Author: SME Chamber

'Considering the eurozone is likely to go into recession in 2012, what measures should the government and stakeholders take to ensure economic growth and job creation next year?' – When the global economic and financial recession first hit Malta in 2009 Malta was saved from greater economic damage as a result of a combination of four elements. In the pre-recession period when the World Economy was awash with speculative money which was pouring in those economies that did not block the flood waters like Ireland, Greece, Portugal and Spain, Malta had in force monetary and legislative firewalls that prevented this kind of money to reach us. In the property market the only speculative moneys that moved in where the substantial funds owned by Maltese who previously, fraudulently,  evaded  income and other taxation  and foreign exchange controls, and which funds  were then allowed in under that horrible Tax, and I say,  fraud, Amnesty. Otherwise the fact that we managed relatively well with our own local funds ensured that while we were not subjected to exceptional international pressure we could also manoeuvre out of the recession relatively unscathed.

 

And this is precisely the second element. Our size and our control on our macroeconomic imbalances both internal (government financial deficit) and external (international, the balance of payments current account) protects us from the uncontrolled reactions of the global money market. The third element is the way Government has been managing the economy. In brief this is a steering away from the pressures of the international money market, high pressure to turn the economy through various incentives towards new forms of investments based on the knowledge economy. The incentives package brought forth the quicker emergence of an economy based on transhipment, light knowledge based manufacturing, tourism all-year-round based on niche markets, specialised service enterprises like e-gaming and professional back office  and enterprise support quality services, financial services and quality conventions and conferences,  as well as international trading and logistics, warehousing and logistic.

The entrepreneurs operating on the local economy and depending on local private and public sector consumption and the derived demand of the enterprises with an international clientele are increasingly being supported together with exporters of goods and services with assistance programmes in favour of renovation, restructuring and resizing. I believe that this strategy should be intensified now that there is a threat of another round of recession. We need to concentrate more on the restructuring of our enterprises in favour of more innovation. We also need to manage and control our Banks better. In this regard I continue to stress that access to finance remains the major  hurdle of Maltese enterprise as they seek to grow and restructure.. The loan guarantee schemes for which GRTU has worked so hard are essential. But Banks remain loaded with excess liquidity as the Maltese level of savings remains high but a big chunk of this liquidity is moving, and very fast, abroad to the detriment of Maltese entrepreneurship and to the absolute importance of rapidly increasing our national output. Finally our important fourth element: our ability to manage our National Accounts. We can as a result of our size identify the problems faced by exporters, tourism operators and others and indicate in a short period of time effective remedies that can be implemented fast enough to keep improving our competitiveness and keep our international macroeconomic imbalances in check . We can also manage our government Financial Budget tightly enough to ensure that our Balanced Budget EU directed strategy is achieved even earlier than planned.

Government should also speed up its capital investment programme. Government should not wait for the second half of the year to really start spending as the delay may cost us dearly if the international situation worsens and finds us unprepared with a readily planned capital investment expenditure. This expenditure will  balance any shortfalls in private expenditure by increased public expenditure not in useless current expense but in worthwhile investment projects.  The last thing Government in 2012 should not do is to panic and submit to negativism and to panicky austerity measures. Politicians will do the country honour if they stop the ugly scenes of infighting that destabilise unnecessarily the local economy and cause strain and fear among consumers. Consumer confidence is important. As for stakeholders, I say that we have enough fora and  where to present arguments and solutions to actual and not perceived problems. We at GRTU are proud of the volume of solutions we constantly push forward. We can shout and bang in camera, but let us all keep the people out there concentrated on improving overall productivity and keep their standard consumption going. Our economy is as resilient as we can make it. We can face the challenge if we all really want to.

 

 

 

Gas Distributors are abliged according to the Social Contract approved by Governmenmt  to provide door to door distribution of LPG Gas Cylinders everywhere in Malta and Gozo and to the exclusion of no consumer irrispective of distance or any other hindrance. Under this obligation Gas Distributors  are also obliged to sell gas at the price established by the Malta Resources Authority according to a price methodology  established by the same Malta Resources Authority in June 2010. The approved mechanism also provide for price increases necessary when basic costs of distribution vary when taken as a national average.

 

Early in December Gas Distributors, members of GRTU, met Liquigas after Liquigas formally and in writing did not accept to include the costings  presented by Gas Disributors to prove that current price mark-ups do not cover increased costs of distribution. The costings presented by the distributors are within the price methodology as established currently by the Malta Resources Authority. Liquigas have always sold their LPG cylinders according to the maximum price established by the Malta Resources Authority until Easygas Malta Limited came along with a cheaper price. The competitive structure of the market forced Liquigas to reduce also its recommended price to consumers. When competition was absent Liquigas simply held to the maximum price issued by the Malta Resources Authority. It is an obligation under the price settlement mechanism to take into consideration the actual costs of distribution on a door to door basis. The maximum selling price authorised by MRA include a margin to cover also increased cost of distribution. The prices at which Gas cylinders are being sold today by distributors to consumer include this approved margin.

When Liquigas changed its recommended prices the company however failed to meet the increasing costs of distributors like increase in fuel prices and increased wages for themselves as self employed and for their employees in addition to other expenses. The Malta Resources Authority were informed of this situation so that the matter could be managed according to established procedures. This was done during a meeting held at the Authority's offices in December.

The prices at which Distributors are selling to consumers do not exceeded the prices set by the Malta Resources Authority and the statement issued by Liquigas is  therefore incorrect and only represent another miscalculated action by Liquigas to create unnecessary conflict with the gas distributors who serve the community.  GRTU objects strongly to this attitude as it represents a silly way to conduct industrial relations.      Liquigas efforts to place the distributors in a bad light with end consumers reflects badly on Liquigas itself.

Whilst Easy Gas Malta Limited has agreed with individual distributors in respect to any acceptable cost increases effected as long as they are within the MRA established parameters, Liquigas stabornly persist in their desregard of their legal obligation as issued by the Malta Resources Authority in respect to LPG and Propane Price Mechanism (June 2010)' issued by the same Authority.

 

GRTU appeals to Liquigas to meet Gas Distributors representatives and settle this issue through the proper regulatory channels and not through uncalled for public announcements that result only through poor judgment and  are only fruit of their own failure to act according to their obligations and approved procedures.

The grim reality of recession will demand a tribute in terms of jobs lost, it will also hamstring our capacity for innovation, and waste the potential for creativity of the coming generations, said participants of the conference on "The role of European investments for companies and employment in the future financial perspectives" held yesterday in the European Economic and Social Committee. The challenges that lie ahead can only be beaten through a strategy jointly agreed at EU level, they concluded.

 

European employers, convening for a meeting organised jointly by UEAPME, or the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, EUROCHAMBRES and BUSINESSEUROPE, call for the 2020 strategy to be implemented rapidly, drawing on the EU budget, financial engineering and private capital as well as national resources.

"This is the only strategy which will enable us to do more while spending less", said Henri Malosse, President of the EESC Employers' Group. The conference identified priority areas where policy action should be focused.

The education sector must be tackled first, reinforcing mobility programmes, encouraging the creation of European university poles of excellence, and developing skills and qualifications for tomorrow's jobs.

Secondly, the challenging task of reindustrialising Europe can begin through opening up support for innovation across the EU, polling our research efforts, developing European clusters in key sectors to bring together research centres, universities and large and small businesses in European Silicon Valleys.

By providing active support for the EU's 20 million SMEs and for entrepreneurship in general, economic growth can be restored and a healthy employment outlook for young people created. Fewer than 10% of those 20 million businesses currently exploit the potential of the European market. "With an extra 10%, pointed out Henri Malosse, the growth rate of the entire EU would go up 1%".

"European entrepreneurs do not want to hear yet more messages of doom, gloom and austerity from Brussels; they want messages of confidence, recovery and hope", said Mr Malosse.

The Employers' Group is one of the three groups of the Europea Economic and Social Committee (EESC), a consultative body of the European Union. The EESC enables representatives of business organisations, trade unions, professional associations and civic groups to contribute to the framing of EU policies and decisions."

European Court of Auditors reports says that incorrect levels of VAT are paid on goods imported into the EU. The European Court of Auditors (ECA) said that member states are failing to ensure that the correct level of value-added tax (VAT) is being paid on goods imported into the EU and transported across borders inside the Union. A special report released by the ECA on 13 December has looked into a customs procedure – number 42 – that is used to provide importers an exemption from VAT on goods that are being sold in another EU member state.

The report says that controls in member states on ensuring that VAT was paid were deficient and that member states did not ensure that the conditions for exemption were being met.

The ECA carried out an audit in seven member states where goods were being imported and asked 21 member states that were the destination of goods to make sample checks of whether VAT was being paid.

Significant losses

The report says that the incorrect application of the procedure has led to "significant losses to national budgets". It says that the losses, extrapolated from the samples, was €2.2 billion in 2009. This represents 29% of all the VAT payable in imports made under the customs procedure in 2009, the ECA says. 

The report says that member states have made some improvements to their controls but that more work is needed. It said that information about transactions using the procedure was not always given to tax authorities in the destination member states.

The ECA recommends include making importers liable for VAT losses in cases where the VAT statement is not submitted, creating a common risk profile for imports using procedure 42, and changing legislation to improve the exchange of information with authorities in the destination member state.

 

 

Response statistics for Consultation on options to reduce plastic carrier bags and options to improve the biodegradability requirements in the Packaging Directive and the visibility of biodegradable packaging products to consumers. Statistics are based on 15538 responses.

 

 

The respondent
a citizen	96.90%
a public authority	0.33%
an industry association	0.97%
a NGO	0.39%
a university	0.23%
other	1.18%
Is it necessary, in your opinion, to adopt measures at EU level to reduce the use of carrier plastic bags?
Strongly agree	65.08%
Agree	13.28%
Disagree	3.64%
Strongly disagree	17.07%
No opinion	0.94%
Do you agree that the establishment of waste prevention targets for plastic carrier bags provide for a significant reduction of plastic carrier bags?
Strongly agree	46.79%
Agree	27.31%
Disagree	7.92%
Strongly disagree	14.37%
No opinion	3.60%
At which level should the waste prevention targets for plastic carrier bags be established?
EU level	71.34%
National level	13.68%
No opinion	14.98%
Do you agree that an EU ban on plastic carrier bags is needed?
Strongly agree	52.85%
Agree	17.70%
Disagree	7.14%
Strongly disagree	20.81%
No opinion	1.49%
In your view, can pricing measures effectively reduce the use of plastic carrier bags?
Strongly agree	30.62%
Agree	31.18%
Disagree	18.24%
Strongly disagree	8.04%
No opinion	11.93%

 

 

In your view, at which level should pricing measures on the use of plastic carrier bags be best defined?
EU level	57.15%
National level	22.87%
No opinion	19.98%
Measures to reduce the use of plastic carrier bags should make a distinction between:
Biodegradable/non-biodegradable plastic carrier bags	57.60%
Single use/re-usable plastic carrier bags	23.52%
No distinction is necessary	23.26%
No opinion	12.74%
In your view, are the current requirements on compostability and biodegradability in the Packaging Directive appropriate?
Appropriate	12.30%
Partially appropriate	26.42%
Inappropriate	29.66%
No opinion	31.62%
Do you believe it should be clearly established that only those materials that biodegrade in natural conditions (i.e. on soil, in freshwater and/or in the sea) are to be called biodegradable?
Strongly agree	56.39%
Agree	23.83%
Disagree	3.37%
Strongly disagree	11.26%
No opinion	5.16%
Do you agree that a mandatory EU labelling or marking system should be introduced to increase the visibility of biodegradable packaging products to consumers?
Strongly agree	48.33%
Agree	28.35%
Disagree	4.99%
Strongly disagree	13.35%
No opinion	4.97%
What should a mandatory EU labelling or marking system indicate?
Biodegradable packaging products	50.90%
Non-biodegradable packaging products	28.34%
No opinion	20.76%
N/A	–

LN 132 and 133 published on 24 April 2009 announced the amendments to the VAT Act (Chapter 406 of the Laws of Malta) which will come into force on 1 January 2010, 1 January 2011, 1 January 2013 and 1 January 2015. These changes implement the EU "VAT Package" adopted in February 2008 which announced changes to the place of supply of services rules, additional compliance requirements and revised procedures for recovering VAT incurred in Member States other than a business's home state. The proposed changes to the ‘place of supply' rules are relevant in the context of cross-border provision of services, and their primary scope is to ensure a level playing field for businesses which supply services within the EU.

General Rule: Distinction between B2B and B2C supplies

The new general rule shifts the place of supply of business-to-business ("B2B") services from the country of establishment of the supplier to the country of establishment of the customer, requiring the customer to self-account for VAT in his country of establishment (reverse charge). The current basic place of supply rule will remain the same for business-to-customer ("B2C") supplies of services, which services will be taxable in the country where the supplier is located.

Exceptions for specific services

Exceptions to the general rules will continue to apply to certain categories of services, such as services connected with immovable property and educational, sporting and cultural services. Certain services, such as services consisting of work on movable property, will remain taxable where physically carried out when provided B2C (exception to the general rule), but will be taxable where the customer is established in the case of B2B services. The new rules also clarify the VAT treatment of restaurant and catering services, another exception to the general rules.

Telecommunications, broadcasting and electronically supplied services

With effect from 2015, the place of supply of these services B2C will, in all cases, be the country of establishment of the customer. B2C suppliers of such services would be required to charge VAT in the country of establishment of the customer, however suppliers may opt to have only one EU VAT registration and to report the VAT due in each Member State through that single registration ("One-stop-shop" arrangement).

New reporting obligations

With effect from 1 January 2010, new registration and reporting requirements will be introduced for businesses supplying and receiving services in a cross-border context. The new reporting obligations complement the revised exchange of information arrangements between the EC Member States which will allow the Member States to monitor the cross-border provision of services.

Refund of Malta VAT paid by businesses established in another EU Member State – New Procedure

Legal Notice 357 of 2009 published on 15 December 2009 announced the changes to the application procedure for refunds of Malta VAT paid by businesses established in other EU Member States, effective 1 January 2010. The application for a refund is to be submitted in electronic format to the VAT authorities of the applicant's Member State of establishment, through the electronic portal set up by that Member State. This new procedure applies to refund applications submitted after 31 December 2009. Eligibility of the applicant for a refund of Malta VAT will depend on the said applicant's eligibility in terms of the rules in force in the Member State of establishment. Furthermore, restrictions to the recovery of VAT on certain purchases in terms of the rules in the Malta VAT Act for blocked inputs (including entertainment, alcohol and motor vehicles) continue to apply.

EU VAT Refund Claim

Persons registered under article 10 who are eligible for a refund of VAT paid in another EU Member State may submit an application for a refund through the Malta VAT Department's electronic portal.

Change to the Tax Point rules

Legal Notice 71 of 2010 announced the amendments to the VAT ‘Tax Point' rules in the Fourth Schedule to the Malta VAT Act. The changes impact supplies of goods or services which are made on an ongoing basis over a period of time (continuous supplies) and essentially provide that if no statement of account is raised or payment made, the goods/services shall be considered to be supplied at intervals of one year. In the case of continuous supplies of services from suppliers outside Malta to a business customer in Malta (where the customer must reverse charge Malta VAT), unless the tax point is otherwise triggered, the services shall be regarded as being completed on the expiry of each calendar year until the supply of such services comes to an end.

Information from Deloitte.

Why did you become an entrepreneur? Entrepreneurship is something that I have been raised in and therefore for me I believe it is a way of life.  I believe that entrepreneurship is a vehicle that a person can use to achieve their dreams and goals and whilst most times it is very hard work it is also very rewarding.

How have you come to chose your line of business?

After working in the family business for a number of years I decided to branch out on my own and whilst part of our company is still in the same market sector, that of automotive parts, we have been innovative in our approach to the sector in a different way, our company offers a one stop shop for automotive glass. The other sector of the company is very very different. We work in the Occupational Health and Safety sector, we are importers and distributors of Personal Protective Equipment, Barrie systems etc. The reason that I chose this line was because after having researched the market in 2004 I realized the lack of awareness, this is when I started my studies which eventually lead me to wanting to work within this sector.

Where did you go on your last holiday?

In Belgium, although this holiday was not a typical one as I attended the Junior Chamber International World Congress, which is a week packed with meetings, general assemblies, trainings and parties, meeting new people from all around the world is something that I enjoy. As for the last relaxing holiday was in Valencia -Spain

What is your earliest memory?

This is a tough one! My earliest memory would be running around with my parents in the kitchen playing.

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

I think that it would have to be Richard Branson from Virgin as his story is something that moves me, I admire his tenacity and the fact that he believes in people without putting them into boxes. Also his concept of social enterprise is something that I aspire to be able to implement in our company and hopefully within our community

Germany is providing Christmas tinsel for the struggling eurozone economy. Never mind the region's escalating debt crisis and global fears about the stability of Europe's monetary union. German business confidence has improved for a second consecutive month – and consumers remain surprisingly cheery.An unexpected rise in the Munich-based Ifo institute's business climate index for December indicated the eurozone crisis was leaving Europe's largest economy relatively unscathed.

 Sharp rises in optimism in retailing and construction reflect falls in German unemployment to lows not seen for 20 years, encouraging hopes that the downturn will be shortlived. Separately, the Nuremberg-based GfK research group reported that German consumers' economic expectations also brightened this month.

The latest Ifo rise was "like a winter fairy tale", said Andreas Scheuerle, economist at Deka bank. "It's the story of a large economy at the heart of Europe that keeps getting better, unaffected by the debt crisis and its neighbours' problems.

Earlier this week the Bundesbank predicted a return to solid growth "in the course of next year", supported by the ECB's expansionary monetary policy and stronger world growth. It expects the economy to expand by 1.8 per cent in 2013, after 0.6 per cent next year and 3 per cent this year.

The Ifo business climate index rose from 106.6 in November to 107.2 in December – the highest since September – as companies revised upwards their expectations for the next six months. "The German economy seems to be successfully countering the downturn in western Europe. This bodes well for Christmas," said Hans-Werner Sinn, Ifo president.

"For 2012, we're optimistic," said Stefan Klebert, chief executive of Schuler, a German company making metal-forming machines for the auto industry which earlier this month received a treble-digit million euro order from BMW, the largest in its more than 170-year history. "The situation in the real economy remains good but of course we are carefully watching current forecasts and early economic indicators," he said. "New orders are brisk and the record order backlog from our 2010-11 business year provides an additional solid cushion".

Hansgrohe, the bathroom equipment maker based in Schiltach in the Black Forest, said sales growth had cooled slightly over the summer – but then picked up again in the last two months. "Bathroom fittings are essentially investment goods – many consumers prefer to put their money into bricks and mortar at the moment and we're profiting from that," said Mr Grohe.

The sanguine mood among business leaders is affecting German consumers. The HDE retailers' association expects a last minute surge in business before Christmas, and has "high expectations" about business in the days between Christmas and New Year. Online Christmas sales were expected to grow particularly fast – the HDE forecast a 10 per cent increase compared with 2010.

German consumers were "defying the rising fears of recession and the most recent escalation of the debt crisis" to focus on the "still extremely favourable" conditions in Germany, GfK said. "With most German companies operating at above-average capacity, the labour market is very robust," it noted. Its overall "consumer climate" index was expected to remain steady in January. Consumers may thus play "the vital role of ensuring that Germany avoids going into recession".

"This is good news for Malta. Germany is very important for us and this is the direction we need to follow. A country that manages well its internal balances and avoids deficits at all costs, invests regularly and substantially in capital infrastructural projects and in support of innovation and restructuring of SMEs through the provision of regular and well funded financial assistance in the form of development guaranteed loans and easy access to finance for innovation, restructuring and research and development, and a country that regularly drives for surpluses on its international balances.

Malta has a good story to tell. I find myself comfortable in Brussels and in other European capitals where I am invited to speak as Maltese employers' representative and as an economist on what we, a small EU Member with very limited resources, are doing to survive and continue to expand and grow and create jobs in highly difficult times and surrounded by other southern European countries all in difficulties. I believe we should continue to remain positive and optimistic. The worst thing our entrepreneurs  can do in 2012 is to lose faith and fall for the cheap talk of many in our media who seem to take fun in denigrating the great efforts of all of us in enterprise to keep our beloved small country moving forward in spite of all the odds.

Our size helps us to cleverly find the market niches whether in finance, in transhipment, in business support services, in exports or in tourism that should keep us going. That is why all GRTU's initiatives, and when on platforms with Government authorities, are specifically geared for special support on access to finance and specific external market support and support for restructuring and innovation. The economic prospects for a number of countries around us may be bad but this should not keep us from looking at the trends in the most successful countries and to venture out and seek our opportunities. And the opportunities are there. Provided our frame of mind and institutional and financial back-up is right." Commented Vince Farrugia GRTU Director General and Member of the Employers Bureau at EESC.

GRTU has on numerous occasions voiced its concerns and objections on how the scheme is currently being administered. The GRTU would like to remind that it is the retailers who are paying for the current smart card system through the 2% overhead charged on every Smart Card transaction. We firmly believe that at a charge of 2% of the total sale, the scheme should have ample funds to be able to offer a sterling service.

GRTU has always been in favour of having an official database of products that are eligible to be paid with smart card. A list would provide both the students and the retailers with further clarity and avoid misuse. The retailer requires clear information also in order to be able to guide his employees as currently the owner has to trust the judgment of his sales persons and risk errors which could prove costly. We need a clear list, we cannot rely on judgement. It is not always clear whether an item can be classified as educational or not. We feel that compiling a database and adding products to the list as the need arises is not an impossible task.

GRTU is also in favour of changes to the composition of the SMGB board which should include representatives of the retail trade, students and Government officials. Presently the board is composed solely of Government officials. This board not only administers the SMGB system but is also Judge and Jury in cases where inappropriate use of Smart Cards is suspected. The GRTU feels that Government officials might not possess the sufficient technical knowledge some goods might require, which we see as essential in order to be able to make a fair judgement.

In addition to this, having a Government administered scheme run on a transaction cost which is a percentage and not a flat rate charge is no longer acceptable. The transaction cost does not go up and down according to the product price. The transaction cost is a flat rate cost. While the EU is fighting banks on this issue Government is still enacting the same system itself.

GRTU therefore calls for the 2% charge to be converted to a flat fee based on a per transaction system. It does not take longer or cost more for the Smart Card system to process a transaction of €400 instead of one of €10. On a €400 transaction, a retailer pays a staggering €8. It would be cheaper to deliver the money by hand to the SMGB Board!

GRTU has already written to Hon Dolores Christina in this regard. GRTU is presently awaiting a reply.