed with the Prime Minister and followed up.

Interested in doing business in Libya ? GRTU is helping it members in their interest in Libya and if you are interested we can help you ! Interested enterprises can contact the GRTU Internationalisation Desk Ms Abigail Mamo on 21 232 881

The Castelfranco Charter provides a roadmap to adopting cloud technology to achieve cost efficiency and profits. Small businesses and local authorities' adoption of cloud services could provide a big boost to the economy and the Castelfranco Charter could help speed up the transition.

Cloud computing is the new revolution in information and communication technology. It's something we are already familiar with: emails and social networks are all services provided using the cloud.

But the new idea associated with cloud computing is to bring the same concept to business, and shift data and basic applications to the cloud. This could generate huge savings and more efficiency in large areas of the public and private sector, especially in services and manufacturing. Case studies suggest that cost savings could be between 10% and 50%.

A brilliant idea has emerged from a small but dynamic Italian local public authority, the Asolo Ulss, near Venice. This public health company has produced a charter, the so-called Castelfranco Charter (from the place where it started last October), which provides a set of recommendations to help public authorities to adopt cloud computing. The idea, recently launched in an international conference tour, is simple but useful to promote cloud computing adoption, and could also apply to private companies willing to take it up. The recommendations are:

Operate on a redundant broadband network, for the connection between the company, the customers and the service providers.

Ensure "private cloud" usability as a preliminary step before agreeing to switch to a "public cloud".

Establish a roadmap to move systems into cloud computing under sustainable economic, management and security conditions.

Ensure storage of data in datacenters located in a EU country guaranteeing compliance with laws and regulations.

Request providers to guarantee interoperability and data portability in the event of transfer to another provider.

Request providers to guarantee permanent operative continuity of the systems in cloud.

Specify the vendor's management policy for data storage/backup activities in cloud.

Formalise the service providers' liability for data misplacement, loss and/or theft, outages, downtime, and interoperability failures.

Modify ICT infrastructure for service management skills.

Appoint a privacy and risk manager to supervise data management, protection and security.

Local public authorities and small private companies could follow these steps and safely move to the cloud. It will benefit them and the economy.

Of course, the effects of cloud computing will depend on the speed of its adoption, so policymakers should promote a rapid takeup, especially in the public sector. The difficulty will be to overcome problems of reorganisation, data portability and data privacy. All this requires a strategy and public authorities around Europe should co-ordinate for the purpose.

Cloud computing is currently developing along different concepts, focused on the provision of infrastructure as a service (renting virtual machines), platform as a service (using platforms on which software applications can run) or software as a service (renting the full service, as for emails). In preparation for its development, many hardware and software companies are investing to create new datacenters and services.

Cloud platforms provide services to create applications in competition with, or as an alternative to on-premise platforms – the traditional platforms based on an operating system as a foundation, on a group of infrastructure services and on a set of packaged and custom applications. The crucial difference between the two platforms is that, while on-premise platforms are designed to support consumer-scale or enterprise-scale applications, cloud platforms can potentially support multiple users on a wider scale, namely the internet, generating large gains in terms of cost-effectiveness.

The most relevant economic benefit of cloud computing is associated with a generalised reduction of the fixed costs of entry and production, in terms of shifting fixed capital expenditure from IT into operative costs depending on the size of demand and production. This contributes to reducing the barriers to entry especially for SMEs. The consequences on the endogenous structure of the markets will be wide, with entry of new companies, a reduction of mark-ups, and an increase in average and total production.

In recent research we have adopted a macroeconomic approach to study the effects that this innovation has on the cost structure of the European firms investing in IT and consequently the incentives to create and expand new businesses, on the market structure, on the level of competition in their sectors, and ultimately on the effects for aggregate production, employment and other macroeconomic variables.

Starting from conservative assumptions on the cost reduction process associated with the diffusion of cloud computing over five years, we have estimated that it could provide a positive and substantial additional contribution to the annual growth rate (up to a few decimal points), helping to create about 1.5 million permanent jobs in the EU through the development new SMEs. Similar results have been obtained by other research institutes, such as IDC.

Federico Etro is professor of economics at the University of Venice, Ca' Foscari. You can visit his website at Intertic.org/Etro.

The future of seafood supply was at the centre of today's debate organised by The Alliance for Common Fisheries Policy Reform and EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Maria Damanaki at the European Seafood Exposition, the world's largest seafood trade event.

Representatives of the seafood industry learnt that public money could help to secure the long-term supply of sustainable seafood if the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) brings about the necessary changes.

Referring to the current debate about the new EU Fisheries Fund 2014-2020, Commissioner Damanaki said: "The future funding of the Common Fisheries Policy will be deployed to give a real boost towards environmental, social and economic sustainability for our coastal areas. Its measures will give the fisheries reform a real footing towards a healthy, profitable and strong sector that takes an interest in environmentally stable fish stocks and increased consumer demand for sustainable fish".

The Alliance For Common Fisheries Policy Reform urged European decision-makers to address the current lack of governance by ending the short-term decisions that regulate fishing from year to year and by using EU funds effectively. Speaking on behalf of the Alliance, Irish Chef Evan Doyle of Euro-Toques said: "Chefs don't want fish to become a rare delicacy. The wild fish on our plates could disappear if the EU misses this year's opportunity to reform the Common Fisheries Policy and put its fisheries on the road to recovery and sustainable management."

"When it comes to the question of how EU funds should be spent, there is no room for bargaining: future fisheries funds should be targeted to maintaining fish stocks in the long-term and ensuring consumers "can have their fish and eat it too."

Why did you become an entrepreneur? I became a business woman because I have always admired my father and the way he started his business and built it gradually to what it is today. I am following in his footsteps.

How have you come to choose your line of business?

I have practically grown up in the catering business since I started helping my father out in his restaurant when I was still only 12, so it was the only line of business I could ever follow.

Where did you go on your last holiday?

My last holiday was in the Castelli Romani, just outside Rome, where I go to visit my family and remind myself of the beautiful place where I have grown up.

What is your earliest memory?

My earliest memories are the family holidays in Sardegna; the ferry trip there and the lovely beach house remain impressed in my mind.

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

Maria de Filippi, Italian TV personality who has always used her popularity to help people in need. Another example of a self-made business woman.

Il-Kunsill Malti għall-Kwalifiki (MQC) flimkien mall-GRTU, l-Kamra Maltija ghan Negozji Zghar u Medji u l-Malta Chamber of Motor Assessors  (MCMA), ser iniedu Standards tax-Xogħol fil-Qasam tal-Motor Damage. L-Istandards tax-Xogħol jiddeskrivu x'inhu mistenni mill-individwu li jkun jaħdem f'xogħol speċifiku. L-Istandards tax-Xogħol jesprimu l-prestazzjoni f'termini ta' riżultati u jindikaw wieħed x'għandu jkun jaf sabiex ikun jista' jaħdem bil-mod mistenni.

Dawn l-istandards jigbru flimkien il-ħiliet, l-għarfien u l-esperjenzi u huma għodda prezzjuża li tista' tiġi użata bħala punt ta' referenza għall-valutazzjoni, l-akkreditazzjoni u r-reklutaġġ.

Filfatt, l-istandards tax-xogħol jipprovdu sfidi għall-individwi sabiex jirriflettu fuq il-prestazzjoni tagħhom. Dawn iservu wkoll bħala għodda għad-deskrizzjoni tax-xogħol, għall-evalwazzjoni, s-superviżjoni u t-taħriġ.

Il-Kunsill Malti għall-Kwalifiki huwa nvolut f'diversi proġetti sabiex jistabilixxi standards tax-xogħol f'setturi differenti, li jinkludu involviment u ftehim suffiċjenti mill-partijiet rilevanti interessati kollha – dan isir biex dawn l-istandards ikunu rikonoxxuti fil-pajjiż kollu.

It-tnedija tal-istandards tax-xogħol fil-qasam tal-Motor Damage se jkollha rwol importanti fil-modernizzazzjoni tal-edukazzjoni u t-taħriġ. Dawn l-istandards tax-xogħol huma l-qofol ta' siegħat ta' xogħol iebes minn voluntiera fis-settur tal-Motor Damage membri fil-GRTU.

L-għan ta' tnedija ta' dawn l-iStandards hu sabiex tinħoloq kuxjenza u impenn mas-setturi kollha f'Malta lejn ħidma f'kuntest ta' sħubija u l-iżvilupp ta' kunsilli ta' ħiliet settorjali u standards tax-xoghol. 

GRTU has this week presented it's views as approved by GRTU National Executive Council, on the amendments proposed for the restructuring of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development. The main points of the proposal below: 1. Government will refer for the Opinion of MCESD all draft legislation, green papers and other proposals formulated by Government or Parliament having an economic and social nature.

It will be the responsibility of MCESD to provide requested Opinions in consultation with all stakeholders irrespective of whether they have a direct representation on MCESD, at Council, Civil Society or Gozo Regional Committee level. The Opinions of MCESD should preferably be the result of consensus at MCESD Council level. Where consensus is not possible, MCESD will list members who consent to the Opinion and other members who do not consent, specifying the points where consensus has not been obtained.

2. The members appointed to the Council and to the Committees, except for Government nominees, shall be appointed from organisations that are democratic with elected Councils or Committees and registered either as employers associations, trade unions or non-governmental organisations, and subject to the rules and regulations of the specific legal registration.

3. Persons holding elected public office cannot be appointed to Council or Committees.

4. The Council and Committees are democratic organisations where every member is equal irrespective of size of the organisation or functions of the same organisations. No member of Council or of Committees shall have more than one representative.

5. All decisions taken at Council level shall be by consensus. Where consensus is not available Council will list approving and dissenting members when Opinions are in reference from Government or Parliament.

6. The members of Council listed by notice in the Government Gazette should also include a member from Farmers and Fishermen organisations in addition to another member representing professional organisations and chambers of professionals in lieu of the two seats vacated by members having more than one member.

7. The Executive Secretary shall be responsible for the Council and the Committees

8. The Executive Secretary is responsible for the taking and drafting of minutes of all Council and Committee meetings.

9. The term of office of the members shall be of 2 years.

10. Any individual representing a member organisation shall on any occasion where he/she has a personal or commercial interest on any matter discussed under any item of the agenda declare such interest and withdraw from any deliberation on the indicated item on the agenda.

11. Dates of Council and Committee meetings shall be notified ten days in advance and members shall within six days before the appointed Council or Committee meeting date refer to the Executive Secretary on any issues they wish to include in the agenda. Determination of what is to be included on the agenda are made by the Chair in consultation with the deputy chair and General Secretary.

12. The members of the Committee shall be appointed by the Prime Minister and all Government references for the Opinion of MCESD shall be directed by the Prime Minister on behalf of the Cabinet of Ministers. The Prime Minister shall be responsible to Parliament for the proper conduct and adequate financial and administrative support to MCESD. The Prime Minister may delegate these functions to the Minister responsible for Dialogue.

GRTU has this week helped co-organise an event, following invitation by the Austrian Ambassador to Malta Petra Schneebauer and the Austrian Commercial Consul for Malta Michael Berger which also involved a business forum where GRTU members met Austrian businesses interested in doing business with Maltese entrepreneurs. A total of 150 meetings were held and the event.

GRTU's President Paul Abela introduced himself as President of GRTU, the Chamber representing from the smallest and simplest type of enterprise in Malta. Daily these micro, small and medium enterprises astonish us at GRTU with their will, bravery and perseverance at doing business. Mr Abela's speech went on as follows:

I believe we are all here today because our Austrian colleagues who have organised this event, which is really an opportunity for my members, and for this I truly thank you, have themselves, together with the Austrian businesses we have welcomed in Malta, recognised the skill of the Maltese entrepreneur.

I myself had participated in a business delegation to Vienna organised by Malta Enterprise a couple of years ago and the Maltese businesses were even back then very keen on doing business with Austria.

Trade figures can vouch for the opportunities that are already being exploited. Total imports during 2011 amounted to €24M while total exports amounted to €7M. Since 2010 these figures almost doubled and we are here today because our enterprises see further opportunities.

GRTU has been established over 60 years ago and we have seen our members not only grow but even outgrow the Maltese market potential. The Maltese market is still developing but to achieve further success and significant growth Maltese entrepreneurs need to look outside the Maltese market into the European market of 500M consumers and even outside the European market. Currently Maltese enterprises are aggressively tapping outside the Maltese market and they are being successful. We as GRTU provide them with all types of support needed and we instigate Government to support local enterprises through trade schemes and delegation visits. GRTU holds regular information sessions, hosts business delegations, accompanies its members on delegation visits and signs bilateral agreements with business Chambers to help its members with required contacts and support when in a foreign country.

Other than the work carried out by the GRTU's internationalisation Desk GRTU also keeps its members updated on any developments at EU, national and local level. Through our Brussels representatives EuroCommerce and UEAPME, where Austria is also well represented, and through GRTU's seats in the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the European Social Fund (ESF) we ensure the views and interests of our members are represented through all available channels at EU level. In Malta GRTU sits on the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development (MCESD) and holds other important seats while at the same time keeping an open and healthy relationship also at Local Council level.

Today GRTU is an organisation that acts as a one-stop-shop for its members and channels information in an intelligent manner to ensure members receive the information they require in a timely manner and in a way they can understand it. All these things make GRTU an interactive and essential partner for businesses and we are here available for the Maltese and Austrian enterprises that require any type of support.

I will conclude by once again thanking our Austrian colleagues for taking the initiative to organise such an event. Please do make the most of the meetings today and network and make contacts as much as you can. We will invite our members to follow up on the contacts made today as I am sure that these introductory meetings can lead to good and healthy business relationships. I hope to be in a position to reciprocate soon with a Maltese delegation in Austria and for today I wish you good business!

Discussion is already shaping up to become a proxy battle over the size of the EU's multi-year spending programme for 2014-20. The European Commission will next week publish its proposal for the European Union's budget in 2013, initiating a battle with the EU's largest member states, which want to see spending reduced.

Although it is the member states and the European Parliament that ultimately decide the level of the budget, the Commission's proposal will be the starting-point. Discussion of the 2013 budget is already shaping up to become a proxy battle over the size of the EU's multi-year spending programme for 2014-20. The European commissioners, who are supposed to approve the draft budget on Wednesday (25 April), will the same day receive an update about negotiations over the multiannual programme.

The Commission is expected to propose that the budget should be increased by at least 5% compared to the 2012 budget. That level of increase would be fiercely opposed by much of the Council of Ministers, with Germany, France, the UK and the Netherlands leading the calls for the budget to be limited to its 2012 level plus inflation, or even cut. But a majority in the European Parliament will be calling for a bigger increase than the Commission proposes.

Sidonia Jedrzejewska, a Polish centre-right MEP who drafted the Parliament's opinion on the 2011 budget, said: "This is going to be a very special annual budget because it is the last year of the current multiannual financial framework. But also, because of the austerity atmosphere, we saw a level of payments which was too low during the last two budget years, 2011 and 2012."

Janusz Lewandowski, the European commissioner for financial programming and budget, has already warned that a carry-over of €11 billion from 2012 of claims from member states for spending on EU projects threatens to leave the budget short of money in 2013 to meet its obligations.

Jedrzejewska said: "What we have created is a backlog. The move I would expect from the Commission's draft budget is to propose a correct level of payments, which would be a substantial increase on 2012. It has to be more than 5%."

Representatives of the commissioners are due to meet today (19 April) to hammer out revisions to the draft budget, which will address both the overall level of spending and the distribution of the budget between different policy areas.

Neelie Kroes, the European commissioner for the digital agenda, is engaged in an eleventh-hour struggle to preserve the budget for research in information and communication technology. The budget department has proposed to take money away from ICT research to meet a funding shortfall in the controversial ITER nuclear research project. The plan is to cut €240 million from research, and €150m of that would come specifically from ICT research. At a conference in Rome last week, Kroes said that the cuts would be "a big mistake". "Everyone in the industry should raise their voice to say never, ever," Kroes said.

Industry groups have taken up the cause. Digital Europe, an association of technology firms, has sent a letter to Barroso, saying the cuts would "cause a direct and significant reduction in European jobs in the near future".

A British official said that the UK government would be very unhappy to see ICT research taking a disproportionate hit to pay for the ITER overruns and that the cuts should be more widely spread.

German MEP Helga Trüpel, spokesperson for the Greens on the budget, said: "We should not be pouring any more money down the black hole that is the ITER nuclear fusion project."

After publication of the draft budget next week, the proposal will go to finance ministers for discussion on 15 May. It will then be discussed in working groups until the end of June, with the aim that member states and MEPs reach agreement in the autumn.