Author: SME Chamber

‘EXPLORE
European Structural and Investment Funds' will be the fifth of a series of six
information sessions, each targeting a
different thematic area. This session will be promoting EU funding programmes
related to European Structural and Investment Funds.

All public sector officials,
non-governmental organisations (NGOs), businesses and local councils interested
in any project or initiative related
to the sector, are invited to this session.

The session will be addressed by Dr Ian Borg, Parliamentary Secretary for
the EU Presidency 2017 and EU Funds, and will include a number of presentations
by various Managing Authorities and National Contact Points responsible for
different funds under the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020.

EXPLORE | European
Structural and Investment Funds

Date: Thursday, October 2, 2014  |  Time: 9.30 hrs –
12:00 hrs

Venue: The Waterfront Hotel, Gżira

Participants will also have the
opportunity to involve themselves in networking with representatives of
Managing Authorities and National Contact Points who will be present to answer
queries on a one-to-one basis. 

Should you be interested in taking
part, and reply on by not later than Monday, September 29, 2014.

EXPLORE | Environment

Date: Tuesday,
October 7, 2014  |  Time: 16.30 hrs – 19:00 hrs

Venue: The
Waterfront Hotel, Gżira

‘EXPLORE Environment' will be the last of a series
of six information sessions, each targeting a
different thematic area. This session will be promoting EU funding programmes
related to the environment.

All public sector officials,
non-governmental organisations (NGOs), businesses and local councils interested
in any project or initiative related
to the sector, are invited to this session.

The session will include a number of
presentations by various Managing Authorities and National Contact Points
responsible for different funds under the Multiannual Financial Framework
2014-2020.

Participants will also have the
opportunity to involve themselves in networking with representatives of
Managing Authorities and National Contact Points who will be present to answer
queries on a one-to-one basis. 

Should you be
interested in taking part, kindly register on by not later than Thursday, October 2, 2014.

In a
joint statement ahead of the hearings of the commissioners-designated,
BUSINESSEUROPE, EUROCHAMBRES, EuroCommerce and UEAPME demand that the European
Union prioritizes competitiveness in any future policy initiative.

The
Occupational Health and Safety Authority has this week has issued a press
release in response to the photos being posted by the media showing unsafe work
practices.

Media and members of the general public are being urged to
immediately inform OHSA of any unsafe work practices in order to take the
necessary measures so as to safeguard the health and safety of persons involved
in the work activity, instead of leaving the same workers working in an unsafe
manner until OHSA takes the necessary action.

Whilst OHSA understands the interests of media and civic minded
persons in wanting to raise issues of unsafe work practices, such approach will
not reach the effectiveness desired if OHSA is not immediately informed. Most
of the time, photos are published hours and even days after the occurrence of
the unsafe work practice thus leaving the same person being exposed to serious
and imminent danger. OHSA adopts a confidentiality complaint reporting
procedure in order to secure the confidentiality of the complainant.

Occupational health and safety is a complex subject which
requires the cooperation of stakeholders and duty holders and it can only be
improved through a self-regulating process where all duty holders recognize
that it is in their best interest to adhere to their duties imposed by law.

In terms of the OHSA Act XXVII of 2000 and other subsidiary
regulations, employers have various legal obligations that must be fulfilled in
order to manage health and safety at the place of work. Employers have the general
duty of ensuring the health and safety at all times of all persons who may be
affected by the work being carried out for such employers. This duty is
considered to be wide in its scope and encompasses a series of other
obligations intended to fulfil such general duty.

Employers must have in place appropriate arrangements for the
effective planning, organization, control, monitoring and review of the
preventive and protective measures. The approach to be taken by employers must
be based on a well-defined management system based on prevention in particular
through the provision of risk assessments and implementation of control
measures based on the general principles of prevention laid down in the OHSA
Act. The general principles of prevention are set out in descending order of
preference with the best approach being the adequate control of risk. These
principles are intended to secure the best approach to address hazards and
risks which may be present in the place of work.

On the other hand, workers have also a number of duties that must
be fulfilled in order to ensure a safer and healthier workplace. Workers have
the duty to cooperate with their employer in matters pertaining to health and
safety and to safeguard their own health and safety and that of other who may
be affected by their actions.

With regards to construction work activities, OHSA urges all duty
holders to adopt a risk prevention approach from the beginning. This can be
only achieved if all duty holders in particular the client, contractors,
project supervisors and workers themselves adopt a collective approach towards
the implementation of control measures intended to prevent accidents at the
place of work.

Last week GRTU Deputy President
Philip Fenech and President of the tourism and hospitality section met with the
Acting Commissioner of Police Ray Zammit to discuss long-term improvements of
security management in the St. Julians and Paceville area.

This year's
World Tourism Day seeks to celebrate the theme of Tourism and Community
Development. This theme focuses on the ability of tourism to empower people and
provide them with skills to achieve change in their local communities.

In its 2015 Budget proposals
GRTU is calling for the generation of increased economic activity in our
localities. With our country's small size it makes all the more sense to
maximise our space potential and build on the concept of community tourism.
Alternative forms of accommodation should be encouraged and incentivised. The
popularity of staying in boutique hotels, small guest houses, hostels and even
host families has soared drastically in recent years and Malta should be able
to cater for such a demand. It is still tourism of high quality and value added
but whose priority is the authenticity of the experience. There is in fact
indeed a demand by tourists to experience countries away from the traditionally
tourist concentrated areas.

The value added in the
utilization of available resources that could easily materialise with the right
incentives. The ripple effect this would have on our economy as a whole could
be remarkable. Cafés, Restaurants and retailers will benefit if tourists
accommodation spreads from the traditional tourists areas to the localities.
The package of incentives should focus on facilitating access to finance, which
includes grants, tax credits and advantageous loans. Licensing and standards
should also reflect this shift.

This year's World Tourism Day
theme will highlight the potential of tourism to promote opportunities for communities
around the world, as well as the role that community engagement has in
advancing sustainable tourism development.

World Tourism Day is
celebrated every year on the 27 of September. It is a global celebration that
highlights tourism's social, cultural, political and economic value.

GRTU President Paul Abela and Deputy
President Philip Fenech have this week participated in a public consultation
session where the Minister of Finance Edward Scicluna discussed Malta's
financial situation. 

In reply to GRTU Hon Scicluna
said that the loan worth €52 million which was provided by the European
Commission, to prevent the collapse of Air Malta, was a one time occurrence
which will not be given to the airline a second time, so it is crucial to get
it right.

It has been forecasted that in
March 2014, Air Malta's financials may experience €30 million in losses, the
year in which the airline should be heading for a breakeven situation.

This concern was raised by
Philip Fenech during one of a series of public consultation sessions organised
by the Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee (MEUSAC). Mr Fenech expressed his
concern over Air Malta's future and the fact that flights to Libya had been
stopped as a result of the war, which comes at a time when the national carrier
is attempting to break even"It is the interest of every citizen, of the
industry and mine that Air Malta reaches its targets…but your guess is as good
as mine," Scicluna replied.

Following these remarks, Prof.
Scicluna reiterated that the Budget 2015 targeted those who were on social
benefits, by encouraging them to join the workforce. In this regard GRTU
President Paul Abela said that GRTU will be sending its budget proposal list as
usual and it will focus on increasing access to finance and the recommendation
to include favourable interest rates for businesses. GRTU is concerned that the
level of bank lending to business has decreased which would continue to hinder
Malta's economy and therefore it requests that the Government should intervene
to improve this situation. 

GRTU in
collaboration with Bank of Valletta have this week held an information session
focusing on SME financing. During
this session CEO Abigail Psaila Mamo mentioned that 99.8% of Maltese
enterprises are SMEs and 94% of these consist of micro enterprises.

The smaller
the enterprise the more vulnerable it is in accessing finances. She also
mentioned that GRTU is concerned that the level of lending is declining.
However it is also evident that lending to SMEs has declined.

This
session focused on funding programmes that are aimed at addressing negative
situations in financing caused by the financial crisis. The funding programmes
available included:

COSME

This
programme was presented by Maciej Otulak, European Commission,
Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry, Unit SME Access to Finance
which is currently working on the 2014-2020 programme for the competitiveness
of enterprises and SMEs (COSME). He explained that the programme's aim is to
increase access to finance for SMEs through appropriate financial instruments
such as mutual guarantee societies, banks lending and equity participations for
early and growth stage investments. The COSME programme focuses on high risk
loans which would most likely not be able to acquire financing. This financial
instrument has 2 funding opportunities which include:

Loan Guarantee Facility

guarantees for
loans to SMEs up to € 150 000*

securitisation of SME debt finance
portfolios

* above €
150 000 for SMEs not qualifying for InnovFin (Horizon 2020)

Equity Facility for Growth

focus: growth
stage

final beneficiaries: growth-oriented
SMEs

also possible: early stage and
multistage funds

BOV Start Plus

During the information session Mark Scicluna Herrera Head of the EU
Business Development at BOV introduced the BOV Start Plus. This business loan
is aimed at start-ups and micro enterprises who need funding for investment
purposes and initial related working capital requirements.

Loan offer and
criteria:

Up to €25,000 loanAll sectors eligible excluding
agriculture/fisheries (some restrictions on transport)

Contributes 20% of total investment

Maximum loan term: 5 years (minimum
maturity 1 year)

Monthly repayments. A moratorium of
up to 6 months may be considered.

No extendible security is being
requested on this lending facility.

No annual processing fees and early
repayment fees.

4.65%
Interest Rate (as from 16th June 2014)

Available till 16th December 2016 (or
until funds are fully absorbed)

For further
information kindly contact via email: or telephone: 2275 1160

Karl Herrera
explained that through the Micro Guarantee, eligible enterprises may obtain a
guarantee covering loans of up to €100,000 which are used to finance projects
leading to business enhancement, growth and development.

This is
a one time incentive available to business, including start-ups, that have:

at least 1 but
not more than 50 (full-time equivalent) employees; and

a turnover and balance sheet total
that does not exceed €10 million

Applicants are required be adhering
to regularity and fiscal obligations

Micro Guarantee 80%

Available
to enterprises having at least two full time employees that:

are
engaged in the production and manufacture

provide services related to
production and manufacture

offer an innovative product or
service and which operate within a
non-saturated local market

The proposed projects should lead to:

generation of new jobs

growth in foreign markets

Micro Guarantee 65%

Available to all eligible
enterprises that require funding for projects leading to:

the establishment
of new business

the provision of new or improved
products, services or processes

the adoption of new technology

reduction in operating costs

increase in sales

retention or generation of jobs

increased productivity

growth in foreign markets

Further information in the Micro Guarantee can be found at:

http://www.maltaenterprise.com/en/support/micro-guarantee-scheme

Long term
sustainability requires a balance between sustainability in economic, socio-cultural
and environmental terms. The need to reconcile economic growth and sustainable
development also brings in an ethical dimension.

The main
objective of this call is to strengthen competitiveness of the European tourism
sector as well as its sustainability by encouraging diversification of the
supply of tourist services and products.

The
project proposals should aim at promoting sustainable transnational tourism
products ( such as e.g: routes, itineraries, trails, tourism offer…) in sport
or wellness activities in relation to one of the following types of tourism:
coastal or maritime or mountain or rural tourism.

Eligibility of applicants

Applicants must
belong to one of the categories mentioned in section 6 of the call and be
active in the tourism sector or any other field that is strictly related to the
object of the proposal.

Applicants must be located in EU
Member States and/or countries participating in the COSME programme under
Article 6 of the COSME Regulation.

Proposals should be presented by
consortia made of minimum 5 legal entities, covering at least 4 EU Member
States or countries participating in COSME.

Further information on this call can be found:

http://bit.ly/1qJspYG

At a special
meeting of the European Council on 30 August, European leaders called for
speedy implementation of the 2014 European Semester country-specific
recommendations endorsed on 27 June as well as of the Strategic Agenda with its
strong focus on jobs, growth and competitiveness.