Category: Archive – 2004

The Members of the Committee are appointed by the Minister
responsible for MEPA on nominations made by the national organisations
represented on the Committee.

The Users’ Committee is autonomous from the
Malta Environment and Planning Authority and is responsible to the Minister to
whom it reports at least every six months. As laid down in the Development
Planning Act, the Users’ Committee supervises the general functioning of the
Authority particularly to ensure, in the interest of the general public, an
expeditious and fair process and transparency and uniformity in the Authority’s
decisions and acts. It thus monitors the running of the Authority and proposes
such changes to administrative processes and practices as it may deem
appropriate.

Entrepreneurs and business interests who have complaints on
the operations of MEPA can address their complaints to GRTU on .
The Committee however, can only take into consideration complaints that are of a
generic nature since the function of the Users’ Committee cannot be constrained
as representing another form of appeal on issues of specific nature. The GRTU
representative on the Committee will present all serious complaints to the
Committee for investigation.

2. Din hi l-burokrazija li dejjem tizdied. U s-sabiha hi li
jfassluhom u jimponuhom bla ma jitkellmu ma hadd. Tiftah il-gazzetta, tiftah
l-gazzetta tal-gvern, tisma r-radju jew t-televizjoni, u ssibhom hemm ma wiccek.
Minghajr kunsultazzjoni ma hadd.

3. Mela, l-kapijiet tal-Unjoni Ewropeja
joholqu d-djalogu socjali mall-msiehba socjali settur, settur, qabel ifasslu xi
haga u f’Malta dawk kollha li tghidx kemm ippriedkaw li l-mudell ewropew jghodd
ghaliena, ifajjru regolamenti wiehed wara l-iehor u ma jitkellmu ma hadd.
B’daqqa ta’ pinna jibdlu l-vijabilita, l-kundizzjonijiet tax-xoghol u ta’ kif
taghmel in-negozju u bhal allat zghar jahsbu li ghax ghamluha huma allura
sewwa.

4. Din hi ipokrezija li l-GRTU mhux ser toqghod ghalija aktar. Min
jippriedka d-Djalogu Socjali jrid jara li dan jitwettaq, min jaccetta li
l-borokrazija zejda tohnoq l-investiment u l-impjieg irid bil-fatti jwettaq dak
li jghid. Ma jistax ikun gvern jibqa ghaddej jippubblika abbozzi ta’ ligijiet li
jolqtu lis-settur shih tal-kummerc u ma jitkellem ma hadd.

5. Hekk rega
gara fil-kaz ra’ Abbozz Nru27. Anke jekk huma affarijiet tajbin u bzonjuzi, izda
x’jigifieri titfassal ligi fundamentali lil tolqot lin-negozji kollha u ma jkun
ikkunsultat hadd qabel. Din il-haga qed issir wisq. Dan mhux il-mudell Ewropew.
Dan hu l-mudell qadim Malti ta’ dejjem. M’hemmx gustifikazzjoni
ghall-imposizzjoni. M’hemmx gustifikazzjoni ghan-nuqqas ta’ kunsultazzjoni u
ftehim mall-imsiehba socjali. L-imsiehba socjali jew taghti kashom is-sena
kollha u f’kollox inkella kif ahna ser nibqghu; ninponu, jonqos l-investiment,
jizdied il-qaghd u min hu komdu jghabbi fuq min irid igorr l-piz.

Il-GRTU
qed tappella lill-gvern biex bis-serjeta’ jibdel
ir-rotta.

Mhux vera hawn attitudni posittiva
lejn in-negozji z-zghar. L-istess Ministeru li tieghu int responsabbli, dak
tal-Finanzi qed jesagera bil-goff. Qed jaqla’ kontijiet ta’ taxxi ta’ 20 sena
ilu biex idejjaq lin-nies. L-attitudni tal-Ministeru tal-Finanzi hi hazina. Mhux
ser isolvi l-problemi finanzjarji billi jkompli jsallab lin-nies. Zgur mhux ser
isolvi l-problemi billi jkompli jsallab lis-sidien tal-intraprizi z-zghar u
lis-self-employed. Fost il-Ministri tieghek diehla l-arroganza. L-ewwel
jitnikkru, imbaghad meta tittiehed azzjoni ta’ protesta tidhol is-suppervja.
Nitolbuk tibdel ir-rotta Onorevoli.

2. Illum Malta qeghda fl-Unjoni
Ewropeja u ahna kuntenti b’dan. Ahna involuti b’mod dirett fid-djalogu ekonomiku
u socjali li fl-Unjoni Ewropeja jsir bis-serjeta. Mhux jaqbdu u jimponu.
Jitkellmu l-ewwel mal-imsiehba socjali. Flimkien jaghmlu l-abbozzi tal-ligijiet
li jaffetwaw l-industrija, l-intrapriza, il-kummerc, ix-xoghol, l-investiment,
il-finanzi u d-drittijiet tal-konsumaturi. Hadd ma jimponi fuq hadd. Ahna bhala
GRTU, f’isem is-sidien tal-intraprizi Maltin illum involuti f’dan id-djalogu
kollu fuq livell ewropej. Izda f’Malta ghadna naqbdu u nippublikaw abbozzi ta’
ligijiet importanti, u jitfasslu avvizi legali li jolqtu direttament lil
intrapriza u l-kapacita tan-nies taghna li joholqu x-xoghol bla ma jsir l-ebda
djalogu mal-imsiehba socjali. Il-mentalita burokratika tal-gvern li tmexxi int
onorevoli Prim Ministru ghadha li “ahna nikkmandaw, mela ahna niddeciedu.
Ghalfejn dhalna fl-Unjoni Ewropea jekk ser nibqghu b’din il-mentalita ssaqsi
l-GRTU?

Nappella lil gvern u lil burokratici biex din il-mentalita
tinbidel. Id-djalogu socjali jrid isir sewwa. Irid isir mal-Korpi Kostitwiti u
l-isforz ta’ dawn il-korpi jrid ikun rikonoxxut u rikonoxxut bla preferenzi.
Lehen in-negozji z-zghar ta’ pajjizna mhux qed jinstema. Ma rridux dahk
fil-wicc. Ma rridux min ikellimna, jiftiehem maghna u wara jdawwar
kollox.

Ghalhekk qed inkellmu lil medja illum biex nghaddu messagg car.
Hawn l-inkwiet u inkwiet serju. L-inkwiet ekonomiku ser ikompli jizdied. Mizuri
serji mhux qed jittiehdu. Id-djalogu socjali serju mhux qed isir. Il-gvern qisu
bla tmun. Dahlet l-arroganza. Ideat godda m’hemmx. Il-poplu mdejjaq u n-nies
taghna huma l-aktar imdejqin -dan urewh bic-car fl-ahhar elezzjonijiet. Min
ghandu widnejn biex jisma’ jisma. Ahna rridu nahdmu. Ahna rridu nikkoperaw.
Certi li flimkien naslu. Nemmnu li Malta fl-Unjoni Ewropeja ghandha futur
tajjeb. Izda rridu nimxu ahjar. Hemm bzonn li kulhadd jistenbah ghar-realtajiet
tal-llum. Jekk mhux ser nibdlu r-rotta ser inbatu. In-nies taghna mhux ser
joqoghdu ghaliha aktar. Jekk mhux ser ticcaqalqu l-GRTU ser tibda sensiela ta’
azzjonijiet biex lil awtoritajiet iccaqqlaqhom. Mhux ser inkunu intimidati minn
hadd. Nafu li n-nies tan-negozji u s-self employed warajna ghax kollha
mxebbghin. Dan mhux theddid. Dan hu kliem mill-qalb ta’ min dmiru hu li jwassal
il-messagg tal-eluf li huma mweggghin. Ahna rridu nahdmu. Halluna nahdmu. Mhux
ser inhallu lil min ikissirna.

1. Kienet ingustizzja li dawn
ir-regolamenti kienu ser jkunu imponuti b’effett mill-5 t’April 2004 minghajr
konsultazzjoni serja mal-imsiehba socjali kif inhi l-prattika fl-Unjoni Ewropea
dwar il-kwistjonijiet kollha ta’ hatra socjali u ekonomika;
2. Li
r-regolamenti li kien ser jimponi kienu ser jolqtu b’mod drastiku u hazin lil
eluf ta’ stabbilimenti f”Malta u Ghawdex li kienu ser jiddahhlu fi spejjez zejda
u f’caqliq drastiku tas-suq li minnu jiddependi l-ghixien taghhom minghajr ma
kien qed jinghata zmien bizzejjed ghall-aggustamenti mehtiega;
3. Li
l-affarijiet setghu saru ahjar minghajr impozizzjoni li ftit li xejn kienet
taghmel sens ghal kull min jaf verament kif jitmexxa x-xoghol fis-settur
tal-catering, bars u postijiet tad-divertiment;
4. Li l-affarijiet setghu
jsiru ahjar jekk it-twettiq tal-politika tal-Gvern favur ambjent hieles
mit-tniggis tad-duhhan tas-sigaretti jitwettaq fuq meddha ta snin bhalma qed
jaghtu l-pajjizi kollha fl-Unjoni Ewropea;

Fl-isfond ta’ dan
ir-rikonoxximent, il-GRTU u l-ministru tas-sahha Dr. Louis Deguara waslu fi
ftehim fl-ahhar ta’ Marzu fejn il-Ministru:

ï‚· Accetta li jippostponi
l-implimentazzjoni tar-regolamenti hekk kif jaffetwaw lil bars, restoranti u
postijiet tad-divertiment
ï‚· Accetta li lin-negozji z-zghar mifruxa ma’ Malta
u Ghawdex kollu jhallihom bi kwiethom basta dawn jghamlu apparat li jnaddaf
l-arja.
ï‚· Accetta li l-apparat li jnaddaf l-arja ma ghandux ikun wiehed li
jsallab lis-sisien tan-negozji u li ghalhekk jkun aktar jaqblilhom li jghamlu
l-post kollu non smoking.
ï‚· Accetta wkoll li hwienet ta’ anqas minn 60 metru
kwadru (u dan il-kejl jghodd ghall-public area u ma jinkludiex it-toilets, store
rooms, kuriduri, btiehi, kcina u postijiet mhux bar jew restorant areas) ma
jkunux obligati jghamlu xi divizorju fisiku u jistghu jzommu l-post kollu
smoking.
ï‚· Accetta li postijiet ikbar ikollhom jghamlu smoking u non smoking
area basta ma jkunx hemm htiega ta’ separazzjoni fizika u basta li jkun hemm
apparat li jizgura li d-duhhan mill-ismoking area ma jasalx u ma jniggisx z-zona
li tkun dikjarata non smoking.

Il-GRTU tibqa’ ssostni bhalma dejjem
ghamlet li hi assolutament mhix kontra li f’Malta titwettaq politika li thajjar
u tinstiga lil Maltin biex jitbieghdu mit-tipjip u li jithaddmu skemi biex min
ma jpejjipx ma jsofrix d-dwejjaq u d-dannu tat-tipjip ta’ haddiehor. Il-GRTU
izda temmen li l-affarijiet isiru sewwa meta jsiru bi ftehim, u l-ftehim ta’
Marzu 2004 kellu jkun onorat minghajr ma terga’ tinfetah din
il-kontroversja.

Il-GRTU tqis li l-manuvrar li sar dan l-ahhar
mal-Ministeru tas-Sahha mhux ghajr hlief attentat biex f’Malta tiddahhal total
smoking ban, xi haga li jriduha biss l-estremisti.

Il-GRTU ghalhekk
temmen li l-Ministru kellu joqghod ghal ftehim serju li lahaq mal-GRTU u ma
jdawwarx kollox meta kien hemm stqarrijiet kemm minnu u kemm mill-Prim Ministru
li mihiex l-intenzjoni tal-Gvern li f’Malta tiddahhal total smoking
ban.

The GRTU said that during meetings held with the Minister before
the amended regulations were published, it had been agreed that places of public
entertainment such as bars and restaurants would be divided between places
larger than and smaller than sixty square metres. The larger places would be
obliged to have separate smoking zones, within which air quality would have to
be according to standards established by the Malta Standards Authority, while
the smaller establishments would not need to have separate zones but would have
to ensure acceptable air quality standards in accordance with MSA
parameters.

The amended regulations, when published, did not reflect this
agreement at all and the GRTU believes that the Minister has not lived up to his
side of the deal. To make matters worse, the GRTU said, the Malta Standards
Authority had established standards that were not even in accordance with the
regulations – even if these regulations themselves were not in accordance with
the agreement – because physically separated smoking areas were being mandated,
in contradistinction with the wording of the regulation which spoke of separated
smoking zones, not rooms.

In these circumstances, the GRTU was formally
calling upon the Minister to abide by the agreement that had been reached,
failing which legal action would have to be instituted. The GRTU did not exclude
that it would have recourse to other action.

The Press Conference was
addressed by Mr Charles J Busuttil, President, Mr Vince Farrugia,
Director-General of the GRTU and Mr Philip Fenech, President of the Hospitality
Section, together with Dr Andrew Borg-Cardona, the GRTU’s legal advisor on this
matter.

2. Ir-Round
Table Meeting iddiskuta il-kooperazzjoni bejn l-Unjoni Ewropea u l-Indja f’dawn
l-oqsma:

ï‚· kummerc u zvilupp sostenibbli;
ï‚· tkabbir u promozzjoni
ta’ l-investiment turistiku;
ï‚· zvilupp u investiment fit-teknologija
tal-informazzjoni;
ï‚· kooperazzjoni fit-twettieq u thaddim ta’ progetti fuq
bazi ta’ Private Public Partnership.

3. Waqt id-diskussjonijiet Ms.
Sciberras ippartecipat b’mod attiv fid-diskussjoni dwar l-interess tas-settur
privat mid-diversi Stati Membri fl-Unjoni Ewropea fl-izvilupp tat-turizmu
fl-Indja u lejn l-inkoraggiment tat-turizmu Indjan lejn l-Ewropa. Hu ppjanat li
l-Unjoni Ewropea tkun tista’ tghin lil Indja fit-twettiq ta’ Complete Tourism
Audits f’numru ta’ Stati tal-Federazzjoni bl-ghan li jkunu individwati progetti
f’diversi oqsma li fihom jkunu jistghu jinvestu mprendituri privati Ewropej
bl-ghajnuna finanzjarja tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea.

4. Ms. Sciberras hadet
wkoll sehem fid-diskussjoni dwar x’ghandu jsir biex esportaturi mill-istati
membri godda fl-Unjoni Ewropea jkollhom aktar facilitajiet biex jesportaw
il-prodotti taghhom lejn l-Indja. Hekk ukoll biex kummercjanti mill-istati godda
tal-Unjoni Ewropea jsibu sorsi godda ta’ importazzjoni fl-Ewropa ta’ prodotti
ta’ kwalita’ mill-Indja.

5. Fost il-konkluzjonijiet li hargu mis-7th
India-EU Round Table hemm:
ï‚· Il-htiega ta’ aktar sapport dirett lin-negozji
zghar Ewropej biex jizvillupaw relazzjonijiet kummercjali mal-Indja;
ï‚·
Ghajnuna lil intraprizi biex jippromwovu s-sostenabbilita’;
ï‚· Ghajnuna biex
jkunu zvillupati clusters ta’ intraprizi b’interess partikulari fis-suq
Indjan;
ï‚· Ghajnuna biex haddiema kwalifikati Indjani jkunu jistghu jsibu
impjieg ta’ kwalita’ fl-Unjoni Ewropea;
ï‚· Ghajnuna biex esportaturi Indjani
jkunu jistghu jaddotthaw l-istandards tal-Unjoni Ewropea biex l-prodotti taghhom
jkunu jistghu jigu importati lejn l-Unjoni bla hsara lil konsumatur u minghajr
kompetizzjoni ingusta lil prodotti Ewropej.

Il-GRTU qed tistieden lil
imprendituri u kummercjanti Maltin b’interess partikulari fl-Indja biex jesprimu
l-interess taghhom biex jkun jista’ jigi pprezentat ukoll dokument min-naha ta’
Malta ghat-8 Meeting of the EU-India Round Table.

In this context the Third Cohesion Report outlined
the policy priorities for the Community capital investment in the 2007 –2013
period, within an overall budgetary ceiling for cohesion policies equivalent, to
0.43% of the Union’s GDP.

The EU Commission will be presenting its
proposals on the new legislation framework for cohesion policies in mid July
this year. In order to achieve these objectives the EU Commission is proposing
to review the four main Structure Funds of the European Union, giving greater
priority to the European Social Fund. The ESF is the main financial tool through
which the European Union translates its strategic employment policy aims into
action.

During its Plenary Sessions held last week in Brussels, the
European Social Fund Committee discussed the broad outline of the main features
of the Commission’s proposals as concerns in particular the general and ESF
Regulations. The EU Commission is currently in the process of reforming the
structure of the main Funds mechanism in order to achieve better governance and
enhance the role of the social partners in appreciation of the importance of the
role of social partners in the execution of the Commission’s Employment
Strategy.

At the Plenary Session the Maltese employers organisations were
represented by Vincent Farrugia, Director General of GRTU – Malta Chamber of
Small and Medium Enterprises who is a full member of the European Social Fund
Committee.

During the Plenary Session, Vincent Farrugia spoke on the
importance of the EU Commission’s commitment towards a strategic approach that
would reinforce the contribution of EU Financial support towards a greater focus
not only on national and regional interventions funded by the Structural Funds
in order to fulfil each member states national action plan for employment, but
also to support owners of small businesses to help them achieve the employment
targets expected from the SME’s sector. Rather than generalities that would
easily apply to the larger enterprise in the larger country, the reformed ESF
should be better geared to strengthen the links between ESF and the European
Employment Strategy. Within this context specific funds need to be allocated to
micro enterprises that together today represent a total of 22 million jobs in
the enlarged Union. GRTU Director General appealed for a greater imput from
representatives of small business prior conclusions being made by the EU
Commission and the legislation framework governing the EU financial
tools.

GRTU Director General formed part of
the EuroCommerce group representing the commercial establishments in the 25 EU
market states.

The Social Dialogue Committee for Commerce expressed their
views on the Proposal for a Directive on Services in the Internal Market and
discussed the latest figures in commerce in an enlarged Europe with paticular
reference to any hindrance to the free movement of goods caused by acceding
states.

Some things the proposed Services Directive would do:
ï‚· Help
boost economic growth and sustainable jobs by laying the foundations for a real
European Internal Market for services
ï‚· Make it easier for businesses,
especially SMEs, to provide services throughout the EU, thus improving quality
and choice for consumers
ï‚· Improve cooperation between national authorities
to protect and inform consumers and to combat rogue operators, illegal work
etc.
ï‚· Ensure that a service company posting workers to another Member State
fully applies that Member State’s employment laws – including minimum wages – in
order to avoid ‘social dumping’
ï‚· Remove pointless red tape in a measured and
gradual way, by Member States working together
ï‚· Help stop discrimination
against companies and customers on grounds of nationality
ï‚· Clarify under
which conditions patients are reimbursed for medical care obtained in another
Member State

Some things the Proposed Services Directive would not
do:
ï‚· Force Member States to liberalise or privatise ‘public services’ or
open them to competition
ï‚· Affect the freedom of the Member States to define
what they consider to be ‘public services’, or how they should be organised and
financed
ï‚· Change the way Member States choose to organise health and social
security systems
ï‚· Impose extra costs on Member States social security
systems
ï‚· Allow social dumping by bringing in ‘cheap’ workers
ï‚· Prevent
Member States from checking and controlling companies and workers operating on
their territory
ï‚· Endanger national laws that genuinely protect health,
safety and consumer rights

The Director General of GRTU, Mr. Vince
Farrugia, presented a paper on the impact of the proposed Services Directive on
the small business in the retail, trading and wholesale
sectors.

Speaking to this newspaper, GRTU’s
director general Vince Farrugia said: “The problems and bureaucratic delays are
caused not only by the Veterinary Division which is perhaps the worst, but by
all.”Asked whether importers were still facing problems Farrugia replied:
“Yes and how! I have asked the legal office of EuroCommerce in Brussels to help
us present a legal case with the Commission. “My colleague and GRTU
Vice-President Mario Debono has raised the matter directly with the Internal
Market DG I Brussels last week and our representative, Ms Sylvia Sciberras in
the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels raised the matter
in the INT sub-committee of EESC of which she is a member representing Maltese
enterprise only this Tuesday.” On his part the director general of the
Veterinary Division, Carmel Lino Vella told MaltaToday that he has not received
complaints from importers recently. Vella said he had not received complaints
from the GRTU, the Chamber of Commerce or any of the individual importers. “We
even asked the Chamber of Commerce for a meeting but have heard nothing from
it.” Contacted by MaltaToday, a Chamber spokesperson said it had referred
the problems its members encountered to the ministry for agriculture, and that
it had not got back to the Veterinary Division about the meeting because the
officials responsible were abroad. “The Chamber intends to meet the Veterinary
Division to explain its point of view, but the chairman and his vice are away
from the island,” the spokesperson said. The GRTU is taking the problems
seriously and Farrugia told MaltaToday: “We are calling an Extraordinary General
Meeting of importers at GRTU tomorrow at 5pm to obtain all details from all
sectors so that we can beef our case.” MaltaToday is now informed that
importers of meat products from outside the EU were not being allowed to sell
their products since 1 May, but one importer told this newspaper that he was not
facing problems in this respect. In this respect Vince Farrugia told MaltaToday:
“I also talked to a delegation from New Zealand who where shocked at the way the
Maltese authorities are handling their exports to Malta after so many years
of excellent trading relations between the two countries.”