Category: Archive – 2013

The largest and most important annual
trade show in the world for franchising, the International Franchise Expo, will
take place in New York, June 20 – 22, 2013. 
The U.S. Embassy is promoting the Franchise Expo and is actively
recruiting a Maltese delegation to attend. 
The expo will feature over 400 franchise exhibitors, with investments
ranging from $5,000 to over $1 million.

Maltese delegates that register
through the U.S. Embassy will receive:

Support and guidance from the U.S. Embassy
Commercial Section.

Complimentary registration.

Complimentary admission to exhibits and
seminars.

Discounted admission to symposia.

Matchmaking support pairing investors with
U.S. franchising systems.

Complimentary assistance arranging and
scheduling appointments with U.S. exhibitors and U.S. companies, both before
and during the show.

Complimentary access to the International
Business Center (IBC) where:

International visitors and exhibitors can meet
and discuss business collaboration.

Private meeting rooms may be reserved.

U.S. Department of Commerce Trade Specialists
will be available to provide matchmaking assistance and export trade
counseling.

International visitors can enjoy refreshments
and relax.

Complimentary assistance with travel and hotel
bookings, through our official travel center and accommodation partners.

Complimentary
assistance with logistics at the show.

The US Embassy will host an information
session for all delegates on Thursday, 30th May 2013

BBC News reports that China has launched an anti-subsidy and
anti-dumping investigation into wine imported from the EU. Some analysts claim that the move comes in
"retaliation" to the EU decision to impose anti-dumping measures on
Chinese solar panel imports.

Brussels announced yesterday that it would impose the
levies after an investigation found that photovoltaic technology from China was
being sold for less than its fair value. EU trade commissioner Karel De Gucht said the price of
Chinese solar products should be 88 per cent higher than current levels, but
Beijing insists that the EU's imposition of levies on the country's solar
exports is "unfair".

The Washington Post reports De Gucht as saying that
China's pricing of solar products could destroy photovoltaic production in the
EU, warning, "20,000 jobs in Europe are at stake".

According to the paper, the Chinese ministry of
commerce has openly rejected the EU measures and expressed hope that a
settlement can be reached through consultations.

The Wall Street Journal says a spokesperson for the
Chinese commerce ministry underlined the importance of trade relations between
China and the EU, but simultaneously announced an investigation into EU wine
imports.

"Wine imports from the EU enter our market via
dumping, subsidies and other unfair trade practices, and have hit our wine
production," said the spokesperson.

China's wine market has increased significantly in the
last few years, with two thirds of Beijing's 430 million litres of imported
wine in 2012 coming from EU suppliers.

Finance Minister Edward Scicluna has announced five measures
which will make it easier for those who are in default of VAT payments to
regularize their position. In the past, individuals or companies that were in
default found themselves caught in a system which quickly became unsustainable,
as interest accumulated and made it harder and harder for them to get back on
track.

The  measures
are aimed at encouraging those in the black economy to register for VAT by
making the system more "humane" for those who lapse, while still remaining firm
with those who repeatedly or stubbornly defaulted.

The main measure announced is that the interest rate
of tax due will go down from 9 per cent per year to between 6 per cent and 6.5
per cent. This will be introduced 
through an enabling law expected to be reviewed at regular intervals and
changed by means of legal notice, rather than through new legislation.

In order to reduce the accumulation of interest and
fines, any payment made by individuals or companies in default will be apportioned
towards  the tax due and only after that
has been settled will subsequent payments be made towards the fines and
interest, reversing the current system. 
The deadline for those eligible for amnesty were announced in the 2012
Budget.

Administrative fines on those who register late for
VAT would be also capped, reflecting the merger under way of the Government's
three revenue collecting departments (Inland Revenue, Customs and VAT) to form
the Department of Revenue headed by the Commissioner of Revenue Marvin Gaerty.

The merger will also mean that any companies being
investigated would only be put under scrutiny once- and not as is currently the
case when each department might have carried out its own investigation.

The Government will also be removing the €15-a-day
fine on payments imposed by court-which accumulated rapidly and often ended up
putting the defendant in jail for not having paid.

The European
Commission has yesterday decided to impose provisional anti-dumping duties on
imports of solar panels, cells and wafers from China. This
decision follows a thorough and serious investigation and extended contacts
with market players. As the market for and imports of solar panels in the EU is
very large, it is important for this duty not to disrupt it.

The
European Commission reiterates its readiness to pursue discussions with Chinese
exporters and with the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in order to find a solution
in line with Article 8 of the Basic Anti-Dumping Regulation so that provisional
duties can be suspended and a negotiated solution achieved.

Background

The
decision came after a nine month investigation, launched in September 2012,
during which the Commission found that Chinese companies are selling solar
panels to Europe at far below their normal market value, which causes
significant harm to EU solar panel producers. The fair value of a Chinese solar
panel sold to Europe should be 88% higher than the price to which it is
actually sold. The dumped Chinese exports exerted undue price pressure on the
EU market, which had a significant negative effect on the financial and
operational performance of European producers.

The
provisional duties are far lower than the 88% rate at which the panels are
being dumped because the EU applies the so-called 'lesser duty rule', imposing
only enough duty needed to restore a level playing field. The provisional duty,
in addition to restoring fair competition, will ensure the continued
development of an innovative green energy sector in the EU.

The
Commission will now continue its investigation and hear the views of all
interested parties. It remains ready to intensify talks with China to find
alternative satisfactory solutions through a negotiation.

On 5
December at the latest, the EU will have to decide if definitive anti-dumping
duties will be imposed for a duration of five years.

On the
solar panel market

Highly
innovative EU companies are currently being exposed to immediate threats of
bankruptcy because of unfair competition from Chinese exporters, who have taken
over more than 80% of the EU market and whose production capacity currently
amounts to 150% of global consumption. In 2012, China's excess capacity was
almost double total EU demand. The Commission's assessment indicates that
imposing provisional measures will not only secure the existing 25,000 jobs in
EU solar production, but also create new jobs in the sector.

In the
short term, some jobs could be lost among companies installing solar panels.
However, as the situation of EU producers improves and imports from other
countries increase, these jobs could be recreated.

Any job
losses would in any case be substantially less than the 25,000 jobs in the EU
solar production industry that are likely to be lost forever if measures are
not imposed.

The
decision should also contribute to creating a level playing field for Europe's
renewable energy industry, which is essential to the EU's renewable energy
targets. Unfair trade in solar panels does not help the environment and is not
compatible with a healthy global solar industry.

The
Commission believes that a market that faces dumped imports will drive local
producers out of business and discourages EU producers from developing
cutting-edge technologies in the renewable energy sector.

On the
investigation

During
the investigation, the Commission assessed the level of duty needed to
counteract the injurious effects of dumping. This means the level of the duty
is never punitive in nature: it was fixed at the strict minimum necessary to
restore a level playing field for the EU industry concerned. By systematically
applying the 'lesser duty rule', the EU goes beyond its WTO obligations. This
is in contrast to other WTO members like China and the US which always apply
the full dumping found.

As in
every other investigation, the Commission carried out the so-called "Union
interest test". The EU is the only WTO Member to systematically carry out
such tests. The Commission provisionally considered that any potential negative
effects of the measures would be outweighed by the economic gains for the Union
producers.

The
investigation will continue and definitive measures, if any, would have to be
imposed within 15 months of initiation, i.e. 5 December 2013.

In
parallel, the Commission is open to discuss alternative forms of measures which
would be equivalent to the 47% duty. Both WTO and EU law offer this possibility
in the form of a price undertaking – a commitment not to sell below an agreed
price.

A
parallel anti-subsidy investigation on the same product is on-going, following
a complaint lodged by the same complainant. It was initiated on 8 November
2012. Provisional anti-subsidy measures, if any, should be imposed by 7 August
2013. The decision on definitive anti-subsidy measures will be due in December
2013.

GRTU declared publicly that the European
Commission's decision to place Malta again under Excessive Deficit Procedures
(EDP) merely six months after Malta's successful exit from the previous EDP
imposition, was an unjust treatment of Member State Malta and a highly uncalled
for decision by the EU.

Official statistics show that 2012
closed with a 3.3% government Deficit as ratio of GDP. A mere 0.3% above the 3%
ceiling imposed by the EU. This is a ceiling whose relevance to Malta is itself
arguable. But these are Malta Government's own Statistics. The Central Bank of
Malta's figures showed a more trustworthy 2.7% deficit to GDP ratios – well
below the EDP limit.

Malta during 2012 was one of the very
few Member States whose economy showed positive growth yet unlike other Member
States who in their majority had negative GRP growths.  This positive trend continued even in the
first quarter of 2013 with Malta's economy growing by 1.6%. Yet it has been
little Malta that was targeted by the EU Commission for highly negative
criticism.

The potential for Malta to continue to
stay within the acceptable Deficit targets exist and Maltese entrepreneurs are
fully supportive of all Government's initiatives to boost GDP growth and
maintain stable Government finance. EU Commission Economic analysts have very
little economic grounds on which to stand on in their pessimistic assessment of
Malta.

GRTU believes that the Commission owes
Maltese investors and entrepreneurs an explanation. It was bad enough for Malta
to be highlighted in the Press Conference announcing the Country Specific
Recommendations of the Commission. Hopefully, the EDP decision will not hamper
Malta's economic prospects.

Malta deserves better. Maltese
entrepreneurs strive hard to invest and make the Maltese economy grow and
establish an excellent name in international economic performance analysis. It
was bad enough that the Chairman of the EU Finance Ministers only some months
ago blemished Malta's good name by comparing falsely Malta with Cyprus. Now the
EU Commission has put its foot in it also by declaring Malta under EDP when
there was no need for such a harsh and negative imposition. We simply did not
deserve all this.

A delegation of 11 persons
from Odemis (in the region of Izmir), Turkey, will be visiting Malta between
the 1st and 4th June 2013.

Nine businessmen will
accompany the delegation from the following sectors:

If you are interested to meet these
businesses directly you  are invited to attend a short business
presentation and business to business meetings on Tuesday 4th June, 2013. The
session starts at 10.00am and ends at 13.00pm.

If interested or require further
information kindly contact Mr Mark Pizzuto on 25423430 or .

Citizenship of the European Union is enshrined in the EU
Treaty: ‘Every person holding the nationality of a member state shall be a
citizen of the Union. Citizenship of the Union shall be additional to and not
replace national citizenship'. But what does EU citizenship mean in practice?

I. Travelling, living and working
in Europe

If you are an EU citizen you have the right to travel, work
and live anywhere in the European Union.

If you have completed a university course lasting three years
or more, your qualification will be recognised in all EU countries, since EU
member states have confidence in the quality of one another's education and
training systems. You can work in the health, education and other public
services (except for the police, armed forces, etc.) of any country in the
European Union.

Before travelling within the EU you can obtain from your
national authorities a European health insurance card, to help cover your
medical costs if you fall ill while in another country.

II. How you can exercise your
rights as a European citizen

As a citizen of the European Union you are not just a worker
or a consumer: you also have specific political rights:

Regardless of
your nationality, you have had the right to vote and to stand as a candidate in
local elections in your country of residence and in elections to the European
Parliament.

You have the
right to petition the Commission to put forward a legislative proposal –
provided you can find a million people from a significant number of EU
countries to sign your petition.

III. Fundamental rights

The Charter of Fundamental
Rights of the EU contains six headings – Dignity, Freedoms, Equality, Solidarity,
Citizens' rights and Justice under which fall 54 articles that set out the EU's
fundamental values and the civil, political, economic and social rights of EU
citizens.

The opening articles cover human dignity, the right to life,
the right to the ‘integrity of the person' and the right to freedom of
expression and of conscience. The chapter on solidarity brings together, in an
innovative way, social and economic rights such as:

the right to strike;

the right of workers to be informed and consulted;

the right to reconcile family life and professional life;

the right to
healthcare, social security and social assistance throughout the European
Union.

The Charter also promotes equality between men and women and
introduces rights such as data protection, a ban on eugenic practices and the
reproductive cloning of human beings, the right to environmental protection,
the rights of children and elderly people and the right to good administration.

IV. Europe means education and
culture

A sense of belonging together and having a common destiny
cannot be manufactured. It can only arise from a shared cultural awareness, which
is why Europe needs to focus not just on economics but also on education,
citizenship and culture.

The EU does not say how schools and education are to be
organised or what the curriculum is: these things are decided at national or
local level. But the EU does run programmes to promote educational exchanges so
that young people can go abroad to train or study, learn new languages and take
part in joint activities with schools or colleges in other countries. These
programmes include Comenius (school education), Erasmus (higher education),
Leonardo da Vinci (vocational training), Grundtvig (adult education) and Jean
Monnet (university-level teaching and research in European integration).

In the field of culture, the EU's ‘Culture' and ‘Media'
programmes foster cooperation between TV programme and film-makers, promoters,
broadcasters and cultural bodies from different countries. This encourages the
production of more European TV programmes and films.

One of Europe's essential characteristics is its diversity of
languages – and preserving that diversity is an important EU objective. Indeed,
multilingualism is fundamental to the way the European Union works. EU
legislation has to be available in all 23 official languages, and every MEP has
the right to use his or her own language in parliamentary debates.

V. The Ombudsman and your right to petition Parliament

To help bring the EU closer to its citizens, the Treaty on
European Union created the post of Ombudsman. The European Parliament appoints
the Ombudsman, who remains in office for the duration of the Parliament. The
Ombudsman's role is to investigate complaints against EU institutions and
bodies. Complaints may be brought by any EU citizen and by any person or
organisation living or based in an EU country. The Ombudsman tries to arrange
an amicable settlement between the complainant and the institution or body
concerned.

VI. A sense of belonging

The idea of a ‘citizens' Europe' is very new. Some symbols of
a shared European identity already exist, such as the European passport, in use
since 1985. EU driving licences have been issued in all EU countries since
1996. The EU has a motto, ‘United in diversity', and 9 May is celebrated as
‘Europe Day'.

However, people cannot feel they ‘belong to' the European
Union unless they are aware of what the EU is doing and understand why. The EU
institutions and member states need to do much more to explain EU affairs in
clear and simple language. People also need to see the EU making a tangible
difference to their daily lives. In this respect, the use of euro notes and
coins since 2002 has had a major impact.

More than two thirds of EU citizens now manage their personal
budget and savings in euro. Pricing goods and services in euro means that
consumers can compare prices directly from one country to another. Border
checks have been abolished between most EU countries under the Schengen
Agreement, and this already gives people a sense of belonging to a single,
unified geographical area.

A sense of belonging comes, above all, with feeling
personally involved in EU decision-making. Every adult EU citizen has the right
to vote in European Parliament elections, and this is an important basis for
the EU's democratic legitimacy. That legitimacy is being increased as more
powers are given to the European Parliament, national parliaments have a
greater say in EU business and Europe's citizens become more actively involved
in NGOs and political movements. If you want to help shape the European agenda
and influence EU policies, there are many ways to do so. There are, for
example, online discussion forums dedicated to European Union affairs where you
can join in the debate, and you can post your views on Commissioners' or MEPs'
blogs. You can also contact the Commission or Parliament directly, online or
via one of their offices in your country. Europe Direct offices near you can help
you do this as well.

The European Union was set up to serve the peoples of Europe,
and its future must be shaped by the active involvement of people from all
walks of life. The EU's founding fathers were well aware of this. ‘We are not
bringing together states, we are uniting people', said Jean Monnet back in
1952. Raising public awareness about the EU and involving citizens in its
activities is still one of the greatest challenges facing the EU institutions
today.

On Tuesday 28^th May a seminar,
entitled "Would you give a stranger €50?" was held at GRTU offices, attended by
GRTU members. The seminar was
aimed at businesses that trade with local and international
companies/individuals and give or have credit issues.

The seminar was well received from
the attendees and such events will follow in the near future.

We as GRTU are not against Local
Councils who want better for their Locality in whatever service, however the
tender document issued has to be followed and adhered to. Decisions of the
Local Council have to be taken in line with the tender document.

We surely feel that it is the
ripe time that the Government should set up Adjudication Board/s in a number of
different sectors related to the day to day running of Local Councils. Tenders
relating to Waste Managment amongst others should be adjudicated by competent
persons appionted by Government through its different Ministries or
stakeholders, this both to protect public funds and also to provide a
transparent and level playing field. The Board would then adjudicate all Waste
Managment tenders issued by all Local Councils.

Over and over again, GRTU has
been inundated with allegations by contractors who operate in the waste
managment sector that Local Councils award the tenders to whoever they want.
Whilst this cannot be accepted as a blanket statement, we are sure somewhere
something is wrong. Whatever is wrong needs to be addressed and solutions
found.

Valletta Local Council has
clearly shown that it does not respect Public Procurement Regulations,
instructions given to it by the Public Contracts Review Board, and  instructions forwarded by the Department of
Local Government. Can all these Authorities be in the wrong and Valletta Local
Council be in the right?

We are of the opinion that there
is more to these three tenders than what one sees at face value today. Going
through the saga that started from early 2012 to date shows one trail, a trail
of arrogance and half truths which can never be accepted by the business
community in this sector. This sector has had enough and all it needs is the
continued arrogance of a Local Council like Valletta. If Valletta Local Council
have got away with all this, why wouldnt any other Local Council follow suit?
Is this the way forward?

Article
written by Joe Attard, GRTU Official responsible for Waste, Energy, Transport
and Environment.