The SME Chamber organises an informative webinar on the new Skills Pass system
11 April 2024
This morning the Malta Chamber of SMEs organised a webinar for its members in collaboration...
GRTU requests Ministry to rethink its plans for drastic change to Valletta services to commercial ce
14 July 2008
GRTU has conducted a survey among the leading businesses in the main streets that together form the Commercial and Retail Centre in Valletta. It clearly indicates that enterprises and the firms that distribute to them and provide them with services are not prepared to abandon the current arrangement that enables distributors to the City centre in the afternoon without much hindrance.
GRTU supports Government’s efforts to upgrade the City centre, create more pedestrian zones and provide more street activities that enhance Valletta’s attractiveness to the growing cruise liner visitors. GRTU believes however that haste and bureaucratic imposition is to no one’s advantage. GRTU has therefore requested more time to enable the emergence of an agreed plan that will not leave the bad taste that the CVA project has left among the Valletta business owners.
Too many jobs depend on Valletta. The Commercial Centre and Valletta businesses have invested millions to ensure that Valletta is attractive to tourists and Maltese customers. “Valletta is a joint venture public/private sector. It must stay like that and the partnership should be developed further” states GRTU’s Director General Vincent Farrugia. “I’m a strong believer in Valletta and support most initiatives to enhance and better manage the city, but this cannot be done by unilateral imposition.”
“We must keep the dialogue going and when agreement is reached all parties commit themselves to implement diligently and ensure that each side holds to what it promises. Unfortunately this did not happen with the CVA and that is why many people still feel so sore about CVA.”
“This time round it’s best everyone is clear on what is being proposed and that Government does not simply feel smarter and rather than create a new faze of enthusiasm for investment in the City it creates only additional costs to entrepreneurs who are already under tremendous cost burdens to manage profitably their Valletta enterprises”. Concludes Vince Farrugia.
