Author: SME Chamber

Further to the positive feedback received by various members of the industry and also after a circular sent by the Valletta Gateway Terminals Ltd, we wish to advise  that as from the  3rd October 2011;

• The VGT Head Office Counter Service will be open to the public from 0700hrs to 1600hrs
• Delivery service at Deep Water Quay (DWQ)and Labaratory Wharf (LW) Terminals are extended from 0700hrs to 1700hrs

These new opening hours are on a trial basis and should VGT feel that it will have an adverse effect on the industry, it will revise accordingly.

The SME Committee met with the EU SME Envoy, Daniel Calleja Crespo. The role of the SME Envoy is to open up channels of communication between the Commission, SMEs and their representative organisations, and encourage similar developments in Member States. The Envoy's main objectives are to reduce legislative burdens, to develop further access to finance, and to promote access to markets. SME members are encouraged to send details of specific obstacles to doing business in Europe to Géraldine Verbrugghe, our new full time special assistant on SME policy.

To cope with labour shortages, the commerce sector will have to draw workers from the older age group, concluded the ILO Global Dialogue Forum last week. The Forum examined ways in which the work processes and environment can be adapted to facilitate the participation of older workers in the retail sector labour market.

EuroCommerce presented good practices, implemented at both national and European level, to over 40 government, employers' and workers' delegates from more than 25 countries. The delegates agreed that the retail sector's social dialogue should design initiatives to attract and retain workers of all ages in a highly competitive demographic context.

Why did you become an entrepreneur? I was employed, with a well established company but they fail to honor the contract

How have you come to chose your line of business?I was a T.V technician and started sales and repairs.

Where did you go on your last holiday?

Greek Islands

What is your earliest memory?

My first holy communion

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

I am most happy as I am

The Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee (MEUSAC) together with the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA), is organising a consultation session on Directive 2009/128/EC establishing a framework for Union action to achieve the sustainable use of pesticides.

This Directive, which needs to be transposed into Maltese law by December 2011, aims to reduce the risks and impacts on human health and the environment related to the use of pesticides. The Directive also aims to promote the use of alternative pest management methods.

Date: Thursday, November 10, 2011

Time: 18:00 hrs

Venue: NGOs Centre, Il-Madonna tar-Rummiena Street, Xewkija

The aim of the Directive is to ensure that Member States draw up plans to reduce the potential damage caused by pesticides.

The Directive focuses on plant protection products.

It instructs Member States to:

1. Adopt National Action Plans (NAPs) aimed at reducing the risk from pesticides on human health and the environment;
2. Set up compulsory systems of training and education for distributors and professional users of pesticides;
3. Set up framework for systematic equipment inspections;
4. Protect water supplies;
5. Examine alternative pest management methods;
6. Examine harmonised risk indicators;

  The session is of particular interest to:

• NGOs;
• Farm Advisory Services;
• Producer Organisations;
• Co-Operatives;
• Pesticides' dealers; and
• The general public.

The session will be conducted in MALTESE.

The opening address will be given by the Hon. Dr Chris Said, Parliamentary Secretary for Consumers, Fair Competition, Local Councils and Public Dialogue.

Interested participants are requested to register for this session by not later than noon Friday, November 4, 2011 by email on .

This week Liz Said GRTU's Membership Secretary attended a Cabeo Project in Torino organised by Euro Commerce. This Seminar focused on Managing Sustainable Services for Members in the Retail and Commerce Sector.

This three day seminar was attended by various employers associations from other EU countries where a brain storming session and discussions were held on the different level of services that could be offered to their respective members in their associations. During the seminar there  was exchange of ideas of new services that could be offered by the association which could be of benefit to their members.

"There is no doubt that the global economy is facing increasing risks but the way leading to recovery remains open. The choices ahead of us are not vast as there are many lingering uncertainties and there is weak resolve to implement solutions. It is so obviously clear that European leaders must lead and implement bold action together if Europe does not look at the future with a common vision we might as well forget about the whole European Project as in the absence of strong leadership and common vision the European union has no future.

The flaws that now are so visible in the structure of the European Monetary Union will not be remedied by single member individual action but by a common and credible action to which all members of the European Union are committed".  Vincent Farrugia was speaking at EESC last week soon after European Commissioner for Competition Joaquin Almunia made his presentation on behalf of the EU Commission on action being taken by the EU to meet current financial and economic obstacles.

Vincent Farrugia further emphasized: "that the serious re-capitalization of banks is becoming increasingly urgent. The EU must halt the spread of economic and business uncertainty as enterprise owners' measure from close range the worsening liquidity crisis and this is having a great negative impact on business confidence right across the EU.

The European Financial Stability Facility must be mobilized with urgency to directly re-capitalize banks. More strengthening action needs to be taken both fiscally and financially to ensure that sovereign finances become more sustainable" stressed Malta Employer's Association. Business owners strongly emphasize growth: we need more capital investments in the infrastructure, the planned Euro Project Bonds scheme must be put urgently into action so that Europe starts seriously investing for future growth. The private sector can provide substantial financing which together with the support of European Central Bank can give a new impetus to growth in many regions across Europe emphasized Vince Farrugia.

"Curtailments of public expenditure in deficit countries is important but drastic up-front belt-tightening on its own is not the solution. Growth is the key-word. But there cannot be growth without a credible common vision. Growth and productivity must be the strategies that will lead us forward and the EU Commission must ensure that member states are all geared for stronger economic growth with budget deficits.

On Wednesday 12th October at Palazzo Capua the Malta business community welcomed Mike Aldridge from UK to explain how a well-structured risk and opportunity control system, operated by the board and senior management of an enterprise, can bring new confidence by proactively managing business uncertainties and strategies.

The event was organised by Areti Business Issue Solutions Ltd (the internal audit arm of Busuttil & Micallef, Certified Public Accountants & Practising Auditors) and was attended by directors and managers from a variety of business sectors. These varied from hospitality, construction, health, and insurance to energy, manufacturing and an airline. Mr Paul Abela, President, and Mr Vincent Farrugia, Director General of GRTU were among the delegates.

There was discussion on the current economic uncertainties, which impact on all businesses to some degree, and how risk management can contribute to a business's strategic response. Mike's presentation also brought out queries and comments on planning and control topics which, if not managed well, can leave companies exposed to decline or worse. There was lively discussion on succession planning, particularly in the context of family businesses, and on the use of risk focused internal audits to ensure policies and procedures are operating as intended.

The need to adapt normal financial and other controls to monitor projects and initiatives was emphasised. So too was the need to adapt strategies on staffing, IT, customer service and finance when operations are overseas.

Mike's next visit to Malta will be in November, and he has offered to meet both collectively and individually by appointment with GRTU members who would like to learn more about how risk management may reduce some of the stresses of running a business and maximise the likelihood of its continuing prosperity.

Areti Business Issue Solutions Ltd is a Maltese joint venture company , formed from Areti Corporate Services Ltd in Malta with Business Issue Solutions Ltd in UK. Mike is the Managing Director of BIS, which he formed in 2008 to promote his risk management business. He has over 30 years of risk management and internal audit experience, initially with multinational companies and from 1996 with a variety of clients in his consultancy business. More details may be found on the Areti BIS website at http://www.areti-bis.com/ .

Any consumer has a right to present a complaint. But businesses cannot stay hanging on for three, four months awaiting a call for a decision in front of consumers' Arbiter.

Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority(MCCAA) was established to resolve previous bottlenecks. A three month delay process is excessive and smells of incompetence. Most decisions are taken against the Retailer or Trader on the assumption that it's a consumer affairs arbiter and retailers and traders are more often than not treated as guilty even before a hearing starts; delays, prejudice and poor technical and commercial knowledge.

The cost of technical expertise is excessive and the knowledge of expertise is often waiting. This is one other reform that GRTU assesses as a failure.