Author: Developers Think

The following is an excerpt taken from a Malta Today article.

Elsewhere in decision-making, the power of incumbency threatens women’s ability to climb the corporate ladder.

Marisa Xuereb, the Chamber of Commerce president, said it was not uncommon for people to sit on the same company boards for decades, even if it is unhealthy for the organisation.

“Older men tend to hang onto company boards far longer than they stay in executive positions. Of course, experience has value at board level, but so does new blood,” she said.

Overall, Xuereb thinks workplaces are becoming more accommodating. The work from-home set-up has become more available for office workers in particular, making more jobs accessible for mothers with young children who need to be at home after school hours.

“I believe the shortage of human resources is pushing companies to become more flexible in their approach. It pays companies to accommodate capable women because talent is hard to come by.”

The Malta Business Bureau’s Energy Ecosystem won the Engager Award at the first edition of the Malta Climate Action Awards held last week. These awards aim to recognize and celebrate the actions taken by local businesses, public and private organisations, groups and individuals in the fight against climate change across the Maltese Islands.

MBB’s bid focused on our efforts to help businesses improve the energy efficiency of their operations, cutting emissions and costs in the process.

This is mainly being achieved through technical workshops, awareness events, promotion of available financial support schemes, lobbying and collaborating with national government, and by conducting studies to further knowledge on key issues affecting industry. This ecosystem has managed to reach around 150 businesses in Malta.

These efforts are bearing fruit, with national statistics showing that while the gross value added of industry is increasing, their energy consumption is increasing at a slower rate. This indicates a decoupling between energy consumption and productivity.

Climate change action is becoming even more crucial each passing year.

This is particularly so for countries like Malta, an Island in the Mediterranean with already limited natural resources and a heavy reliance on foreign imports, including for food. Supply disruptions abroad will have a clear impact on prices and availability locally. Malta is also dependent on inbound tourism, which in turn relies on favourable weather and climate conditions.

These factors mean that increased climate ambition is necessary to ensure prosperity in the long term.

MBB CEO Joe Tanti said:

“we are proud to receive this award which recognises our hard work over several years in this important area. This achievement has been fostered through a collaborative approach with key stakeholders, such as relevant government agencies and businesses which show great enthusiasm to improve their efficiency. We are keen on continuing to build up this ecosystem and strengthen our collaborations.”

On his part, MBB Senior Executive for sustainability, Gabriel Cassar added, “over the last year the EU has significantly increased its climate ambitions and set harder targets on energy use and emission reductions. This will require a concerted effort from all actors to increase efficiency and source energy from cleaner solutions. For MBB, this is a constantly evolving area which we are strengthening through new projects and activities.”

Mr Tanti commended the great work put in by MBB Energy Advisor Geoffrey Saliba to enable this project’s success.

MBB went on to thank participating businesses for their collaboration, effort and success. Finally, they congratulated the other winners for their sterling work in helping push climate change action in Malta, and augurs all participants the best in their future endeavors.

The Malta Business Bureau has launched its high-level Declaration on the Future of Europe during a conference commemorating 25 years since its foundation. The Declaration represents the contribution of the Maltese business community to the EU’s Conference on the Future of Europe through which citizens and stakeholders from across the EU are participating to share their views on the future of the EU.

The MBB Declaration presents several proposals concerning the Single Market, Sustainability, Jobs, and European Democracy that would improve the functioning of the EU for businesses and citizens alike.

“The EU needs transformation. Otherwise, it stagnates and risks losing relevance. This has been acknowledged by the EU institutions with the launch of the Conference on the Future of Europe, and the MBB has answered the call. The Declaration presents a 12-point plan on real issues that affect businesses and citizens every day. The solutions that we propose are concrete and implementable,” MBB President, Alison Mizzi stated.

The MBB Declaration was drawn following a high-level consultation with businesses on four areas representing EU priorities and provide suggestions on further deepening the European Single Market; for an investment driven EU climate strategy that makes the transition to a green economy more achievable for business; increase EU attractiveness for skilled third-country nationals to address skills shortages; and transform the EU legislative process to make it more transparent and inclusive.

MBB CEO, Joe Tanti explained, “This year the MBB is commemorating 25 years of service to Maltese businesses, and we felt it was our duty as a pro-EU organisation to play an active part in this process. In the coming months we will continue engaging with decision-makers to ensure that these proposals made on behalf of Maltese businesses are heard.”

The Declaration on the Future of Europe may be found here.

The Malta Business Bureau is the EU-business advisory office of The Malta Chamber and the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association. The Malta Business Bureau is a partner of the Enterprise Europe Network.

More than 5,000 children do not have access to laptops, desktop computers or tablets to be able to do their homework or follow classes online, according to a survey that exposed a digital divide made more acute by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Misco survey carried out this summer showed 11 percent of the 350 families interviewed did not have enough equipment for all their children — equivalent to more than 5,000 children in Malta — a situation that seems to be more prevalent among those sending their children to Church and State schools.

Your Device Your Right, an initiative launched today by the Malta Trust Foundation, is seeking to bridge this divide by distributing second-hand refurbished laptops to students struggling to keep up with their classmates.

However, sourcing these devices is turning out to be a challenge and the project steering committee is making an urgent appeal to businesses and individuals to come forward and donate their old equipment.

“Can you imagine in our days going to school without a pen and paper? Well, this is the reality so many children are facing today because they have no access to a computer or tablet — these are the students who will lag behind,” a committee spokesperson said.

Through a previous agreement signed with the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, its members are also being encouraged to donate used laptops and tablets; an initiative that will double up as an environmental incentive for technological hardware to be recycled.

The steering committee said that through MITA Cares and Vianet, this hardware was then wiped clean, upgraded and refurbished before being passed on to students who have been identified by teachers, and referred by heads of schools as genuinely facing problems.

Your Device Your Right does not solely focus on providing the hardware, but also ensures disadvantaged families have free access to internet and proper training through separate agreements signed today with GO, and TCTC, which is contributing €35,000 worth of free training.

Malta Trust Foundation chair Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca said the study set off alarm bells and exposed the cracks children risked falling into without the proper tools for their education.
“The study showed that the digital divide is very real and the pandemic has pushed this stark reality to the fore. Through Your Device Your Right we aim to address the educational divide and train parents and their children how to operate these devices,” Ms Coleiro Preca said.

Chamber president Marisa Xuereb added that digital literacy was indispensable in today’s world and no child could afford to be left behind.

“The Chamber is a proud partner of the Your Device Your Right campaign. We believe all children matter, which is why we are committed to do our part. I would like to thank all our members who donated digital equipment and urge all businesses to follow suit. Every little bit helps. Your continued support will help close the digital divide, resulting in better work opportunities for the younger generation and a better work force,” she said.

Through a pilot project carried out over the past months, 55 refurbished laptops have already been donated to referred students.

The steering committee is calling on companies and individuals who may not have any used laptops to support Your Device Your Right by donating €350, as this would enable the Foundation to buy a refurbished computer.

Klikk, Bronze Partners of The Chamber, have also contributed towards this project. Click here to learn more. 

You can take your devices to the Malta Trust Foundation located at Maison Notre Dame, St Calcedonius Square, Floriana, Mondays to Fridays between 8am and noon, or by sending an email to info@maltatrustfoundation.org.

HSBC Bank Malta has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting TradeMalta and the work it carries out to help Maltese businesses expand into international markets.

This renewed commitment builds on HSBC’s long standing support for TradeMalta, through which the bank has set up an HSBC Room serving as one of the meeting spaces at TradeMalta’s Sliema offices and also sponsored two editions of the Malta International Business Awards, along with a number of other initiatives.

More recently, the bank has supported numerous webinars which TradeMalta has organised throughout the Covid-19 pandemic to help businesses understand ways in which they can internationalise despite the challenges.

Speaking during a recent visit to Trade Malta, Joyce Grech, HSBC Malta’s Head of Commercial Banking, said, “TradeMalta plays a vital role in helping Maltese businesses to internationalise by providing expert advice, training and support. HSBC Malta has always backed TradeMalta in these endeavours and while Covid-19 meant a change of approach, it did not lessen our mutual commitment to helping local companies succeed on the world stage.

In fact, in addition to supporting TradeMalta, HSBC Malta has also made €250 million available through its International Business Fund specifically to help Maltese businesses go international. Around half of these funds are still available.”

Anton Buttigieg, CEO at TradeMalta, said, “As the world economy begins to adjust to the new realities created by the pandemic, new opportunities are also emerging. As it has always done, TradeMalta is here to support Maltese companies looking to make the most of the opportunities available, anywhere in the world.

Thanks also to our partners, including HSBC Malta, we have been able to continue offering our services over the past months and are now fully geared up to provide all the advice, training and incentives that companies with international ambition need.”

TradeMalta is a public-private partnership between the Government of Malta and The Malta Chamber, dedicated to helping Malta-based businesses go international.

With this in mind, it offers a range of services including specialised training programmes in international business development and marketing as well as administering a number of incentive schemes and internationalisation programmes. More information is available at https://www.trademalta.org/

HSBC Malta offers a range of solutions for customers wishing to internationalise their business. More details can be found on www.business.hsbc.com.mt

Malta’s trade promotion organisation TradeMalta is once again launching its popular Global Growth programme designed for companies with export experience. This programme aims to offer support to exporters with a clear vision of which markets they want to target in the coming year, and how they want to do it.

To apply, companies have to submit their internationalisation business development plan for the forthcoming calendar year and outline which country/countries they will be targeting.

Successful companies will be selected according to how clear and realistic the plan submitted in the application is.

TradeMalta has indicated a capping of Eur 10,000 in maximum refunds per company for this particular programme in 2022, but this figure may vary depending on the quality of the applications received, and the overall take-up of Global Growth and other TradeMalta programmes.

Successful applicants may claim refunds throughout 2022 for eligible expenses. Eligible expenses include:

• Travel to visit clients, tradeshows or other relevant travel.
• Design, development and translation of packaging material for export purposes.
• Flight cost for visiting clients.
• SEO and web-site translation for target markets.
• Engaging business development partners in target markets.
• All expenses must be related to the objectives which the company has outlined in the export plan submitted with the application.

Application and further information about the Global Growth programme can be found here.

The deadline for applications is 19th November 2021.

The Malta Chamber welcomes the fact that several of the measures it proposed were taken on board by the Leader of Opposition in his response to last week’s Budget. The most notable were the establishment of a specialised due diligence unit accessible to professionals such as accountants and lawyers and the reduction of VAT rate for all restaurant sales and hotel services to 7% to assist the Tourism sector.

The Malta Chamber is particularly concerned with the Leader of Opposition’s statement on the extension of VAT exemptions up to €60,000 declared revenue, particularly in view of new EU VAT simplification rules that will come into effect as of January 2025 whereby all EU SMEs which do not surpass the local thresholds will be allowed to benefit from the same exemptions as local traders and businesses.

The Malta Chamber insists on the importance of a prudent approach in terms of budgetary proposal financing. It is crucial that in the weeks and months to come, the two main political parties do not enter into populist discourse. Any unsustainable measures that are proposed will ultimately be borne by the taxpayer and will render any deficit and debt targets unattainable.

The Malta Chamber calls for a mature discussion in the run-up to the next election and calls for political consensus in addressing fiscal targets and restoration of our international reputation, which is adversely impacting our attractiveness for foreign direct investment.