Author: SME Chamber

Il-GRTU tappella lill-Gvern li din il-kwistjoni tal-ftuh tal-hwienet fil-Hdud u l-Festi jaqtaghha darba ghall-dejjem – mhux sewwa min jaffordja ghandu l-ghazla u min ma jaffordjax m'ghandux ghazla. U min ma jhallasx u jiftah jigu jaghlquh il-pulizija qisna f'pajjiz kommunista u jekk is-sid ma joghbdix itelluh il-Qorti qisu kriminal u jekk ma jhallasx il-multi jibghatuh l-habs. Affariijiet ta' barra minn hawn. Dan kollu ghax sid ta' hanut jezercita il-professjoni tieghu li jaqdi lill-pubbliku. U l-Onor Dr Jason Azzopardi biex jwarrab din l-antikalja jrid imur ghand l-MCESD. Affarijiet tad-dahk kieku mhux ghax jolqtu fil-laham il-haj lin-nies taghna. M'hijiex kwistjoni tal-MCESD din. Baqa' biss tariffi bla sens. Ma mmorrux l-MCESD fuq tnehhija ta' tariffi bla sens.

 

Il-GRTU tibqa' issostni li b'risponsabbilta' li s-sidien tal-hwienet ghandhom jiehdu hsieb taghhom infushom u tal-familja taghhom u tal-imjegati u l-familji taghhom u jaghmlu kull sforz ha jgawdu il-Hdud u l-Festi mal-familja, imma l-ghazla ghandha tkun taghhom u mhux imposta bla sens u b'diskriminazzjoni mill-Gvern. Mhux post il-Ministru li jindahal aktar meta ghandu u m'ghandux jiftah il-hanut is-sid li jimxi mal-ligi. Il-pulizija ghandhom hafna aktar x'jaghmlu milli joqghodu jarrestaw lis-sidien tal-hwienet Onorevoli Jason Azzopardi. U l-MCESD m'ghandux hin x'jahli fuq kwistjoni li messa ilha li giet solvuta.

Wara kollox il-Gvern ha id-decizjoni li m'hemm xejn kuntrarju li l-hwienet kollha jifthu l-Hdud u fil-Festi diga' hadha bi ftehiem mal-GRTU u m'hemm l-ebda decizjoni importanti x'jiehu li ghandu ghalfejn idahhal fiha lill-MCESD. Kulhadd jista' jiftah fil-Hdud u l-Festi Onorevoli Jason Azzopardi. Basta jhallas 700 ewro. M'hemmx principji. Kwistjoni biss jekk sid ta' hanut meta jiftah jaqlax bizzejjed biex ihallas is-700 ewro u jifdallu. Kwistjoni jekk hanut jaffordjax jhallas jew le. U jekk inti b'hanut f'Malta. Ghax f'Ghawdex din il-ligi diga' bdilniha. Wkoll bi ftehim mal-GRTU. F'Ghawdex m'hemmx restrizzjonijiet.

Illum min jaffordja jhallas €700 jiftah jekk irid u haddiehor ghax zghir u ma jaffordjax anke jekk irid jiftah ma jiftahx. Ara l-akbar grupp ta' supermarkets diga' habbar li se jiftah il-gurnata kollha kemm f'jum San Pawl u kif wkoll is-Sibt sa l-ghaxra ta' bil-lejl u il-Hadd wkoll. Ghax ghalihom 700 ewro tihmil id-drass. Imma ghaz-zghir hafna  ma jifthulux biex jaghmlulu kompetitizjoni. Ara l-Kamra tal-Kummerc favur din il-kummiedja.

Il-GRTU trid li din il-farsa tispicca. Trid li l-ghazla jekk hanut jiftahx jew le biex jaqdi lil  kommunita'  tkun f'idejn is-sid tal-hanut. Is-sidien tal-hwienet kollha jaqblilhom li ma jkunx hemm aktar xkiel zejjed. Jaqblilhom ghax il-valur tan-negozju taghhom joghla u jinzel skond kemm is-sid ghandu liberta' ta' kemm jista` jiftah fi granet u f'hinijiet li jaqbillu li jiftah il-hanut. Illum hanut f'zona fejn m'hemmx xkiel ta' Hdud u Festi jiswa' mod u l-iehor f'zona fejn ma tistax tiftah jekk ma thallasx is-700 ewro jiswa anqas. Ghalhekk is-sidien intelligenti jridu l-helsien ghax l-ghazla jifthux tkun f'idejhom u in-negozju taghhom jkun jsarraf aktar. Huma jafu jekk jaqblilhomx jifthu jew le. Huma jafu jkejlu jekk is-suq jitilfuhx jekk jibqghu maghluqin jew isalvahwx jekk jifthu. U jekk ma jafux jaghmlu il-kalkoli taghhom u m'ghandhomx il-hila jiddeciedu u jridu lil Gvern jiddeciedi ghalihom allura ghandhom problema gravi. Ghax hadd ma jidhol fin-negozju u jippretendi li il-Gvern joqghod ifissdu. Hekk ghada tahseb il-Kamra tal-Kummerc. Mhux hekk izda ghal-GRTU.

Din kwistjoni li suppost ftehmna li nsolvuha fuq mhedda ta' ghaxar snin billi ndahhlu riformi wahda wara l-ohra sakemm fl-ahhar ngibu bidla lejn il-liberalizzazzjoni shiha. Hekk riedet il-GRTU bidla bil-mod halli kulhadd jipprepara ghaliha. Issa ghadda zmien bizzejjed. Issa kull ma baqghalu jnehhi l-Gvern hi din il-mizata redikola ta' 700 ewro intaxxata fuq min irid jiftah. Il-GRTU b'responsabbilta' tat parir lill-Gvern sa mis-sena l-ohra biex jaghmel il-pass li jmiss. Il-Gvern izda minflok li ha l-parir intelligenti tal-GRTU, l-assoccazzjoni nazzjonali li ilha waheda 63 sena tirraprezenta lin-negozji fil-kommunita', beza' u rega qed ikaxkar saqajh. Is-sena l-ohra talab lill-GRTU ghall-sena ohra. Is-sena ghaddiet u rega qed jibza'. Qisu hemm xi babaw. Kull ma hi decizjoni li jnehhi tariffi bla sens ghax kif issostni l-GRTU id-decizjoni li kulhadd jista' jiftah ilha li ittiehdet.

Id-Direttur Generali tal-GRTU Vince Farrugia f'isem il-GRTU din il-gimgha kiteb lill-Ministru Tonio Fenech u lill-Ministru Jason Azzopardi biex din il-kwistjoni jaqtuha darba ghal dejjem. Dan il-GRTU ghamlitu wara li l-Gvern rega' iddecieda li jirrifjuta t-talba tal-GRTU u jhalli kollox kif inhu, jigifieri li min mhux suppost jiftah u jrid jiftah jkollu jhallas €700 jew jekk jiftah jissogra li jigu l-pulizija jaghlquh u jtellghuh il-qorti qisu xi kriminal. "Il-GRTU issostni li z-zminijiet inbidlu u llum m'ghadux iz-zmien li l-Gvern joqghod jindahal fuq meta konsumaturi ghandhom jaghzlu li jmorru jixtru u meta sid ghandu jiftah jew ma jiftahx" sostna id-Direttur Generali.

"Ir-responsabbilta' minn issa l-hemm ghandha tkun fuq is-sid tan-negozju u ahna nemmnu li b'responsabbilita' l-maggoranza assoluta tas-sidien tal-hwienet fil-komunita' se jaghzlu li l-Hadd jibqghu maghluqin. Hekk jaghmlu l-Ghawdxin ghax f'Ghawdex il-GRTU ilha li helset lis-sidien tal-hwienet ghawdxin  minn dan ix-xkiel. Esperementajna u irnexxiet. Issa l-Gvern ghandu jmexxi u mhux jibqa jkarkar. Illum in-nies biex jixtru juzaw l-internet u jekk il-hanut jinzamm maghluq il-bejgh xorta jsir. Fi zmien tal-e-commerce il-ligijiet restrittivi antiki m'ghadhomx aktar jaghmlu sens. U huma fuq kollox ingusti. Ghalhekk il-GRTU qed tkellem lil Gvern car: tajjar l-ixkil li baqa', u inqala l-barra minn din il-kwistjoni. U m'hemm bzonn l-ebda MCESD biex tiddeciedi. Li l-Kamra tal-Kummerc harget kontra l-pozizzjoni tal-GRTU ma nistghagbu biha xejn. Jidher li fil-Kamra tal-Kummerc hemm min hu komdu bil-fatt li min jaffordja jiftah wahdu bla xkiel ta' kompetizzjoni min negozji z-zghar li ma jaffordjawx is-700 ewro. Dwar is-Sunday trading il-Kamra tal-Kummerc hi ghall-kollox kontra il-kurrent. Probabbli hi l-unika Kamra tal-Kummerc fl-Ewropa li ghadha trid il-pulizija iddejjaq lis-sidien tal-hwienet ghax jifthu f'jum ta' festa u jirroftaw li jhallsu din it-taxxa bla sens. L-unika Kamra probbabli li tahseb li sid ta' hanut li jkollu il-liberta' li jaghzel hu jiftahx jew le jkun imcahhad u mhux egevolat. Ma naqblu xejn ma min fil-Kamra tal-Kummerc qed jirraguna b'dan il-mod" jsostni Vince Farrugia Direttur Generali tal-GRTU

"Ricerka li ghamlet il-GRTU u hafna kummenti li ta' spiss nircievu juru li l-facilita' li tista' tixtri fi x'hin trid mill-internet hi raguni ewlenija ghaliex il-bejgh mill-hwienet naqas drastikament. Ma nistawx nibqghu naghmluha difficli biex il-konsumatur jasal ghand il-hanut meta hu l-iktar komdu ghalih. Illum b'xi mod jew iehor il-konsumatur se jinqeda' jew mill-internet jew mill-hwienet. Il-hanut iz-zghir xorta ghandu postu imma jrid helsien assolut u mhux restrizzjonijiet. Helsien li jsib in-nicca tieghu fis-suq u jikkompeti fejn ghall-haddiehor l-ispejjez ikunu kbar wisq. Jikkompeti kif inhu u bla impozizzjoni. Illum  iz-zghar li ma jifilhux ihallsu ma jistghux jikkompetu. Illum il-hwienet iridu jikkompetu f'kull hin. Il-kuncett ta`xiri illum hu differenti minn dak li kien qabel ghalhekk illum ghandna investimenti massivi bhal The Point u shopping malls godda, ghax iz-zmien inbidel. Iz-zghir irid il-liberta' biex hu wkoll jibdel skond il-mezzi li ghandu u skond l-iskemi favorevoli li l-GRTU tinsisti kontinwament li l-Gvern ghandu jipprovdilu. Iz-zghir ghajnuna jrid mhux xkiel. liberta' mhux protezzjoni ta' zmien il-brodu" jikkonkludi Vince Farrugia

This Legal Notice tries to regularise the employment of workers under the title of self-employment. GRTU has raised this issue both here in Malta with the responsible Ministry, at the Employment Relations Board  (ERB) when the ERB asked for GRTU's advise and in Brussels directly with DG Enterprise and with DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion and GRTU as the Maltese national organisation representing the self-employed sector and micro, small and medium employers, is satisfied that the new legal regulations regulating the employment of individuals on a relationship of self-employment does not hamper genuine entrepreneurs who seek to farm out work to professional and independent self employed and that under the excuse of self-employment no unfair competition is created to hamper the opportunities for work for those who as a vocational choice prefer to work as independent small private entrepreneurs better known as self employed.

 

Overall the new regulations concluded after lengthy consultations achieve a fair balance between the rights of genuine self employed and the right of enterprise to choose the form of engagement best suitable to encourage further private initiative and economic growth.  GRTU, however stresses that this is one other case were in spite of the Small Business Act provisions action is being taken by Government without any statistical evidence justifying the requirement and without any measure of the impact of these new bureaucratic burdens on business and employment. GRTU continues to emphasise that it is the right of enterprise to seek first and foremost how to continue to offer on the market good quality service and products within the most competitive environment and in the absence of excessive bureaucratic burdens.

Here rather than reducing, Government is increasing bureaucratic burdens, in a labour market which in Malta is already very restrictive and at a time when our overseas competitors are liberalising and not further restricting the labour market.

GRTU in agreement with Government submitted on behalf of members, following approval in retailers` section meetings, a request for the suspension of the legally enforceable charge of €700 on each retail outlet wishing to open (unless their particular operation and locality from which they operate gives them an automatic right to open) on the following listed Public Holidays:

• Friday 10^th February

• Saturday 31^st March

• Thursday 7^th June

• Friday 29^th June

• Saturday 8^th September

• Friday 21^st September

 

 

 

 

 

By general consent of retailers and their employees no request was submitted for the opening of Shops on Christmas Day and on Good Friday.

GRTU strives for the freedom of shop owners to be given the opportunity to decide themselves as on which dates to open for business but insists on due respect to traditions and the special characteristics of the Maltese. GRTU continues support shop owners' and their employees' freedom to choose to reserve a day of rest preferably on Sunday which in Malta is for most the family day of rest.

The shift GRTU is demanding is from a legal imposition to a choice by shop owners, who in their vast majority are owners-managers and family businesses.

 

 

 

 

 

By general consent of retailers and their employees no request was submitted for the opening of Shops on Christmas Day and on Good Friday.

GRTU strives for the freedom of shop owners to be given the opportunity to decide themselves as on which dates to open for business but insists on due respect to traditions and the special characteristics of the Maltese. GRTU continues support shop owners' and their employees' freedom to choose to reserve a day of rest preferably on Sunday which in Malta is for most the family day of rest.

The shift GRTU is demanding is from a legal imposition to a choice by shop owners, who in their vast majority are owners-managers and family businesses.

Following last year's controversy on the opening of shops on public holidays that fall close to special occasions which are deemed to be very important shopping days, where the GRTU strongly advocated for the outlets to be given the opportunity to open without the legal obligation to pay €700 euro's per shop, there seemed to be an agreed commitment by Government that during 2012 the issue would have been managed over a whole year basis.

 

 

 

 

 

The GRTU therefore presented its request, which is simply a formality as bureaucrats also have access to calendars so the exercise could be done automatically really. Now we are informed that in spite of last year's commitment, Government still has failed to decided in time to liberate the 10th of February, an important shopping day in view of Valentines Day.

The GRTU therefore regretfully informs all shops who had planned to open on 10th February that they may have to incur the extra charge if they are not already exempt as Government has refused GRTU's request on behalf of all retailers who wished to open.

We are told Government is still deciding on the other four days which the GRTU has presented.

Report says that gains made by the Single Market Act – will not claw back all the losses caused by the crisis – National industry ministers and European Union policy-makers meeting in Copenhagen this week will hear businesses demand that more public services should be outsourced to the private sector to promote growth. 

A report published yesterday indicates that gains made by the Single Market Act – the European Commission's blueprint for opening up the single market – will not claw back all the losses caused by the financial crisis.

The study, carried out by Copenhagen Economics and commissioned by the Confederation of Danish Industry, a member of Business Europe, predicts a loss of potential gross domestic product (GDP) of 20% in the EU between 2008 and 2017, representing €240 billion per year. Implementing all the priorities listed in the Single Market Act would increase the overall GDP of the EU an estimated 5%.

With no room left for further loosening of fiscal policy in the EU's member states, the report's authors suggest that, to help make up the shortfall, the EU needs to make it easier for the private sector to deliver services normally run by public bodies. This, they add, could lead to a 10%-20% increase in cost savings.

Breaking ‘taboos'

Sinne Backs Conan, a European affairs director with the Confederation of Danish Industry, said that a major increase in the use of the private sector was a "taboo" that had to be broken, in the same way as the financial crisis was forcing the EU to look at pension reform and tax harmonisation. "The private sector can unlock growth. We have to be more radical," she said.

 

 

In a bid to advocate its proposal for the European Energy Community as a means of achieving a common EU energy policy, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and European think-tank Notre Europe brought together prominent EU decision makers, stakeholders and civil society representatives at a major conference.

"We are dismayed by the slow progress on developing the internal gas and electricity market. The time has come to put forward a daring proposal for the European Single Energy Market and the creation of a European Energy Community", said Staffan Nilsson, President of the European Economic and Social Committee. This idea was initially mooted by Jacques Delors, former President of the European Commission and founding President of a Paris-based European think-tank, Notre Europe, co-organiser of the conference. In a recent opinion, the EESC endorsed the concept and expanded on it.

The EESC calls for a joint approach to energy production, transmission and consumption. "It is a matter of necessity. Doing it alone is no longer an option, as this pushes energy prices up, jeopardises supply security and does nothing to get us closer to the low-carbon society we are aiming to achieve", added Mr Buffetaut, President of the EESC's Section for Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society.

"The EU, the member states and all involved would let citizens down if they did not tackle these challenges in a spirit of solidarity and responsibility", said Anna-Maria Darmanin, Vice-President of the European Economic and Social Committee, adding that this should ideally be done within a European energy community. In this context, Martin Schulz, EP President, emphasised that this project would smooth our way towards low-carbon society by helping to create new jobs and more growth.

Günther Oettinger, European Commissioner for energ, said there would be greater emphasis on common infrastructure projects in the coming years. "This move would help to bind together Europe's hitherto separate 'energy islands'", added Jerzy Buzek, MEP, former President of the European Parliament.

Mr Oettinger struck a cautious note, however, pointing out that some of the EESC's proposals might not be feasible under the current treaty. "Although the Lisbon Treaty has extended the EU's powers in the energy field, some of the key decisions such as the energy mix remain in national hands", he said.

The EESC backed Mr Delors' idea of creating "a European gas purchasing group" to strengthen the bargaining power of Member States and companies. It suggested establishing a common supply structure for gas and other fuels, which would ensure consistency in negotiations and help to reduce prices. Martin Schulz highlighted that integration within the EU should help to secure Europe's external energy supplies. "Common purchasing power could go a long way towards preventing internal tensions between Member States", commented Jerzy Buzek.

In a written message to the conference, Jacques Delors highlighted the European Energy Community's potential for boosting the legitimacy of the European integration process in the eyes of the public. "By re-launching European integration in a concrete policy area and meeting citizens' need and expectations, the European Energy Community is a political project that could mobilise people".

In his statement, Mr Delors also supported the EESC's idea of setting up a European civil society forum tasked with monitoring energy issues such as infrastructure development, market conditions or consumers' rights. By constituting a channel of dialogue with decision-makers, the forum would ensure civil society's involvement in development of the EU's energy policy.

Following the conference, a joint declaration to be signed by Staffan Nilsson and Jacques Delors will call for rapid and operational steps towards the integration of EU energy policy. The conference was jointly organised by the European Economic and Social Committee and Notre Europe, a Paris-based European think-tank founded by Jacques Delors.

System would enable groups of consumers to bring compensation claims against companies – An EU-wide system to enable groups of consumers to bring compensation claims against companies has moved a step closer this week when the European Parliament gives its formal support to the idea – but squabbling between EU officials and member states persists, delaying the introduction of legislation.

MEPs voted following unanimous approval by the Parliament's legal affairs committee, on a report on collective redress drawn up by Klaus-Heiner Lehne, a German centre-right MEP. The European Commission has been dragging its heels on the matter, having launched various consultations involving separate directorates-general dating back to 2008.

However, the intervention of the Parliament and decisions by some member states to delay the introduction of national law, has increased pressure for a formal proposal from the Commission in the coming months.

Joaquín Almunia, the European commissioner for competition, is making the running on the issue, but discussions also involve John Dalli, the commissioner for health and consumer policy, and Viviane Reding, the commissioner for justice, who is less enthusiastic about the idea.

Group compensation

An EU collective redress law would allow groups of consumers to obtain compensation for damages from companies in any member state. About half of EU member states have their own systems, but they differ widely. So-called forum shopping – where litigants choose the jurisdiction where they will most likely win – is commonplace.

There are vast differences between countries, but most national governments have informally suggested that they believe there is a need for EU legislation to create a level playing-field. "Ministries for economic affairs see the need more than ministries of justice, which usually consider their legal system to be supreme," said one EU official. "So not only do attitudes differ from one member state to another, but also within the member states."

In January, the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) rose by 1.2 points in the EU and by 0.6 points in the euro area, to 92.8 and 93.4, respectively – the first pick-up in sentiment since March 2011. The improvement was mainly driven by increasing confidence in the services sector and – to a lesser extent – among consumers and in the construction sector. Among the largest euro-area Member States, sentiment improved in Germany (+2.3) and Spain (+1.8), while it deteriorated in France (-2.1), Italy (-1.1) and the Netherlands (-1.0). As to large Member States in the rest of the EU, sentiment increased in both the UK (+5.0) and Poland (+2.7). The ESI is above its long-term average only in Germany.

 

Confidence in industry improved only marginally in the EU (+0.4), staying just below its long-term average, while it remained unchanged in the euro area. In both regions, managers had a more positive assessment of their companies' past production and their export order books. At the EU level, firms also expressed increasing optimism about expected production and the current level of order books, though these improvements were partially offset by a worsening in the assessment of stocks of finished products. In the euro area, production expectations were unchanged, while managers' assessment of their order books deteriorated. On the other hand, euro-area managers were more positive about their companies' stocks.

Confidence in services rebounded in both the EU (+2.9) and the euro area (+2.0), thanks to more positive assessments of the past business situation, past demand, and expected demand. Confidence in construction also improved in both the EU (+1.2) and – albeit to a lesser extent – in the euro area (+0.6). On the contrary, confidence in retail trade worsened significantly in both the EU (-2.7) and the euro area (-3.3).

Managers revised their employment plans upwards in all business sectors except for retail. At the same time, expected selling prices were also revised upwards across all sectors.

Confidence among consumers improved by 1.3 points in the EU and by 0.6 points in the euro area, mainly on the back of easing unemployment fears in both regions. Consumers' assessment of the expected general economic situation and their own financial situation improved at the EU level, but remained unchanged at the euro-area level.

Confidence in financial services – not included in the ESI – increased in both the EU (+6.0) and in the euro area (+9.1), on the back of more optimistic managers' expectations about demand for their companies' services. Managers also assessed recent developments in the business situation and demand more positively.

According to the quarterly survey of the manufacturing sector, also carried out in January 2011, managers' expectations of export volumes increased in both the EU and the euro area, while at the euro-area level there was also an improvement in managers' appraisal of their competitive position on foreign markets outside the EU. Capacity utilisation increased marginally. At 80.2% in the EU and 79.9% in the euro area, capacity utilisation remains still below its long-term average.

Last week the renewable energy sector had a very cordial and productive meeting. The meeting was held at the GRTU in Valletta, and various topics that are either hindering the sector or may be improved were discussed. Section President Noel Gauci would like to thank all those that attended and those who sent the survey by email. Results are published below.

 

The issues raised during the meeting were as follows;

Retailers have always been given guidelines and requested to adhere or desist. Nowadays these are being followed to the letter by the vast majority of suppliers, but should authorities also have some sort of guidelines to make renewable energy more customer friendly and attractive in Malta? Some actions that need to be taken are;

– Stipulate a timeframe within which Enemalta should send its

people to install the meter that measures exported electricity

– Stipulate a timeframe within which clients that have been

promised a rebate recover such funds

– Indicate what the feed in tariff will be like after the 8 years that are currently being committed by Enemalta

Another issue was the need to create a one stop shop for suppliers and customers alike so that one would not need to run from the supplier to Enemalta to MRA and MEPA etc. We believe that MRA should create an office that caters for such liaising where clients and retailers can go and get answers for their queries. The office should also accept to liaise with the retailers in case the client decides to appoint them to do so. For this purpose a special document to be signed by the client should be created and available online. Such office should always be manned and personnel should be adequately trained. This to solve the issue that many times one does not find the right person available for specific questions at MRA.

The installation period for new domestic photovoltaic schemes should be increased to one year. This has already been increased from 6 months to 8 months during the last scheme, but since the same amount of money is yielding more installations, the timeframe has again proved to be too short and in some cases could affect the quality of workmanship. Retailers believe this should be taken seriously and there is a consensus that in the future the timeframe should be twelve months.

The need for a new scheme for domestic PV. The group believes that we should not wait until we have finished all our installations to start discussing a new scheme, but that GRTU must ensure that if there is no funding available, discussion start to seek funding from PPCD like it did last year. Noel Gauci informed the members that the issue has already been raised with PPCD and we are awaiting for the next meeting to see the outcome.

Current feed in tariff rates are unfair. One could be purchasing electricity from Enemalta at 36 cents or even at 72 cents per KW, while selling the equivalent KW at 25c. For this reason high electricity consumers who have large amounts of space where they can install PV's refrain from doing so as they feel robbed. We believe that MRA should re negotiate the power purchase agreements so as to ensure that PV owners have a fair option where they can buy and sell at the same rate, or what is more commonly known as net metering. This system is used as long as the owner generates not more than what he produces. In the event of over production, the rate of 25 cents would apply.

The need for Enemalta/ARMS to recognize domestic accounts as residential.

A survey was also carried out among the members of the section. The results were as follows;

Kuntent bl-iskemi tal gvern?

Iva – 50% Le – 50%

Fejn jistghu jitjiebu?

Feed in tariff

More frequent or open-ended schemes

Longer application time

Less paperwork

Delays in processing applications

 

Qed ikun hemm zmien bizzejjed ghall applikazzjonijiet?

Iva – 25% Le – 75%

 

Xi jxekklek l-aktar waqt l-iskemi?

Short periods of applications

Certain procedures until these are approved

Bureaucracy in certain areas, such as limitation to change equipment when the manufacturer launches a new version due to shortage supply if this is in the client's favour value wise

 

Minn min jew mill liema dipartimenti tal gvern jew awtoritajiet tistenna li jsir xi haga jew li jista jsir iktar?

MRA grants division

Energy

Environment

 

In negozju tieghek zdid jew naqas?

 

Jekk kellek zieda fin-negozju tatribwixxi din iz-zieda ghall iskemi?

Iva – 100% Le – nil

 

Min naha l-ohra jekk kellek tnaqqis, ghaliex tahseb?

Excessive bureaucracy at MRA grants division

Long waiting times

Short application period

MRA too rigid on certain minor issues

 

X-tixtieq li jinbidel u jsir ahjar fl-ammisnistrazzjoni tal-iskemi?

Becomes more frequent

Better communication mra-client-supplier etc

Less red tape for PV clients

 

X-tahseb fuq il feed in tariff

 

Fejn tahseb li ghandna ninsistu l-aktar?

 

Fl-opinjoni tieghek, liema skemi kienu l-iktar ta success u li ghandna nuzaw bhala ezempju ghal skemi ohra?

 

Other comments

Radical change in SWH scheme

More schemes during the year.