Author: Developers Think

The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, presented a copy of its recently published report on a proposed Public Procurement Reform to the Hon. Silvio Schembri, Ministry for the Economy, Investment and Small Businesses, during a visit by the latter at The Malta Chamber on Thursday.

The document proposes 36 tangible recommendations for improved public procurement processes, following a thorough consultation process with The Malta Chamber members.

Perit Xuereb noted that the document was another step in The Chamber’s mission for enhanced competitiveness. “This report outlines strong, tangible and effective measures that can be implemented to improve good governance practices while ensuring that a level-playing field is set for all players participating in procurement procedures,” said Xuereb.

“The document provides a detailed analysis of the current scenario, and practical guidelines on how this sensitive subject can be further developed in the future,” noted The Chamber President.

Minister for the Economy and Industry Silvio Schembri praised the Malta Chamber initiative concerning the public procurement report. ‘ As a Government, we are committed to enhancing transparency and good governance by introducing new and better methods within our entities as we have been doing in recent months. Stances which have proved beneficial and are now bearing results hence discussions are underway for such actions to be extended to other entities within the public sector’ said Minister Schembri.

The document was developed after a consultation process with its members and through a working group of experienced individuals and professionals from across the economy. The document serves as a valuable guide for the necessary reforms that are needed, in order to ensure that economic operators are able to perform on an equitable level playing field when tendering for government purchase requests.

These reforms also serve to ensure that national funds are deployed to their best potential and in the interest of the general public.

The Working Group was led by Vice President Ms Liz Barbaro Sant and included Former President Mr Anton Borg, Council member Mr Marcel K. Mifsud, and members Ms Maronna Filletti, Ms Mary Gaerty, and Mr Roderick Abela. The group was assisted by Policy Executive Ms Julia Aquilina, while Dr Clement Mifsud Bonnici (Ganado Advocates) was the professional advisor on the process. The document presented was developed in collaboration with Ganado Advocates.

 

“Each and every one of us, especially those of us who are parents and have the opportunity and obligation to influence future generations, and those of us who are active business leaders within Malta’s economy have a vital role in delivering on the ingredients that reinforce national unity, a cardinal and moral objective for any country,” said The Malta Chamber President, Perit David Xuereb during the Conference for National Unity organised by the Office of the President of Malta last Saturday.

Led by H.E. Dr George Vella, President of the Republic, the conference aimed at initiating a mature and unconditional discussion on the subject with the direct involvement of the public.

“In order to engage collectively with the objective of a thriving community that prioritizes national unity, we must acknowledge the factors that, unfortunately, we allow to divide us. From political colour to sport fanaticism to skin colour to income scale, there are several aspects that hinder unity, since we tend to label too passionately and loosely,” explained Xuereb. This must be acknowledged if we are to be sincere.

The Chamber President paralleled any successful business that is composed of talent with diverse yet complementing skills with what may be expected of society at large. “Each employee within an organization, like a sportsperson in a winning football team, and alike a citizen within a country, brings uniqueness and value that is essential to the sustainable development of the team he or she forms part of. Diverse thoughts, opinions and talent that are coming from the mind are strong ingredients of successful societies. This should not be confused with the need for compassion for the alignment of our emotions in spirit. Our diversity makes us stronger!”

Perit Xuereb said that it is important and valuable to identify the factors that unite our citizens. “In the past months, we have all come to one united front and agreed that Good Governance had become a national priority and that Climate Change has become a significant quality of life opportunity. We have become able to extrapolate this principle onto other areas of common interest which we should celebrate stronger and more frequently. Only through such a perspective, can we engage in the correct positive energies that ensure a robust social foundation while securing an appreciation and an efficient use of resources that are available to us while prioritizing our mental and physical wellbeing,” the Chamber President said.

“As a Chamber of Commerce, we strongly believe that a code of minimal respect should be incorporated at the political, business, professional and personal levels to ensure that our society truly thrives. Tangible sustainability is key, and can be attained, when it is backed up by an honest, mature, and genuine society that is driven by robust values” concluded Xuereb.

The Malta Chamber President Perit David Xuereb welcomed the Leader of the Opposition the Hon Dr Bernard Grech, today for a meeting to discuss the Nationalist Party’s long-term strategy for energy.

Welcoming Dr Grech, the President spoke about the importance of a long term policy vision, especially in the area of energy.

“The Chamber’s vision for the energy sector, is for an economy that does not only balance sustainability with economic drivers, but which seeks for them to be complementary in the vision for a smart, sustainable island,” Perit Xuereb said.

The Leader of the Opposition the Hon. Dr Bernard Grech thanked the Chamber for its warm welcome, as he underlined the importance of a broad discussion on which to base the country’s long-term vision for Energy.

Ing Patrick Spiteri Staines, Chairman of The Energy Efficiency & Conservation Committee highlighted the importance of addressing excessive bureaucracy of energy schemes. He also noted the difficulty for businesses of finding a single point of contact to address energy concerns, which are usually fragmented across different portfolios and parts of Government. He also noted the pressing need for energy infrastructure to be addressed, through a modern distribution network.

Mr Joe Pace, Chairman of the Manufacturing and Other Industries Economic Group stated that manufacturers in Malta face a situation unique in Europe, where industry rates for utility bills are higher than commercial rates. ‘Rectifying this situation is important to maintain competitiveness for the sector’ Mr Pace said.

Mr Konrad Pule, Chairman of the Sustainable Mobility Committee spoke about the need to encourage a culture change to experience a modal shift in transport. He suggested flipping the polluter pays principle upside down to reward sustainable behaviour in the economy. He also warned that while electrification of the vehicle fleet is the way forward, this does not resolve problems with congestion, so there must be broader transport solutions.

The Leader of the Opposition was accompanied by the Hon Ing. Ryan Callus and the Hon Ms Kristy Debono.

 

The renewal of PT Matic’s sponsorship of The Malta Chamber’s Circular Economy committee follows months of hard work by the committee which recently resulted in a joint submission on the upcoming Waste Management Plan. Chaired by Ing. Oliver Fenech, the committee is composed of a wide range of waste management experts coming from a variety of backgrounds, bringing a comprehensive set of skills and perspectives to the table.

Through its sponsorship, PT Matic is driving a committee which promotes the best interests of all members of The Malta Chamber involved in waste management, both through the promotion of a more prominent role for private enterprise in Malta, and through advocating that EU Directives are implemented in the most effective way for all stakeholders involved. As it has recently done through its submission on the public consultation of the Waste Management Plan, the committee is making the case that competition, education and the transformation of waste into higher quality resources is the way forward for Malta.

“The Circular Economy Committee is proving to be an interesting forum of experts who truly have the environment at heart, while wanting to see change. Our interest is focussed on supporting private initiatives directed towards a green economy and formulating and submitting policy proposals to the authorities on Circular Economy. We are thrilled at the contribution that the Committee has been able to provide over the past months and we aim to continue promoting dialogue and supporting businesses in initiatives directed towards eliminating waste and the continual use of resources,” said Ing. Oliver Fenech, General Manager at PT Matic Environmental Services Ltd.

Moving forward, thanks to PT Matic, the Circular Economy committee will continue to develop policies in the best interests of a national waste management system which allows Malta to achieve its sustainability goals and targets. The committee will continue to be the voice of private enterprise in the waste management sector, responsive to the needs of the members of The Malta Chamber.

The Malta Chamber welcomes the Government’s announced reform which is set to absorb up to €10,000 in rent for the pre-1995 residential rental agreements. The mechanism that is set to be introduced reflects the position of the Malta Chamber in its Policy Recommendation ‘Rent Reforms: Eight Years on – A Review’ from 2017. In this document, the Malta Chamber had suggested to cap the rent payable at a maximum of 2% of the property’s market value, as well as to provide an alternative mechanism for persons with limited means.

The announced reform introduces the principle of reasonable rent payable to landlords. It makes a distinction between pensioners and social welfare beneficiaries on the one hand, and tenants who are in full-time employment on the other. Moreover, if properties are valued at more than €500,000, the state will offer alternative accommodation to tenants who are unable to cover the rent increase. This also follows on recent Constitutional Court judgments in Malta and decisions of the European Court of Human Rights.

While the Malta Chamber welcomes this reform, it feels certain issues still require further clarification and discussion, not least on the amount budgeted for the implementation of this scheme, which the Malta Chamber deems too low. In addition, further clarification is required about the mechanisms to assess the market value of the properties concerned. The Malta Chamber also asks that the means testing of the sitting tenants be accompanied by a valuation of all their assets, including any other properties owned, and whether they effectively reside in the rented property or merely hold tenancy by virtue of the address on their identity documents. It is also unclear whether or not tenants in part-time employment will be fully subsidised.

In conclusion, over the next days, the Malta Chamber will study this proposal in greater detail and will be requesting a meeting with the Prime Minister and the Parliamentary Secretary Hon. Roderick Galdes to further discuss and possibly refine this proposal.

In recent weeks, our country has experienced a significant spike in COVID-19 infections, which has been ascribed largely to social gatherings, a lack of observance with the measures in place and the circulation of the new and highly infectious UK variant. The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry highlights the need for greater discipline and enforcement to curb this latest trend without having to resort to lockdowns as other countries have been forced to do. More responsibility will also lighten the burden on the country’s healthcare workers, who have been working tirelessly to control the situation. This responsibility should be carried by all members of society.

Now is not the time to become complacent. The roll-out of the vaccine should not be a reason for us to let down our guard. The developments in Europe and the rest of the world have shown that this is a turning point in the pandemic and we cannot and must not be guided by this false sense of security. The vaccine surely is a step towards curbing this pandemic, yet we still have a long road ahead.

Further restrictive measures would be detrimental to our economy, which is facing one of its biggest challenges yet. The Chamber believes that if we all join forces we can lead the way to recovery. Every effort, no matter how small, has a significant impact. Therefore, the Malta Chamber urges its members and the business community at large to do their part by strictly observing the mitigation measures in the workplace and offering teleworking wherever possible. Only those workers who have no other option but to work on site should be asked to do so. Any social gatherings should be avoided, both in the workplace and beyond.

It is essential that we all assume our responsibility to safeguard the health and well-being of the community, which is imperative for recovery.

Following the recent launch of the first results of the CEO Confidence Index 2021 Q1 report by The Mata Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, and Vistage Malta, the ‘Thriving during challenging times’ webinar was organized to further discuss these results from a national and international point of view.

“As a Chamber of Commerce, and Malta’s leading voice of business, we are honoured to have been chosen by VISTAGE Malta as their partner on the CEO Confidence Index, the first of its kind in Malta,” started off Ms Marisa Xuereb, Deputy President of The Malta Chamber.

Xuereb continued by noting that such an index could not have been launched at a better time, since due to the economic challenges that have been brought about by the pandemic, business confidence is more pertinent than it ever was. “This CEO Confidence Index is a great tool for any business to acquire valuable insight from other business leaders, and will help entities like the Chamber make more solid representations and draft more informed policy recommendations, for the benefit of the entire business community and the future of the country,” explained the Deputy President.

“Through this Confidence Index, VISTAGE has brought to the table an international benchmarking exercise which is critical to fully understand and appreciate how COVID is affecting not just our economy, but also the international business world on which we ultimately all depend,” stated Xuereb.

VISTAGE Malta CEO Nathan Farrugia said “The value of the CI index, beyond the obvious economic insights explained by Joe in his excellent summary, is a window into the minds of CEOs around the world. It is a tool that gives leaders the confidence to make decisions in a less abstract way. Many leaders state that “It’s lonely at the top” so having these Vistage insights is very helpful. That, essentially, is the reason why Vistage is the largest cohort of CEOs in the world, and why people join.”

Mr Joe Galvin, Chief Research Officer at VISTAGE Worldwide Inc. said “The Vistage CEO Confidence Index has been the leading source for SME CEO sentiment since 2003. Historically a strong predictor of economic growth 3 to 6 months ahead, the index combines CEO input regarding the economy, their business prospects and their expansion plans to create a forwarding looking expression of CEO confidence.”

Download the research results of Q1 by clicking here.

“Government, business leaders, and educational institutions must give vital importance to technology and innovation as the true backbone to any sustainable economy,” said The Malta Chamber President, Perit David Xuereb, during the Tech.MT Annual General Meeting which was held at The Malta Chamber.

Tech.MT, which was established in 2019 as a Public-Private Partnership between The Malta Chamber and the Maltese Government, aims at promoting Malta as a hub for innovation and technology.

Xuereb continued by emphasising the importance of smart investment by both businesses and the government to ensure optimum efficiency to achieve sustainable economic growth ambitions.

“This is becoming even more relevant today as we must seek new opportunities to re-engineer ourselves from both a personal and professional point of view. As a Chamber of Commerce, we believe that Malta should reach the maximum levels of productivity to enhance the country’s competitiveness level, within a local and international level, and Tech.mt is more than capable to help in achieving these targets,” explained The Chamber President.

Perit Xuereb noted that ever since it was established, Tech.MT had been a success story. “It has become a pillar for the tech industry and continues to deliver on its mission by organising a number of key initiatives such as the eBusiness Awards and the Women4IT project. Through such initiatives, technology has become ever more tangible and accessible to people of all ages,” said Xuereb.

The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry and the Tourism Executive Committee welcome the Malta Tourism Authority’s Strategy Document that is envisioning a higher quality, diverse Maltese tourism experience for travellers in the coming years, titled Recover, Rethink, Revitalise.

The Tourism Executive Committee has continuously noted the importance of shifting the strategic focus of tourism development. This would entail that the touristic experience of the island and its tourism economic operators are given centre stage for a more sustainable and smart approach towards tourism, the backbone of Malta’s economic success.

“As a country, we need to prioritise Good Governance practices in Malta to improve on a holistic front which definitely includes the tourism industry. In order for us to re-engineer our economy to ensure higher resilience levels, the need to invest accordingly is vital, and the tourism industry is an important player. This also means that the country needs to also invest in our infrastructure and our culture,” explained Perit David Xuereb, President of The Malta Chamber.

Due to COVID19, and its imminent impact on the tourism sector, the Malta Chamber and the Executive Committee continued their ongoing work to provide proposals to the challenges of the pandemic. To this extent, a roundtable made up of individuals representing the field of tourism was created.

The Tourism Think Tank Roundtable drafted a document that listed the industries’ issues according to Category and provided both short-term and long-term recommendations which focused on several areas such as better use of data, how essential it is that a holistic tourism strategy is formulated and the focus on heightened quality measures, among others. The Executive Committee endorsed the report and presented it to Government officials, including the newly appointed Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection, Hon. Clayton Bartolo.