Author: Developers Think

The Malta Chamber and the Women’s Malta Chamber of Commerce & Industry Commerce & Industry, an affiliate of WICCI India, agreed to co-operate actively to nurture a climate of economic diversification, development and cooperation between Malta and India, within a global network led by women.
The agreement falls squarely within Malta Chamber’s drive to promote the visibility, development, and advancement of women in business leadership positions, which includes the internationalisation front.

Presiding on the signature of the Cooperation Agreement between the two entities there was Perit David Xuereb, President of the Malta Chamber, Dame Jane Chircop, President of the WICCI Malta and Doreen Cutrona, Vice President of WICCI Malta.

“We are excited to have the Malta India Women’s Chamber joining us as corporate members. We are eager to embark with this organisation on this journey towards promoting commercial exchanges for our members with such an important country. But it is not just that. We consider women in business to be a strongly developing entrepreneurial and leadership resource. Leveraging on women talent is becoming a key competitive advantage for progressive economies like ours. I believe that coupled with our respective organisational expertise, the prospects for Maltese business to engage in valuable cross continental projects is promising” – Perit David Xuereb.

During her intervention, Dame Jane Chircop remarked;

“Today it is a milestone and we wrote history for our country. Two chambers with one goal. The empowerment of women in our country is long due and that is what we want to achieve.”

Participating virtually in the signing ceremony, Dr Harbeen Arora, Founder and President of Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce, and Industry (WICCI) congratulated the Malta Chamber for its exceptional work towards advocating a truly inclusive economy where women are given the merited importance, hence the symbolic ceremony taking place under its auspices. In her keynote address Dr Arora besides explaining the role of WICCI India as a global organisation connecting women around the world promoting entrepreneurship.

She also announced the first Women’s Economic Forum Summit, which is taking place in Malta between the 8th and 10th March 2021, expecting to host around 1,500 attendees from various destinations. The event will take place in a hybrid format in full respect of the public health and safety measures.

The terms of agreement signed place both Chambers at the disposition of each other to exchange information and undertake joint initiatives based on their respective contacts and expertise within identified sectors which could lead to bilateral projects.

WICCI India brings together over two thousand members from around 110 countries, 22 of whom form part of the newly established chamber in Malta, who are professionals from different walks of life.

Marisa Xuereb, The Malta Chamber Deputy President and Managing Director of Raesch Quarz (Malta) Ltd weighed in on the obstacles that Covid-19 introduced within the manufacturing sector during a webinar organised by the Malta Business Network on Thursday.

Xuereb noted that proactivity was crucial. “As soon as the pandemic struck, manufacturing companies needed all hands on deck, and new measures were introduced immediately to ensure that the supply chain was not impacted,” she said. She continued by noting that it was clear from the beginning that the Government needed to treat manufacturing as an essential sector which could not afford major operational disruptions.

Xuereb said that full cooperation was required not only from all personnel, at all levels, but also key players within the whole supply chain, such as suppliers and logistics agents. “Although demand increased in terms of certain medical and sanitation products, new challenges arose with regards to delivering such products to locations outside Europe previously supplied from companies in Asia such as China,” she stated.

When questioned about the effectiveness of the wage supplement, The Deputy President explained that it enabled firms in hard-hit sectors such as tourism and retail to maintain employment levels but was less impactful for manufacturing companies.

“It is important to note that a number of positives have emerged throughout the past months. Businesses that thrived during the pandemic were those that learnt to be more flexible while maintaining a healthy, skilled and well-rounded employee-base,” noted The Deputy President. She also said that during a year which was characterised by instability, investing in a business model which embodies a strong customer base was critical.

The Deputy President concluded by noting that thanks to Covid-19, the manufacturing industry was finally being recognised for its resilience. “The manufacturing sector remains a pillar of strength in all developed economies,” she said.

“This report is testament to The Malta Chamber’s restless effort, to not only promote good governance but also proactively propose ways how this important value can be improved in practice,” said The Malta Chamber President during the launch of The Public Procurement Reform 2021 Report this week.

Welcoming members of the media, Perit Xuereb noted that The Malta Chamber had continuously championed the cause of good governance. “During the early months of 2020, we launched a document titled ‘Ethical Business calls for change – A Manifesto for Good Governance’ which included 60 concrete recommendations. The same document included a number of recommendations, which addressed Public Procurement and the importance of ensuring best value to the public, fairness to economic operators and transparency,” said Xuereb.

The ‘Report on Public Procurement Reform 2021’, is a further development of The Chamber’s advocacy of best practice in this area. It offers a detailed analysis of the matters surrounding the crucial process with which the Government spends its public funds.

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 valuable guidance for the necessary reforms that are needed, in order to ensure that economic operators are able to perform on a level playing field when tendering for government purchasing 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 Chamber insists that such procurement exercises must be accessible to all eligible economic operators, free from impropriety and in compliance with the law” Perit Xuereb said.

In conclusion, the Chamber President thanked the members of the Working Group which 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, Mr Mary Gaerty, and Mr Roderick Abela. The group was assisted by Policy Executive Mr 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.

“Public procurement concerns and affects us all regardless of who we are, where we live, and what we do,” said Liz Barabaro Sant, The Malta Chamber Vice President, as she addressed attendees during the official launch of The Public Procurement Reform 2021 Report this week.

The Vice President explained that “Economic, social and environmental benefits of public programmes and projects to a country and its citizens, depend very much on how public procurement is managed, conducted and controlled. Furthermore, public procurement is critical for the accountability of public expenditure, it supports good governance, while assisting with economic and social development and public trust in government.”

Barbaro Sant emphasised the importance that the real business leaders of Malta should act in the most ethical ways possible. “As Malta’s foremost business representative body, we are very vocal about integrity and transparency. In the coming months, we will continue to fiercely advocate for the implementation of reforms to ensure this pillar of corporate governance functions with integrity. We shall continue to advocate suitable controls supporting the system, and that appropriate anti-corruption measures are in place to avoid any improprieties in public procurement,” she said.

The Vice President noted that the business community must be supported by a Government that truly respects such values of good governance.

“We need to allow a level playing field for suppliers and contractors alike without stifling the growth of newcomers or eliminate track records to favour contractors” concluded Liz Barbaro Sant.

On Wednesday, The Malta Chamber launched a document titled The Public Procurement Reform Report, which contains 36 recommendations on the entire procurement process.

The key recommendations in this document relate to the Blacklisting of operators, the implementation and management of Direct Orders and the Performance of Public Contracts post-award.

Click here to download the full report.

Blacklisting

Economic operators who are in breach of the law, have to be sanctioned and should not be allowed to participate in public procurement or allowed to enter into public contracts. If contracting authorities do not backlist economic operators who have breached the law, the wrong message is sent to the ethical market and honest operators that everything goes.
Contracting authorities should reward economic operators who comply with the law, not only because this is the right thing to do, but because it is a cost for economic operators to comply with the law and contracting authorities must see that there is an equitable level playing field among all economic operators. This action will also reassure consumers of the effective use of public funds.

Direct Orders

The Malta Chamber does not disagree with the concept of directly awarded public contracts so long as their award is (i) duly substantiated and justified in accordance with the law; (ii) adequately publicised, ideally, through a Contract Register; and (iii) subject to scrutiny and judicial challenge by interested parties.

Performance of Public Contracts

The Malta Chamber submits that the monitoring of the performance of public contracts should also be shared with the private sector alike to other aspects of public procurement, obviously, with due respect to trade secrets and sensitive commercial information.

The Malta Chamber believes that in implementing the necessary recommendations, proposed in this document, the Maltese Government will improve the quality of the tendering process, ensure fairness to all economic operators and reassure the public of an equitable use of public funds.

Procurement Report 2021

The document is the result of a consultation process The Malta Chamber undertook by setting up a working group formed by individuals representing economic operators that have different levels of experience submitting tenders across different industry sectors. The document serves as valuable guidance for the necessary reforms that are needed in order to ensure that economic operators are on a level playing field when tendering for government purchasing opportunities. These reforms also serve to ensure that public funds are deployed to their best potential. The Chamber insists that such procurement exercises must be accessible to all eligible economic operators, free from impropriety and in compliance with the law. The Malta Chamber has strived to continue working on the importance of good governance, transparency and ethical business.

The Working Group was composed of Liz Barbaro Sant, Anton Borg, Marcel K. Mifsud, Maronna Filletti, Mary Gaerty, Roderick Abela and Julia Aquilina. Dr Clement Mifsud Bonnici (Ganado Advocates) was the technical advisor on the process.

The Malta Chamber submits that the continued consultation process is a testament to the fact that public procurement in Malta is extremely active and generally working well albeit a number of shortcomings; otherwise, economic operators would seek other opportunities elsewhere. At the same time, this Report confirms the core challenges identified by the Working Group.

The Malta Chamber is adamant and committed to engage in open dialogue with all stakeholders on this Report and to advocate for the adoption of the recommendations it contains.

During a video conference meeting of the General Affairs Council of the European Union, Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi reiterated Malta’s support for continued EU-wide COVID-19 coordination.

The Portuguese Presidency of Council, which commenced on 1st January, convened the meeting to prepare for the EU leaders’ informal video conference meeting scheduled for this week, in which Prime Minister Robert Abela is expected to participate.

In his intervention, Dr Zrinzo Azzopardi welcomed the work by the European Commission on behalf of all member states in procuring the vaccines. He stated that it is now important for all member states and the Commission to work together to ensure that all the contractors live up to their obligations. He also welcomed the Commission’s efforts towards stepping-up the production of vaccines to accelerate deliveries.

Concerning vaccination certificates, Dr Zrinzo Azzopardi stated that a COVID-19 vaccination certificate should be used to facilitate the movement of persons within the EU, rather than act as a barrier to free movement. He further remarked that EU coordination on this issue is critical, as the absence of such coordination could lead to unilateral approaches that may themselves result in increased restrictions within the EU. Malta also looks forward to progress on the task mandated by leaders on the mutual recognition of tests.

The parliamentary secretary appealed for the consistent reassuring message to all our citizens, that their efforts are paying off while continuing to remain vigilant and adhere to the measures communicated by the respective health authorities.

Other items on the agenda of the meeting included a discussion on the priorities of the Portuguese Presidency as well as the Conference on the Future of Europe.

Numerous members, predominantly operating in importation, but not only, attended an information session organised by The Malta Chamber, titled ‘Getting accustomed to Brexit’. The online event was addressed by Customs officials who provided crucial information about the new reality of importation of goods to Malta from the UK, post-Brexit.

Andre Fenech, Head of Policy at the Malta Chamber, said that Brexit had affected the operation of several businesses, as the UK remains one of the main partner countries to Malta, while he welcomed guests to the event. Britain leaving the European Union meant that it officially became a third country, triggering a new regime under which the importation and exportation of goods needed to be operated.

Moderating the event, Mr Fenech said that The Malta Chamber was once again providing its members with the exclusive opportunity to ask the right questions to the right people, from the comfort of their own desks.

In an interview with The Malta Independent’s Kevin Schembri Orland, The Malta Chamber President, Perit David Xuereb spoke about what this year holds in terms of economic opportunities and challenges, and Malta returning to ‘business as usual’.

The Chamber President said that reaching the economic levels of 2019 will most likely take at least two years. “According to The Malta Chamber assessment, although a sense of normality would be reached as soon as herd immunity is achieved in terms of everyday life, the quality of life that we were experiencing in 2019 will take around two to three years to attain,” he said.

Commenting on the Prime Minister’s statement, that he wants to see the country return to business as usual by May, Xuereb noted that “it would be incredibly unrealistic to think that all economic issues would be resolved.”

When asked about his predictions for 2021, The Chamber President said: “What will determine the success in which we achieve ‘business as usual’ is the manner in which public funds are spent,”. Noting “Last year, our 10% deficit was brought about not only due to a reduction in business but also because we were justifiably spending a lot of funds on the wage supplement in order to retain employment. If that money was not spent, we would have had many thousands of people facing unemployment. So the ability to pay those wages and retain people in employment over the past months now helps the economy to react and adjust itself more quickly” he said.

The Chamber President emphasised the importance of understanding how effective the vaccine is in the long term to truly assess if an improvement can be seen on the horizon for businesses through enhanced consumer confidence in the second half of 2021.

“I really hope that in June we would have 80% of the population vaccinated in order to plan and implement the required re-engineering schemes to restore Malta’s economy,” noted Xuereb.

The Chamber President concluded by saying that although The Malta Chamber wishes to heighten business activity across the country, it would be highly irresponsible to act too quickly. “We should therefore act responsibly if we are to drive for a truly improved national quality of life based on honesty and intelligence,” said Xuereb.

The Malta Chamber commends the Government’s decision to postpone the issue of the second round of vouchers, in the interest of public health.

As it has said all throughout the pandemic, The Malta Chamber reiterates its position that all, and any initiatives taken must, at all times reflect, the highest public health interest. The Government’s decision, as announced by the Minister of the Economy yesterday is hence commended.

While the issue of vouchers is eagerly anticipated by many business operators, as it is expected to once again inject a much-needed impetus into the economy, priorities of public safety must take precedence.

Initially, the second round of vouchers was expected to be issued by mid-January. Following a statement by the Economy Ministry on Monday evening, it was announced that while preparations are complete, the Government is first consulting with the health authorities and stakeholders, and could wait until bars and entertainment venues are reopened on 1st February (so far), before launching the voucher roll-out. 

The vouchers total €100, as with the first round, and are to be given to all Maltese residents over 16 years of age. Of the €100, €60 has been allotted for accommodation and restaurants, while €40 has been allotted for retail outlets.