Author: SME Chamber

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.

The European Union's interior ministers are preparing to agree next week the broad outlines of a scheme to collect and analyse data from airline passengers travelling into and out of EU airports. 

The scheme, proposed in February 2011 by Cecilia Malmström, the European commissioner for home affairs, would oblige airlines to forward passenger name records (PNR), including addresses and credit card numbers, to national authorities for potential use in criminal investigations.

National governments are keen on having EU-wide rules on the collection and analysis of PNR, even though only a handful of them systematically collect PNR at present.

The member states are backing a British proposal to amend the draft directive so that governments are free to decide the purposes for which PNR can be used. Malmström's proposal limited the use of PNR to terrorism and other serious crimes.

Peter Hustinx, the European data-protection supervisor, last year issued a negative opinion on the necessity and proportionality of the Commission's proposal. National data-protection authorities share that opinion.

The ministers' agreement, to be concluded at a justice and home affairs council in Luxembourg next week (26-27 April), would pave the way for talks with the European Parliament, whose backing is required for the proposed directive to become law.

MEPs are expected today (19 April) to approve a controversial PNR agreement with the United States. The agreement with the US is not linked to the proposal for an EU PNR system, but has raised some of the same concerns.

At their meeting next week, the interior and justice ministers will also discuss asylum issues and management of the Schengen area.

GRTU President Paul Abela has recently participated in a business delegation to Israel. Below are a list of the companies he met that might be of interest to the GRTU members. Kindly contact Abigail Mamo at GRTU for the contact details.

Kesher

Kesher produces magazines. Currently it does so for a number of countries such as Cyprus, Russia and Israel.

Sano

Sano is Israel's leading manufacturer of high quality household cleaning products and personal hygiene products. It has over 600 products. Sano also has special niche products. Sano was founded in 1965. Product categories: Household and industrial cleaning materials, laundry detergents, toiletries, diapers and paper products, air fresheners, pesticides and insect repellants.

Abir Global Security

A high profile company that offers a wide range of comprehensive security services.  Since 1995, "Abir" has been providing unique and creative security solutions to our customers.  Our client base consists of major corporations, government organizations, and the general public. 

EVO Israel

Produces a variety of olive oils

SWOT

If you are involved in training or consulting in the fields of marketing or management, the SWOT Toolbox gives you an opportunity to expand your business options and to meet the needs of a larger market. The SWOT Toolbox provides proven marketing strategies and tactics. The SWOT Toolbox was developed in Israel for the local market, and you may easily adapt it to meet the needs of your market.

The pressure on agricultural income is expected to continue as farmers are facing more risks, a slowdown in productivity and a margin squeeze due to rising input prices; there is therefore a need to maintain income support and to reinforce instruments to better manage risks and respond to crisis situations.

 

A strong agriculture is vital for the EU food industry and global food security. At the same time, agriculture and rural areas are being called upon to step up their efforts to meet the ambitious climate and energy targets and biodiversity strategy that are part of the Europe 2020 agenda.

The Commission proposal for the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2014-2020 (the MFF proposal) sets the budgetary framework and main orientations for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). On this basis, the Commission presents a set of regulations laying down the legislative framework for the CAP in the period 2014-2020:

– Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing common rules for direct support schemes for farmers under the common agricultural policy and repealing Regulation (EC) No 73/2009 (the direct payments regulation);

– Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a common organisation of the market in agricultural products (the Single CMO regulation);

– Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) (the rural development regulation);

– Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the financing, management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy (the horizontal regulation);

– Proposal for a Council regulation determining measures on fixing certain aids and refunds related to the common organization of the market in agricultural products;

– Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No 73/2009 as regards the application of transitional measures in respect of the year 2013;

– Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council modifying Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 establishing a common organization of agricultural markets and on specific provisions for certain agricultural products (Single CMO Regulation) as regards the regime of the single payment scheme and support to vine-growers.

The current reform proposals are based on the Communication on the CAP towards 20201 that outlined broad policy options in order to respond to the future challenges for agriculture and rural areas and to meet the objectives set for the CAP.

A Consultation Session is going to be held :

Date: Thursday, 3rd May 2012

Time: 16.00pm

Venue: MEUSAC, 280, Republic Street, Valletta

If interested to attend kindly send an email on by not later than Wednesday, 2nd May.

Why did you become an entrepreneur? From a young age I was always ambitious and started my business at the young age of 17. How have you come to choose your line of business?

Passion of cars and anything to do with motor

Where did you go on your last holiday?

Sicily

What is your earliest memory?

When accidentally I have put my parents house on fire whilst trying an experiment which we had done earlier that day at school

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

Mother Theresa – For the fact that although she became famous she kept living a humble and simple life

A minimum budget for decent living – GRTU submitted its position paper to MCESD on Caritas Malta study – A minimum budget for decent living with the following points:

1. GRTU has no objection to the budgetary survey conducted by Caritas and identifying the expenditure requirements of vulnerable families and individuals. Indeed GRTU is in favour of constantly identifying expenditure needs of this sector for policy makers to be able to devise productive and sustainable means to allow vulnerable individuals to have the necessary income.

2. GRTU however disagrees with the findings of the report because it fails to clearly identify the sources of income of the selected individuals and families. Conclusions can only be matched correctly if the income side is also properly assessed. Individuals and families have incomes that vary dependent on the income potential reflecting whether there is one income earner and what kind of social assistance package beyond medical assistance and fuel support individuals and families may qualify for.

3. GRTU disagrees with the recommendations of the report especially the increase in the minimum wage and all other recommendations which in effect mean increase in public expenditure and not increase in support of schemes to improve the employability and income generating capacity of the unemployed and low income receivers.

4. GRTU objects strongly to further unsustainable increases in public expenditure and only supports expenditure in schemes that do not further burden employers with increased bureaucracy and increased financial burdens. GRTU as a fundamental principle contends that it is the obligation of employers to provide a decent income to employees according to the labour input provided and not according to the individual or family needs of the worker. The responsibility to cater for the individual or family needs first and foremost is the responsibility of all able bodied individuals and secondly of the state. It is the responsibility of the state to provide all means so that all able bodied individuals of working age can become employable within their specific trainable skills potential and GRTU supports all schemes that ensure that Malta gets the benefit of the maximum productivity of the largest number.

5.  In this particular phase of our economic development GRTU objects to any further burdens on employers. Indeed GRTU contends that many smaller enterprises represented by GRTU cannot at this particular stage face additional burdens and argues that an increasing number of small independent self-employed individuals are themselves within the bracket of vulnerable individuals and the solution GRTU seeks is further economic growth potential schemes that enable more people to be productively engaged and economically active. Extending the welfare gap at this particular stage is not only economically and fiscally wrong but is also a threat to the vulnerable sectors as it leads to the damping of economic prospects and prospects for new investment and innovation, which is the greatest threat to economic stagnation.

GRTU's Director General and EESC Employers Representative Vincent Farrugia took a prime role in this week's EESC Single Market Production and Consumption (INT) Section – on the new EESC Opinion on Audit and Procurement. Vincent Farrugia was one main speaker emphasising the main points in the Opinion he drafted on eProcurment:

 

1. Implementation of an inter-European e-procurement framework is a cornerstone for the proper functioning of commerce within the internal market

2. deployment of e-procurement up to local public administration level is to be considered as an important policy instrument as e-procurement:

a.  reduces cost for business and public admini stration;

b. results in a streamlined procurement process,

c. results in greater transparency

d. is a vehicle to the further attainment of an information society.

3. e procurement is a channel that enables public procurement policy to be carried out more efficiently, effectively and economically.

4.   Ensure that while no activity by any individual Member State is affected that further endangers the achievement of the desirable target, action is actually implemented that furthers the implementation process over an agreed time-frame of an approved cohesion approach.

5.   An implementation monitoring mechanism is introduced to review progress, barriers, corrective action et al with regards to the introduction of e procurement within Member States.

6.   Encourage Member States to seek innovative solutions to overcome business procedures and language issues.

7.   It is imperative that the work resulting from the review of the public procurement and the e-procurement frameworks respectively is directed to unleash SMEs and micro-enterprises ability to compete in an e-procurement environment.

8. SMEs are assisted either through direct capacity building initiatives, setting up of e procurement Facilitating Support Centres by national, regional contracting authorities or constituted bodies representing SMEs through national and EU financing – to ensure that SMEs and micro-enterprises embrace and leverage e procurement.

GRTU has today held a very successful and well attended meeting for all its members who have some kind of interest in the post-war Libya both if they were present in Libya before the trouble started or if they have never set foot in Libya.

 

GRTU believes in the importance of the Libyan market now like never before. From the vast experience GRTU representatives have in Libya GRTU can easily say that there are new opportunities in the new Libya specifically because it is different from the Libya before the war and business is slowly getting to be more transparent and healthy.

Mr Mario Debono, GRTU Council member heading the Libya initiative, provided participants with plenty of valuable and current information. Mr Debono, who has several years experience in the country, is today leading GRTU's initiative, signing agreements on behalf of GRTU with the Misurata Chamber of Commerce and the Libyan Businessman Council and helping GRTU assist Maltese businesses interested in Libya.

Mr Debono reported on the state of Libya today both economically and socially and explained how, if the approach is right, Maltese businessmen can achieve success in Libya. Mario Debono together with GRTU President Paul Abela have just returned from a business delegation to Libya which had very specific target areas.

This latest experience helped the GRTU go into detail about the business opportunities that exist, what investments are urgently needed and what would the Libyan people be interested in.

Imminently GRTU will focus on the four most important areas at the moment:

The food sector, including food handling and preparation

Construction services in its widest terms

General services (Finance, personal investment, insurance, etc…)

Maritime services

However no sectors will be excluded and therefore we will go into detail of all the interests, capacities and capabilities of our members. GRTU will be leading sector specific delegations, coaching members in their approach, helping in finding partners and making contracts and the required basics such as background research, visas applications, access to finance, setting up, etc…

A GRTU Libya Committee has been set up and GRTU is calling for interested members to form part of the Committee which already has a number of members. Interested enterprises can contact the GRTU Internationalisation Desk Ms Abigail Mamo on 21 232 881.