Author: Developers Think

The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, in collaboration with the Covid-19 Public Health Response Team and the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate, organised a webinar on the current scenario in terms of Covid measures and the recent update in protocols and procedures at the workplace.

Addressing the attendees and moderating the ‘Reshaping the workplace from covid experiences’ webinar, Ms Fabianne Ruggier, Executive Consultant at RSM Malta, sponsors of The Malta Chamber HR and Talent Thematic Committee, noted the importance of such a webinar in providing the much-needed clarity that businesses are after to help mitigate the spread of Covid at the workplace.

As Malta’s foremost business representative body, this webinar is yet another effort in The Malta Chamber’s restless drive to support businesses during such troubling times. In fact, in its bid to enhance safety at the place of work, recently, The Malta Chamber had called on all the business community to provide remote working options, when possible, to employees.

Dr Elaine Lautier and experts from the Public Health Response Team provided insights that business-people, including the Human Resources and Operational functions, would find incredibly useful to not only control the spread of Covid, but also find ways to maintain operations while securing employee safety. Expert advice was given to all areas of business, from manufacturing plants to office buildings on a plethora of efforts that can be implemented as safety precautions.

During the webinar, attendees were provided with an array of information that any business needs to ensure high-level safety protocols to their employees and society at large. Apart from the essential basics that most have grown accustomed to, such as the importance to wear masks and the minimum social distance required, experts provided helpful tips on matters related to contact tracing and remote working measures.

Furthermore, importance was given to mental health and wellbeing, which have been greatly impacted due to Covid and its implications on society. To this end, the webinar emphasised how vital it is that businesses nurture a culture that promotes a sense of resilience while encouraging employees who may be at risk, to seek professional help.

Fabianne Ruggier said, “events such as this webinar represent one of the objectives of our collaboration with the Chamber – to raise awareness and provide educational opportunities to the members on pertinent workforce matters”.

This morning the Malta Business Bureau (MBB) published findings from its study into the economic and environmental effects of working from home by businesses in Malta. This study was presented by the MBB and economist Dr Marie Briguglio in an online event hosted by the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development (MCESD), also addressed by Minister Carmelo Abela, Minister Aaron Farrugia and MCESD Chairperson James Pearsall.

The objective of this study was to examine the economic and environmental implications of working from home, including online, remote and flexible measures, so as to identify measures that businesses could efficiently introduce into their daily operations.

Introducing the study, MBB President Simon De Cesare remarked, “some salient points already stand out to me. The need to train employees and equip them with the necessary skills to work efficiently and safely from home; the need to facilitate socialisation and team building through online means; and the opportunity to rethink or re-purpose office space will all be driving factors which will allow working from home to succeed in the long term.”

Over 330 in-depth replies were gathered from surveys targeting employers and employees. Increased work satisfaction, productivity and employee well-being all emerged as significant benefits across both employers and employees. On the other hand, the greatest challenge is to maintain employee cohesion and team spirit as physical meetings and workplace interactions naturally decrease.

On the environmental front, there seems to be significant scope to reduce private vehicle travel, as well as energy and paper use at the office. Nonetheless, the overall effect on the environment is more nuanced due to the uncertainty of environmental practices at home and the persistent high number of car trips even when working from home.

The findings show that working from home should not be an all-or-nothing solution. Mr De Cesare adds, “this is not simply about abandoning the workplace to stay at home. Early research into the topic had already identified a strong environmental and business case of employing the appropriate mix between being at the workplace and working from home. Employers could therefore evaluate this further according to operational requirements in the medium to long term.”

On his part, MBB CEO Joe Tanti stated, “As an EU-business advisory, the MBB always aims to be at the forefront of EU developments affecting businesses. We not only aim to lobby and influence policy in Brussels, but also work to facilitate the implementation of this EU vision on the ground, working directly with our businesses through such initiatives. The topic we are discussing today is in line with the EU’s focus on digitalisation and safeguarding the environment in the current Multi-Annual Financial Framework.”

He added, “the opportunity to create locality-based public or private work hubs could greatly address many barriers identified in the study, such as missing infrastructure at home and the reduced social interaction, while increasing the feasibility of walking or cycling to work. With the gradual lifting of Covid restrictions, future remote working solutions beyond the home could widen the options of places to conduct work. The further upgrading of IT and communication systems would naturally help facilitate this.” This is especially relevant given over a quarter of participants do not have a private place to work at home.

The MBB stressed that whatever measures are adopted to help facilitate working from home or remote working, these do not present any additional expenses for businesses.

This research was commissioned against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, which introduced a new reality for businesses having to promptly ask employees to work from home where possible. This unfortunate situation brought to the fore several potential opportunities for businesses, employees and the environment. Going forward, the gradual easing of restrictions would then allow this research area to be expanded into other areas such as remote working more generally.

The MBB thanked Dr Marie Briguglio and her team for conducting the research and analysis, and acknowledged the technical and financial support provided by the Ministry within the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning, and the MCESD.

In a recent development earlier this week, Health Minister Chris Fearne announced an updated quarantine rule which allows fully vaccinated healthcare workers to go into quarantine for five days instead of fourteen. However, this new rule only applies to employees working at Mater Dei Hospital.

Although this decision is welcomed in order to ease pressure on healthcare workers by freeing up staff at an earlier stage, it is deemed to be unfair as it only applies to healthcare workers in the public sector. In fact, the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, and more specifically the Care Home Operators Committee, has been proposing various recommendations to tackle staff shortages, and reduce bureaucracy and red tape in the public and private sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Government is therefore being asked to reconsider this decision and offer the same terms and conditions to all employees who are fully vaccinated, across all sectors to alleviate the COVID-19 burden as much as possible.

The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry applauds the ‘Start In Malta’ scheme intended to aid and promote the Maltese startup ecosystem. The Malta Chamber is proud to form part of this initiative.

“This project is being launched at an opportune time, as COVID, through its disruptive forces, is leading entrepreneurs to re-think their business models. The ‘Start in Malta’ scheme is the ideal seeding ground for innovation and start-ups to happen” said Perit David Xuereb, President of The Malta Chamber.

“The ability to grow a startup into a successful business requires a number of factors to work in unison. It necessitates a culture of collaboration, where background, skills and a plethora of other elements come together to make a project a success. We trust that this tool will continue to create this special environment which will be conducive to our start-ups’ growth into success stories” Perit Xuereb augured.

Marking his two years at the helm of The Malta Chamber, President, Perit David Xuereb, was interviewed this morning on TVAM to discuss the journey that the foremost business representative organisation has been on during the past 24 months.

“Looking back at the past two years, The Malta Chamber of Commerce revitalised and improved its operational structures, both internally and externally, to strengthen its position as Malta’s foremost voice of business. I am truly humbled to have been entrusted with this responsibility to lead Malta’s leading business representative body, as we embarked on a number of ambitious projects. We did not limit ourselves to enhancing our value proposition for our members, but more importantly, through the engagement of our same members, we are the true thought leaders that are able to direct and drive national agendas and tangibly contribute towards sustainable economic development and our nation’s quality of life” noted Perit Xuereb.

Perit Xuereb explained how during the past months, The Malta Chamber had been actively present within the public sphere to address the issues that truly mattered to make an impact in Malta’s economy especially during these unprecedented times. “Good governance measures, climate change, the gap between our education systems and industry talent needs, gender equality especially at the workplace, and, most notably, all measures to address the influence of COVID on our lives and livelihoods, have all been addressed and engagement remains active to ensure that well-researched proposals are formulated for the benefit of the greater good,” stated The Chamber President.

“Looking forward, The Malta Chamber will remain objective, apolitical and proactive as ever before, to ensure that with the recommendations that are made are tangible and impactful, while relevant to our aligned national ambition of a smart and sustainable future for Malta and Gozo alike”, concluded Perit Xuereb.

During a webinar held between EY Malta and the Institute of Financial Services, The Malta Chamber President, Perit David Xuereb, weighed in on the main areas of focus to effectively plan for a post-pandemic world, with a specific focus on the Financial Services, Retail and Tourism industries.

“As Malta and most of the world have started the Covid-19 vaccination process, businesses need to continue focusing on the way forward. Focus should remain on elements that were given priority due to the pandemic. Upskilling, reskilling and good governance practices, especially within SMEs should all take centre-stage in a post-Covid scenario,” said The Chamber President.

The ‘Continuity Post-Pandemic: A Pragmatic Perspective’ webinar highlighted specific and concrete actions should be taken to manage and mitigate risks expected from the COVID-19 aftermath.

“As a Chamber of Commerce, we have always been forward-thinking, and proposed recommendations that were well received by both the Government and the Opposition. However, we still lack immediate action in terms of smart investment and a covid recovery fund,” noted Perit Xuereb.

The Chamber President also noted that an effective way-forward will be greatly influenced by the way resources are utilised. “As Malta’s foremost business representative body, The Malta Chamber has always been an advocate for an economy which is sensitive to climate change, with the aim of achieving a zero-carbon economy. This can only be achieved if we think outside the box in implementing ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) criteria to develop a competitive economy while offering an enhanced quality of life,” noted Xuereb.

The Malta Business Bureau (MBB), in collaboration with the HSBC Malta Foundation, is launching a mini web-series which seeks to increase levels of financial literacy in Malta. The production of this series, which will be released online in an episodic form throughout the month of April, is brought to life thanks to the INVEST+ project, which has delivered mentoring sessions and workshops on finance, accounting, savings, and investment since the end of 2019.

Speaking on behalf of the HSBC Malta Foundation, CEO Simon Vaughan Johnson stated that “The HSBC Malta Foundation has supported MBB, and other organisations committed to improving financial literacy for many years. In these challenging times, understanding how to manage your money has become even more critical and I would encourage anyone who wants to explore how they can better secure their own financial position, or that of their business, to tune-in and follow this excellent new web-series.”

In his address, MBB President Simon De Cesare said: “Bringing together the EU vision and the interests of the Maltese business community remains the ultimate goal of the Malta Business Bureau. In the context of economic uncertainty, digital financial education is believed to be the key to ensuring that individuals truly understand the impact of their financial decisions, therefore paving the way for an inclusive and sustainable recovery on a national, regional and global scale.”

According to Project Manager Marija Elena Borg, “Producing the INVEST+ web-series is not simply intended to be an action in response to COVID-19. It is rather an opportunity to mirror a new reality, which relies heavily on constant learning and digital technologies”. Ms Borg emphasised that what is often referred to as the ‘Future of Work’ has become a present day reality and is expected to stay. As a result, she has encouraged people who are in search of new professional opportunities in these turbulent times to tune in with this web-series to deepen their knowledge of key financial concepts that are most relevant to the entrepreneurial world.

The virtual launch event was also addressed by HSBC Head of HR & Corporate Sustainability, Caroline Buhagiar Klass and MBB CEO, Joe Tanti, who thanked both the project management team and the INVEST+ mentors for their dedication and commitment.

Interested individuals are encouraged to follow this page for updates on the web-series. For more information on INVEST+, please contact Project Manager Marija Elena Borg on mborg@mbb.org.mt or +356 21251719.

The INVEST+ Project is run by the Malta Business Bureau in collaboration with the HSBC Malta Foundation.

The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry has signed a Cooperation Agreement with architecture and design firm AP Valletta to co-operate actively and explore common projects on the future of the built and unbuilt environment in Malta.

‘Building Futures’ will focus on typologies of space representative of the challenges Malta faces from a cultural, economic, social and environmental point of view, taking a multidisciplinary approach, bringing together designers, data analysts, economists and others in a collective effort to re-imagine the current systems. It will combine AP Valletta’s knowledge and experience in research and design projects, with The Malta Chamber’s commitment to develop a tangible vision for sustainable economic growth.

“Through this signing, The Malta Chamber is strengthening its resources in collaborating with key partners which are working towards a more sustainable future by identifying tangible solutions to the climate change emergency,” noted The Malta Chamber President, Perit David Xuereb, ahead of the signing.

“This cooperation agreement introduces ‘Building Futures’, a collaborative research project between The Malta Chamber and AP Valletta which will explore how design, together with research, education and economic measures, can shape the future of the built and unbuilt environment in Malta,” explained Perit Xuereb.

“The ‘Building Futures’ project will incorporate a detailed analysis of the current scenario to determine the factors that led to the building crisis while researching prospective efforts that will define the future of this sector through the identification of alternative development models,” continued The Chamber President.

“The current health crisis and the climate emergency before that, are on the one hand offering an unprecedented opportunity for change and on the other hand revealing the fragility of our urban environment”, says AP Valletta’s Executive Director David Felice. “Our intention is to create a research platform through which initiatives on tangible case studies will influence public policy and actions, and therefore create lasting change.”

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Perit David Xuereb and Ms Marisa Xuereb as President and Deputy President of The Malta Chamber, respectively, and Perit David Felice, Executive Director at AP Valletta.