Malta Chamber of SMEs

2007: Sena li mâ€™ghandhiex tkiddna

Posted on 29.01.200708.09.2020 by SME Chamber

L-ekonomisti tal-gvern fl-Economic Policy Unit tal-Ministeru tal-Finanzi , li huma fil-fatt l-ekonomisti tal-gvern, kull sena jaghmlu l-analazi taghhom tal-ekonomija Maltija u din l-analazi jaggornawha il-hin kollu biex ikollhom indikazzjoni ta’ fejn iqiesu li miexi il-pajjiz matul is-sena u jfasslu il-perspettiva taghhom ghas-snin li gejjin. Ghas-sena 2007 dawn l-ekonomisti qed janticipaw tkattir ekonomiku ta’ 3.1%. Dan hu tkattir akbar milli qed janticipaw l-ekonomisti tal-Unjoni Ewropea li xogholhom wkoll hu li jivvalutaw l-prospetti tal-ekonomiji tal-istati membri tal-UE. Dawn l-ekonomisti Ewropej jghidu li l-ekonomija Maltija ma tikbirx fl-2007 aktar minn 2.2% f’termini reali.

Kemm 3.1%, u aktar u aktar, 2.2% ghall-ekonomija miftuha bhal ma hi ta’ Malta, dan hu ftit wisq. Dan ghaliex l-ekonomija Maltija tiddependi hafna u hi ferm influwenzata, b’dak li jigri barra, bhal ma gralna f’dawn l-ahhar sentejn biz-zidiet fil-prezz taz-zejt. Kull meta l-ekonomija ma tikbirx b’termini reali b’tal-anqas 4%, in-nies tan-negozji ftit li xejn ihossuha. Il-Bank Centrali minn naha tieghu qed izid ir-rati tal-interessi. Rega habbar zieda ohra il-gimgha l-ohra stess. Dan ifisser li l-Bank Centrali jemmen li l-ekonomija ser tikber u hekk kif l-ekonomija tmexxi ‘l quddiem tgholli l-inflazzjoni. Jkun ghalhekk jaqbel donnu qed jghid il-Bank li l-Bank Centrali ma jhallix l-ekonomija tikber hafna u jkun jaqbel li jghabbiha bil-piz ta’ spejjez fuq is-self u l-krediti biex irazzan it-tkabbir. Hawn fejn hafna jithawdu. Ahna rridu nikbru, noholqu l-incentivi biex nikbru, imma fl-istess hin haddiehor johloq l-instrumenti biex irazzan it-tkabbir.

Mhux facli tifhem x’inhu jsir. Min ibassar tnaqqis fit-ritmu ekonomiku hekk kif l-industrija tal-bini u tal-bejgh tal-proprjeta tnaqqas ir-ritmu ghax jghidu li hawn wisq proprjeta fuq is-suq. Min ibassar ukoll li ser joghlew il-prezzijiet tal-istess propjeta u ta’ prodotti ohra hekk kif nersqu lejn il-EuroChangeover u min ghandu il-flus mohbija jiftahhhom fil-propjeta, u allura toghla l-inflazzjoni, u din ukoll taffetwa hazin ir-rati ta’ tkattir ekonomiku. U hawn min, mill- banda l-ohra jghid, bhal ma jghidu l-ekonomisti tal-Gvern, nies li wara kollox l-aktar li ghandhom stampa dettaljata tas-sitwazzjoni, li l-ekonomija issa li regghet qabdet certu ritmu ta’ tkattir, ser tkompli tikber fl-2007 u b’rata akbar.

L-ekonomisti tal-gvern jaraw li r-rata ta’ inflazzjoni qed tonqos hekk kif il-prezz taz-zejt nizel bi 33% u l-Enemalta xtrat iz-zejt li tista’ tbiegh bla htiega ta’ surcharge qawwija. Hekk wkoll kif l-impatt tat-tnaqqis fir-rata ta’ taz-zidiet fil-prezzijiet tal-proprjeta fuq l-inflazzjoni jkollu wkoll effett posittiv fuq it-tkattir ekonomiku. L-ekonomisti tal-gvern, fuq kollox jaraw li l-impatt tal-finanzjamenti ta’ progetti mill-fondi tal-Unjoni Ewropea, li rnexxielu jinnegozja b’success il-gvern, ikollu impatt qawwi matul din is-sena fuq ir-rata ta’ investiment gdid fil-pajjiz. Dan ghandu jgholli il-livell ta’ infieq, kemm privat kif ukoll tal-gvern biex flimkien, infieq privat u infieq pubbliku, jsostnu rata ta’ tkattir tal-prodott gross nazzjonali adekwat ghaz-zminijiet tal-llum. L-ekonomisti tal-Gvern infatti qed jipprevedu li hekk kif l-ekonomija tassorbi dan l-infieq mil-fondi ewropej f’din is-sena li ghadna kemm bdejna, il-konsum privat joghla u jkompli jghola l-infieq fuq l-investiment kapitali, impjanti u apparat biex b’hekk l-ekonomija tiehu spinta il-quddiem. L-ekonomisti tal-EU huma aktar kawti dwar dan milli huma il-Maltin. Pero, nahseb li l-ekonomisti tal-Gvern ghandhom aktar kontroll fuq l-andament tal-ekonomija Maltija u ghalhekk jghamel aktar sens dak li qed jghidu dawn f’Malta milli tal-ME fi Brussels.

Jekk l-ekonomisti tal-gvern ghandhom ragun ma nifhimx ghaliex il-Bank Centrali qiesu qed jippanikja u jgholli l-interessi bankarji. Issa jidher li ghandna sitwazzjoni kontraditarja – rata ta’ inflazzjoni niezla u rata ta’ interessi bankarji tiela’.

Kif ser nikklasifikaw dak li qed isir fl-ekonomija Maltija u dak li hu previst ghall-2007? Ma nistghax niehu la l-lenti ta kif qed jarawha l-ekonomisti tal-Gvern u lanqas dak li qed jifhem il-Bank Centrali. Tajjeb nghid bhala ekonomista imma li l-ekonomisti ghandhom diversi metodi kif jikklasifikaw id-diversi fazi li tghaddi minnhom ekonomija. Tajjeb ghalhekk forsi li nispjega. Jien naqbel ma definizzjoni hekk kif qed nghid hawn, nghidhom bl-Ingliz ghax bil-Malti mhux zgur li niftiehem:

· Reflation: tkattir ekonomiku kajman u rata tal-inflazzjoni niezla
· Recovery: tkattir ekonomiku jizdied u r-rata tal-inflazzjoni niezla
· Overheating: tkattir ekonomiku jikber u jaccellera u l-inflazzjoni tiela’
· Stagflation: tkattir ekonomiku kajman u r-rata tal-inflazzjoni tiela’

Dawn huma definizzjonijiet li juzaw l-ekonomisti ta’ Fidelity l-akbar fund manager fl-Ingilterra. Skond dawn il-kriterji Malta ghalhekk tidher li qeghda f’fazi ta’ recovery.

Il-fatti minn barra minn Malta jistghu jiggustifikaw din l-analizi. Ahna niddependu hafna fuq dak li jigri fil-kumplament tad-dinja, l-aktar fl-ekonomiji ewlenin Ewropej bhal Ingilterra, Franza, u l-Germanja, kif ukoll l-Amerika. L-Inglizi donnhom li ghadhom jemmnu li l-ekonomija Ingliza ghadha f’fazi ta’ boom hekk kif matul l-2007 hu ttamat li tibqa’ tikber b’rata ta’ 2.9% skond dak li jghidu l-ekonomisti ta’ Ernst & Young. It-tezor Ingliz jghid li l-ekonomija Ingliza ser tikber u tmexxi b’rata sodisfacenti. Ghalina f’Malta importanti li l-ekonomija Ingliza tkun qed tikber.

L-International Monitory Fund mill-banda l-ohra qed isostni li l-ekonomija mondjali qed tgawdi perjodu ta’ tkattir ekonomiku b’sahhtu. L-indikazzjonijiet ghall-Franza u ghall-Germanja huma tajbin. Franza u l-Germanja wkoll importanti hafna ghall-Malta. L-ekonomisti tal-gvern Malti ghalhekk jaraw li m’ghandhomx ghalfejn ma jkunux konfidenti li l-qawmien ekonomiku jkompli s-sena l-gdida fuq ritmu tajjeb. Fil-qosor jigifieri kulhadd donnu qed jghid li l-2007 ghandha tkun sena tajba. Basta nghagglu ir-ristrutturar fis-setturi l-aktar li jinhtieguhom, basta nahtfu l-opportunitajiet l-godda, basta nghagglu r-riformi, basta nilqghu ghall-isfidi l-godda, basta haddiema u sidien ma nahsbux li l-gid jigi mis-sena u mhux nahdmu ghalih.

Il-Gvernatur tal-Bank Centrali fil-kumment pubbliku li ghamel dan l-ahhar qal li l-ekonomija Maltija hi “on target” biex tilhaq l-ghanijiet ta’ Maastricht u ghalhekk nikwolifikaw ghall-Euro. Dan ifisser, skond l-Bank Centrali, li fl-2007 id-deficit tal-Gvern bhala ratio tal-PGD jinzel 2.4%, id-dejn nazzjonali bhala ratio tal-PGD jinzel ghall 67.2%, l-inflazzjoni taqa’ taht it-2%. Barra li jwassluna ghall-Euro dawn huma kundizzjonijiet tajbin ghat-tkattir ekonomiku taghna.

Il-Gvernatur tal-Bank Centrali izda widdeb li ghalkemm il-Euro tajjeb ghalina ma jfissirx li wahdu ser igibilna xi tkattir ekonomiku akbar. Dan it-tkattir jasal biss, qalilna is-Sur Michael Bonello, jekk pajjizna jirnexxielu jahtaf l-opportunitajiet godda li l-Euro jiftahlu bhala ghodda importanti f’suq wiehed vast ewropew. Jasal wkoll jekk ngharfu nilqu ghall-isfida akbar ta’ ekonomija aktar miftuha minn qatt qabel. U fuq kollox jekk jirnexxielna ndahhlu dawk ir-riformi li jtajjru l-ineficjenzi kbar li ghandna u li jzommuna milli nikbru b’ritmu akbar.

Dawn huma kummenti lil’ hinn mill-kuluri politici li jhobbu jaghtu l-analisti tal-Partiti Politici li issa drajnihom , jew “paradise lost” jew “paradise gained”. Il-verita tidher li hi li matul l-2007 ghandna ngawdu perjodu ta’ tkattir ekonomiku relattivament sod u rata ta’ inflazzjoni manigabbli. Jekk dan isir ghalhekk l-2007 m’ghandhiex tkun sena hazina.

Paul Abela Konfermat President tal-GRTU

Posted on 26.01.200708.09.2020 by SME Chamber

Paul Abela gie konfermat bhala President tal-Kunsill
Ezekuttiv Nazzjonali tal-GRTU ghas-sena 2013. Il-Membri l-ohra tal-Kunsill Ezekuttiv kif approvati
fil-Laqgha Generali Annwali li inzammet il-Hadd 20 ta' Jannar 2013 wara
n-nominazzjonijiet li saru f'Dicembru 2012 huma dawn:

Abela Paul – Port Services,
Hotel Owner, Property Developer & Building Material Importer, Madliena

Azzopardi Emanuel –
Owner & Manager Laundry & Dry Clean Mosta, B'Kara & Msida

Borg Maurice –
Petrol Station Owner, Property Developer & Tourism, Gozo

Camilleri Sergio –
Petrol Station owner, Auto Parts, Auto Dealer, Rent a Car & Panel Beater,
Luqa & Qormi

Cutajar Patrick –
IT Consultant, Mellieha

Debono Mario –
Pharmacy Owner, Pharmaceutical Importer, Healthcare IT Provider & Property
Developer, Mellieha, Mosta, Sliema & Zurrieq

Desira Emanuel –
Importer, Retailer Menswear, Valletta

Fenech Azzopardi Therese –
Retailer & Manufacturer of Furs & Leather Wear, Importer & Retailer
of Swimwear – Valletta

Fenech Philip –
Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure, St Julians, Paceville & Sliema

Galea Michael –
Auto Dealer, Importer & Repairs, Auto Service Station & Marketing
Advisor, Gozo

Galea Stephen –
President Socjeta` Vitikultura, Agriculture, Farmer & Vine Grower, Mosta

Gauci Noel – General
Importer/Exporter Bathroom Supplies, Renewable Energy, Qormi

Haber Joan – Manufacturer of
Artistic Crafts & Ceramic Goods – Ta' Qali

Mizzi Frans – Vegetable Hawker,
Greengrocer, Fruit & Vegetables Importer, Hamrun

Mizzi Marcel –
E-Commerce, Web Developer, IT Service Provider & Importer & Retailer of
IT Goods, Fgura

Vella Josette –
Importer & Retailer of Quality Giftware, Furniture and Artwork, Valletta
& Qawra

Vella Salvu –
Cargo Haulier (Burdnar), Customs Clearance Agent & Forwarder, Shipping
& Travel Agent, Luqa

Zerafa Joseph –
Importer, Retailer, Hifi, TV & Domestic Electronic Equipment, Mosta

Fil-Laqgha tal-Kunsill Ezekuttiv Nazzjonali li nzammet
illum fil-GRTU inhattru ukoll is-sitt Vici Presidenti tal-GRTU li huma:

Camilleri Sergio, Debono Mario, Fenech Philip, Galea
Michael, Haber Joan, Mizzi Marcel

Vince Farrugia gie kkonfermat bhala Direttur Generali
tal-GRTU filwaqt li Joe Attard huwa kkonfermat Chief Executive Officer ta'
Green MT.

The Road to Revival: Redesign Customer Service

Posted on 26.01.200708.09.2020 by SME Chamber

I have over the last 10 years witnessed a tremendous change in the whole spectrum of service provision. Customer care has become more and more important. The next five to ten years will see even more dramatic changes as enterprises learn to develop pro-active, one to one, relationships and partnerships.

For many traditional Maltese retailers and service providers this will pose great difficulties, since to live one to one marketing and service delivery, enterprises will need to become more flexible. This, at a time, when under the pressure of cost cutting and vanishing operating surpluses and increased state bureaucracy induced costs, local businesses have been forced to reduce flexibility and introduce systems that rely less and less on individual attention and one to one service. These are two forces pulling at opposite directions – one to treat all customers as one to cut on costs, the other to service each customer individually to meet current customer service trends. But the radical change that will underpin customer management will happen as more customers enjoy heightened market awareness and more customer emphasise individual pro-active customer care albeit at increased price.

The economists tend to generalize and assume that customers have a perfect knowledge of what is on offer on the market as ready access and increased knowledge and the relative speed by which customers decide among alternative choices, are more and more fundamental to customer wants and decisions. The enterprise that will do well will increasingly be the one that recognizes that selling is not merely understanding customer wants and customer needs and satisfying these needs with the range of products and services on offer, but more and more, through emphasizing the pro-active one to one relationship. This is the relationship that narrows consumers’ choices, speeds consumers’ decision-making process and satisfies best customer’s satisfaction. This is the trend that will lead to more orders.

More and more consumers prefer alternative purchasing strategies to traditional retailing, precisely because they hate the perceived price fixing on a wide range of products and of the meddling and perceived gross commissions of middle-men. Consumers are increasing moving to electronic channels and are seeking all means to circumvent the traditional retail system. They are preferring to visit showrooms, see products, talk to dealers, but then not liking dealers to push them to dealer-preferred decisions, move on and make their decisions elsewhere. Many dealers of high value products including automobiles and property are not realising what is happening. They are not realising that customers feel more confident when they own the decision and they are increasingly resenting to much pressure from dealers and sales people. Electronic channels have empowered the consumer. The new mentality is that “I can decide for my self”. This is today true for products and services that are costly but will become more widespread in the years to come.

The retailer has to face this reality. The informed customer cannot be held simply because a product is shown and a price is fixed. Retailers complain that too many customers, especially on the big occasions – Christmas time, Trade Fair time, and other special occasions – do a lot of window shopping and retailers and service providers never know when and how the decisions to purchase has been taken.

Retailers think that since the order was not done with them, so the order never happened. Wrong. Customers simply bought elsewhere. The empowered consumer takes his decision differently then what happened before, when access to information was limited and distance and ease of access to information was not facilitated as it is today. When the consumer has the means to know when he or she decides, the consumer decides quickly. The role of the modern retailer is to cause consumers to decide in his favour. The retailer must convince the customer that he is being offered all the information, correct and abundant, that helps him decide quickly and correctly, both on quality, suitability, and above all, the price of the selected items.

So customer care today is not simply eyeing, smiling and being polite to customers it is much more than what is normally dished out in customer care training programmes. Retailers need to understand this steady change of consumer behaviour. It is important that retailers act to understand this paradigm shift in customer relationship management. A wide variety of sales outlets selling high value items like automobiles, expensive household items and quality high value products, will become purely centres of demonstrations and servicing. This is clearly happening at Trade Fairs. Customers simply seek demonstrations, obtain the information and move on. The real purchase is done elsewere, on another day, through other means. Customers are now in a position of being able to acquire knowledge and this trend will continue especially in the travel and hospitality industry, financial services, utility services and larger consumer household and personal use items.

The fastest and biggest change will probably happen in the financial services sector. In Malta we are as yet saved from the mis-selling and rip offs that have occurred elsewhere in the provision of pensions and other financial products. But we are moving steadily there. I am not convinced that our industry watchdogs are ever vigilant and are so ready to expose those who deal and trade in a manner deemed less than equitable for customers. Vigilance is still a plague of the small men. Hardly do we hear of action against big names, the more established service providers. It is as if abuse is the monopoly of the small and of the few and applies only to certain products and services. Consumers’ vigilantes do not help either. As they present themselves as experts of the petty and of small things.

Public opinion is already mistrustful of some institutions. I have stood up to be counted on many occasions demanding that public regulators and public watch dogs, and if need be Parliamentary Committees, specifically established, act in a more pronounced manner consonant with the new trend in consumer awareness. But all complaints fall on deaf ears. The consumer is mistrustful of our guardians as they miserably fail to investigate practices which may be perceived as generating profits that augment shareholders value solely, rather than addressing the immediate concerns of customers. Banks, insurance companies, pension and health care schemes prefer the clinical names: policyholder, investor, borrower, titles other than what is obvious, the consumer. It is as if psychologically you are not a customer, so you are made to feel that you cannot expect “Customer’s Service” as it is a different relationship from purchasing and ultimately paying for a product or service provided.

The successful customer focused organisation is the provider of goods and services that appreciates more that consumers now expect clarification of relatively simple processes before any transaction takes place. The enterprise that in an effort to economise is becoming less in personal and more clinical than one to one, is losing out. This is good news to the smaller retailer if he can of course manage to add to his or her customer relationship management good prices and good after sales service something which unfortunately is becoming very difficult to small traders to sustain given the new, increased product liability and customer rights imposed by modern legislation.

Any devious attitudes by the service provider or failure to explain the circumstances and processes which underpin the performance expected from a product, a service or a financial product will alert the consumer to seek guidance elsewhere. Retailers are not sufficiently aware of the importance of establishing a trust relationship.

Customers are coming of age; they are maturing and asking searching and challenging questions. The enterprise which continues to disregard this fact has no future. This is true for private companies, small and large, but it is increasingly true for the financial sector and especially so for public sector institutions. It is imperative that the organization that has, perhaps, failed to grasp the importance of the customer, to develop strategies that do.

The term customer is normally related to a retail function. It is the shop owners concern. Health care, parents of children in the education system, customers of the transport system, of the telecommunications system, of banks, social services and the courts and of professional services, are perceived as of a different breed. But these service providers are all challenged by the behaviour of consumers and customers. A sound customer service strategy is imperative for all this service providers too. Indeed many of these organisations are those that are only giving a lip service to their customer relationship strategy. They believe that because they employ somebody and call him or her customer care officer, they have solved the problem. Some solutions I have witnessed are nothing but a big fat joke.

There is no value to a business or to an organisation without customers. Even the monopoly, the dominant firm and the public sector are now realising this basic truth. Customer delight will either drive a business up or down. No business is so large as to be able to ignore customer opinion.

It is interesting to note here that the customer is not aware who in the market place is customer focused and who’s not. But customers are seeking to know. Customers are not impressed with back office customer processes or customer response or the new focus on call centres. Unless companies can provide genuine excellent service without the clicks and the fanfares of concepts that provide little in terms of tangible impact on the customer’s decision to purchase and feel satisfied with the service provided, customers will move elsewhere. Elsewhere will increasingly mean online and third party intermediaries will play a less significant part.

Employers in sectors like Finance, Retail, Hospitality and public utility services especially, must ensure that employees understand that investment decisions depend on market success and this success more and more is customer-lead. This means that workforces need to be more adaptable and the survivors will be those who exceed the expectations and the demands of customers. Good customer service is therefore a good guarantee for job preservation.

Just a mere comparison of prices, interest rates, and return on investment or whatever mechanism exists to convince customers that the price is right, are not enough. Customers are increasingly aware that pricing, especially in financial and insurance sectors as well as in property, and major consumer items like automobile may be deceptive. That is why providing the right information is an imperative in creating the right customer service strategy.

Customer management is relatively new to most of our selling organisations and those who exercise customer care effectively know that it is not just any customer service that will do, but the right. Too many businesses are wasting good money on training and service consultants without getting it right. They fail to understand what makes customers feel right. Hardly do business manager stop to think why in spite of all their effort sales either go down or do not go up as they like them to do. The answer is often found in their customer service strategy. Customer loyalty fails because customers do not feel comfortable and they do not come back. Without customer loyalty a business cannot grow.

Then they grumble. They say that sales are down, the country is not moving, that no one seems to care. The truth is that in Malta total private consumption has reached the staggering figure, for our size of economy, of 1.3 billion Maltese liri. To this one may add another 400 million government consumption. Most of these millions are spent every year on the local economy. Inspite of the meagre rates of economic growth enjoyed or suffered by Malta over these last few years the ratio of GDP that goes to private consumption keeps growing. So someone is getting the money. Lm1.3 billion is a substantial amount. If you are not getting a bigger bite then someone else is.

You must make sure that this year the one who gets the bigger bite is you. So don’t just stare and grumble. The problem could easily be that your customers do not feel good with your service and they are moving elsewhere. They are purchasing differently. They changed and you didn’t. Their money is spent, but not on your goods or services. You need to do something about it. You must re-visit your customer service strategy. Read the trends. Plan differently Re-organise. Don’t say the money is not there. It’s there but you’re not getting it. You only need to go out and get it. Change your customer service system for a start. When the customers start returning as they feel better about you and your products, the money will grow. Then you can take care of the rest. But start with Customer Care: the message we get from our surveys among customers, one shopping survey after another, speak loud and clear. People want to be treated better.

Il-GRTU u l-Euro Changeover

Posted on 24.01.200708.09.2020 by SME Chamber

Il-GRTU twiddeb kontra min irid iwerwer

Il-GRTU ghada tircievi kuljum complaints minn sidien tal-hwienet li huma “mgeghla” jibdlu l-cash registers jew il-weighing machines tal-hwienet taghhom minnhabba l-Euro Changeover.

Il-GRTU twiddeb kontra min irid iwerwer

Il-GRTU ghada tircievi kuljum complaints minn sidien tal-hwienet li huma “mgeghla” jibdlu l-cash registers jew il-weighing machines tal-hwienet taghhom minnhabba l-Euro Changeover.

Il-GRTU terga tfakkar li bl-arrangamenti li l-GRTU wasslet mal-Gvern l-htiega li jinbidlu l-cash registers ma tezistix. Din tghodd wkoll ghall-weighing machines u apparat iehor. Il-GRTU wkoll issa wasslet biex tifinalizza mal-Gvern skema tat-Tax Credits agevolata biex min irid, u min irid biss, ikun jista’ jibdel l-cash register soft-ware jew apparat iehor u jiehu vantagg fiskali biex b’hekk parti sew minn dak li jonfoq titnaqqas mit-taxxa dovuta fuq il-profitti.

Ghalhekk mhux veru li tal-hwienet iridu bilfors jibdlu xi apparat. Anzi l-GRTU zgurat li l-Gvern jixtri hu u jqassam b’xejn, ‘price tagger’ li tinghata lil kull hanut li ghandu bzonnu biex jaghmel d-dual price display. Min ma jistax jaghmel dual price display jew m’ghandux l-cash register armat ghall-Euro ser jinghata b’xejn conversion tables biex l-konsumatur ikun moqdi bla htiega ta’ nfieq zejjed. Ghalhekk il-parir tal-GRTU lil tal-hwienet hu car: tidhlux fi spejjez zejda minhabba l-Euro Changeover u thallux lil min idejjaqkom bi kliem zejjed.

Il-GRTU toggezzjoni bil-kbir ghall-min b’ irriponsabbilta qed igennen lin-nies li tal-hwienet ser jabbuzaw mill-Euro Changeover. Min ikesskes lil-konsumatur kontra tal-hwienet skop hazing ghandu. Zgur mhux gid qed jaghmel.

Il-GRTU zgurat fil-ftehiem li ghandha mal-Gvern li tal-hwienet jinghataw il-facilitajiet kollha biex ma jkunx hemm abbuzi. Il-GRTU qed taghmel kull sforz biex tizgura li hadd ma jabbuza. Il-GRTU kunfidenti li bil-koperazzjoni ta’ kulhadd abbuzi ma jkunx hemm u ghalhekk il-konsumaturi m’ghandhomx ikunu mbezza’ mill-Euro Changeover. Il-GRTU qed taghmel kull sforz biex tal-hwienet kollha jikkoperaw u jizguraw li l-konsumaturi jkunu moqdija sew u b’gustizzja. Il-GRTU tistenna wkoll li l-Euro changeover Unit tfittex tqassam l-“price taggers” u l-conversion tables kemm jista’ jkun malajr ghax ma jiswa xejn li hwienet jghazlu li jidhlu fl-iskema FAIR imbghad ma jinghatawx l-ghodod biex jahdmu. Hemm htiega ghall-aktar eficjenza minn naha tal-Gvern. Imma zgur li m’hemmx lok ghall-imbixx u t-tkesskis kontra in- nies tan- negozju. Minn hadd.

Isqof gdid: Linja Gdida

Posted on 24.01.200708.09.2020 by SME Chamber

Patri Pawl Cremona seraq l-qlub tal-Maltin mal-ewwel: bravu, umli u ta’ karizma. Jidher li l-knisja f’Malta diehla f’fazi li l-bicca l-kbira minna nixtiequ. Mieghu jghinu bhala vigarju generali ghandu lil Dun Anton Gouder. Dun Anton hu forsi wiehed mill-aktar qassisin kapaci ta’ zmienna: sod, gharef u ntiz fil-problemi tal-bniedem fis-seklu wiehed u ghoxrin. Koppja ta’ dirigenti spiritwali tassew formidabbli. Ghazla f’waqtha u ntelligenti.

L-umilta’ importanti. Il-knisja triunfali tal-bokkli u tac-cerimonji u l-fanfarunati ilha li dejqet. Celebrazzjoni liturgika u messagg morali ma jinhtieg fanfarunati biex jitwassal. Saru hafna minn dawn u l-poplu kristjan u anke dak li mhux illum jaf jghazel bejn okkazjoni ta’ fidi u spiritwalita’ u ohra ta’ fanfari u artificjalita. Dinjita, iva, imma tejatrini le. Il-knisja ghadha sfortunatament mdawra wisq b’ leggendi u hrejjef li jiskuraw mhux idawwlu l-fidi ta’ Kristu. Ghad ghandna wisq qassisin u patrijiet li jdejqu lil min hu intelligenti bl-enfazi zejda li jaghmlu fuq ic-cerimonjal u l-hrejjef u ftit li xejn ghas-sustanza. It- triunfalizmu u l-pozi u l-esagerazzjonijiet zgur li ma kienux l-ghadod ta’ Kristu meta kien fostna. Il-messagg ta Kristu, kif nifhmu, jien, bhala nisrani komuni, hu messagg spiritwali. Kristu fl-art kien car: ghatu lil Cesri dak li hu ta’ Cesri u lil Alla dak li hu ta’ Alla. Dak li hu ta’ Alla spjegah bl-aktar mod semplici u bl-akbar umilta u dinjita’.

Kristu meta kien fostna stinka biex f’mohh il-bniedem idahhal il-kapacita’ tal-gudizzju bejn dak li hu sewwa u dak li mhux. Telaq minn punt semplici: hobb lil Alla fuq kollox u lil ghajrek bhalek innifsek. Jekk f’hajtek taccetta li tezisti ordni supprema u li l-bazi ta’ din l-ordni hi l-bniedem li jghix f’armonija ma ghajru, il-kumplament isegwi. Ma tistax temmen u taccetta il-fidi ta’ Kristu jew li tghix f’armonia ma ghajrek u mal-madwar tieghek, anke jekk ma temminx, jekk imbghad f’qalbek izzomm l-mibgheda u l-ghira u tkun ingust u ssegwi dak kollu li jifred, jwegga u jeqred. Kif narha jien, xoghol il-knisja hu primarjament li l-messagg ta’ Kristu jidhol f’aktar u aktar imhuh. Il-knisja trid tirbah l-imhuh.

Nghid imhuh u mhux qlub ghax nemmen li dan hu twemmin li jibbaza fuq ir-raguni u mhux fuq l-emozzjoni. Il-knisja tiddajjef meta tahli l-energija taghha tibni biss fuq l-emozzjoni. Ghodda mportanti l-emozzjoni biex biha tasal ghand l-bniedem, imma biex tibqa’ u biex l-bniedem jibqa’ mieghek, trid ir-raguni.

Sfortunatament, f’Malta ghad ghandna wisq qassisin u patrijiet u lajci li jibnu aktar fuq l-emozzjoni milli fuq ir-raguni. Aktar ma jibbazaw fuq il-leggendi u fuq ir-ritmi, ir-rutina u l-artificjalita’ emozzjonali. aktar igerxu nies milli jigbdu. Jibqghu x-xjuh, jibqghu l-fidili, imma z-zghazagh, l-intelletwalita’ u l-liberi jibirdu u jitilqu u ohrajn flokhom ma jigux.

Il-bniedem fis-socjeta moderna, l-aktar dak li jaf, ma jaccettax li jkun stmat ta’ injurant. Ghandu ghatx kbir ghall-gwida spiritwali. Thossha qalb iz-zghazagh. Ma jridux min jiddetta u min jibni fuq it-teatrini. Imma jridu min jarmhom internament. Iridu lil min itiehom dik il-forza interna li meta jkunu f’diffikulta tigwidhom ghall-ghazla tajba. Mhux teoriji ta’ x’tista taghmel u ma tistax, qiesek qieghed f’xi armata, imma dik il-forza morali interna li gieghel lil min aghzel is-sewwa u mhux il-hazin.

Ahna l-genituri kollha nafu kemm hu difficli dan ix-xoghol. Impenn ta’ jum wara l-iehor, biex lil uliedna nibnulhom dan is-sur intern, halli wahedhom, hekk kif jiffacjaw l-hajja, jgharfu jghazlu s-sewwa. Mhux ghax hemm r-rigal tal-genna u l-abbissi tal-infern, imma ghax l-bniedem hekk jghix ahjar. Ghax id-dinja ta’ madwarna tkun ahjar aktar kemm ikun hemm nies f’ fidi interna sodha. Il-fidi issahhahna biex ahna nissahhu moralment u nsahhu l-madwar fisiku u uman li jmiss maghna u li fuqu ghandna poter.

Ir-religjon meta tiffoka l-energija taghha lejn ghanijiet specifici hi forza tremenda. Min imexxiha jista’ jisparpalja l-energija f’hafna attivita’ li jghatu ftit rizultati. Jista’ mill-banda l-ohra jiffoka fuq dak li verament hu utli, fuq dak li verament johloq bniedem u madwar ahjar u b’hila u determinazzjoni jasal aktar.

Meta l-Knisja tidentifika ahjar l-missjoni taghha f’socjeta moderna wahedha tifhem li ghandha toqghod lura minn dak kollu li jifred. Hemm hafna fil-knisja li jridu li il-knisja ta’ Kristu f’Malta terga ittieha ghall-kontroversja u ghall-inkwiet. Irriduha tindahal fejn ma jesaghhiex. Il-Monsinjuri Cremona u Gouder ser ikollhom pressjoni qawwija biex it-triq li b’ghaqal ghazel Mons. Guzeppi Mercieca jitilquha. Ghax ghaccana ghal-platform. Ghax ghaccana biex jidhru u biex jizzattu. Ghax iridu jghidulna kemm huma bravi, kemm jifhmu f’kollox.

Ghaziz Patri Pawl u ghaziz Dun Anton ifqulhom. Imxu kif inhi n-natura taghkhom b’gherf, b’umilta’, b’irgulija.

Ghinu lil aktar Maltin jissahhu minn gewwa.

Ghinu aktar Maltin iharsu lejn l-knisja bhala l-habib ta’ dejjem li qieghed hemm mieghek il-hin kollu int kif int, int min int, tahsibha kif tahsibha.

Gheziez hbieb tieghi nawguralkom. Malta ghandha tama qawwija fikom.

Is-Suq tal-Proprjeta: Mizuri ghall-Djar bi prezzijiet ahjar

Posted on 17.01.200708.09.2020 by SME Chamber

Is-Suq tal-proprjeta huwa t-target ta’ hafna. Smajna fuq it-televizjoni hafna kummenti u proposti li x’hin taghsarhom ftit tista’ tohrog hlief tgergir u herqa biex isir xi haga. Jista’ jsir hafna izda bla proposti konkreti, realistici u achievable fil-kuntest ta’ suq liberu bhal ma’ ghandha Malta ma naslu mkien. Ma ninsewx li 80% tal-Maltin huma propretarji, min ta’ hafna u min ta’ ftit imma hadd zgur ma jrid jara l-valur tal-proprjeta tieghu jinzel. Kulhadd irid soluzzjoni socjali gusta, izda l-gustizzja ma ssirx billi nhaddmu skemi ta’ aktar tassazzjoni jew ta’ restrizzjonijiet. Irridu nkunu immaginattivi u posittivi. Is-soluzzjonijiet ala Robin Hood, ghadda zmienhom.

Il-Knisja permezz ta’ wiehed mill-hafna kumitati djocesani li ghandha dahlet fil-kwistjoni tas-suq tal-proprjeta. Ma rridx nidhol fil-merti tar-Rapport li nhareg ghax fih hafna supposizzjonijiet u jirfes fuq materja li ma nafx kemm huma kompetenti fihom dawk li ndahhlu fil-materja. Pero kulhadd ghandu dritt tal-opinijoni tieghu basta min jitkellem ma jahsibx li hu infallibbli ghax warajh ghandu l-Knisja. Kif ghedt l-issue tal-proprjeta tolqotna lkoll u hi kontroversjali ghall-ahhar. Ghalhekk hadd m’ghandu jitkellem qiesu qaddis aktar min haddiehor.

Jien tkellimt car: ghidt il-Knisja, qabel titkellem dwar il-proprjeta ahjar toqghod attenta. Il-Knisja u l-proprjeta qiesu l-porvli u n-nar ghax huma hafna u hafna l-Maltin li jafu hafna stejjer fejn tidhol il-proprjeta u l-Knisja u huma hafna u hafna l-Maltin li ma tantx baqghu b’tomgha tajba. Illum l-Knisja qegheda, sa certu punt, gallarija imma mhux daqs tant. Ma jfissirx li l-Knisja m’ghandhiex tinsisti ghal aktar gustizzja, imma ejja ma nghagglux, aktar u aktar jekk min jitkellem ghandu l-mezz li jintervjeni. Ha nispjega.

L-art li illum hi amministrata mill Officju Kongunt bejn Gvern u Knisja u li illum hu responsabbli mill-art kollha li minghand il-Knisja ghaddiet ghand il-Gvern fuq prezz miftiehem u mhallas mill-poplu Malti, hi proprjeta li jista’ jkollha influwenza kbira fuq il-prezz tal-art fis-suq hieles. Hi art li kieku tintuza bil- ghaqal tista tinfluwenza sewwa kemm ikun hemm art u djar u appartamenti disponibbli ghall-kopji zaghzagh u ohrajn li jridu jixtru darhom u illum ma jifilhux ihallsu l-prezzijiet kbar li hemm fis-suq. Il-Knisja jigifieri tista’ tipproponi soluzzjonijiet hi stess f’qasam fejn hi ghandha say kbira.

Il-punt li ghamilt jien fuq din il-kwistjoni hu li Ganni u Peppu jistghu jikkummentaw biss u jghidu x’gharukaza, izda l-Knisja li dwar is-suq tal-proprjeta taf hafna u li ghandha d-Diretturi taghha u ghalhekk ‘say’ kbira f’dak li jsir fil-Officju Kongunt, ghandha taghmel aktar milli sempliciment tgerger. Il-mistoqsija tieghi, u li sal-lum, ghadha ma twigbitx, allavolja intqal hafna, hi semplici: x’proposta ghamlet il-Knisja fuq il-Kumitat tal-Officju Kongunt biex ikun assigurat li l-art tal-Kongunt tfittex tkun irregistrata. L-art tal-Joint Office ma nafux kemm minnha hi fabbrikabbli u kemm minnha tista’ titpogga fuq is-suq, u jekk titpogga fuq is-suq ghandha titpogga mhux bi prezzijiet kummercjali kif qed isir illum, imma bi prezzijiet socjali. Meta nghid titpogga fuq is-suq mhux biex ikun mifqugh s-suq u jaqghu l-prezzijiet kif issugerixxa xi hadd.

Il-Joint Office, amministrat mill-Gvern u l-Knisja huwa wiehed mill-akbar land owners f’Malta. Wara t-tibdiliet ricenti fil-konfini tal-izvilupp aktar art li taqa’ taht il-Joint Office illum saret fabbrikabbli u tista’ tithaddem b’mod intelligenti biex tikkalma l-girja sfrenata ta’ prezzijiet gholjin fis-suq tal-proprjeta u biex jinbnew aktar affordable houses ghal Maltin li ma jifilhux ghal prezzijiet tas-suq hieles. Nerga nghid tikkalma r-rata illi biha jgholew l-prezzijiet ghax hadd ma jrid jara waqa’ fis-suq – la proprjetarji, la banek u la hadd ghax recession ikollna.

Izda sfortunatament, ghal ragunijiet li hadd barra l-Joint Office ma jafhom, dan l-Ufficju ghadu lanqas biss irregistra l-proprjeta kollha li hu nkarigat jamministra. Barra minn hekk ftit li xejn nafu b’xi skemi godda li qed iwettaq jew ghandu progettat biex iwettaq il-volum kbir ta’ proprjeta amministrata mill-Joint Office tintuza biex tittaffa l-problema kbira tal-gholi tal-proprjeta. Il-prezzijiet joghlew l-aktar minhabba l-iskarezza fuq is-suq ta’ art tajba ghall-bini. Min jixtri l-art bl-gholi ma jistax ibiegh bl-irhis. In-nefqa tal-bini mhux tant gholja u zviluppatur ma jaghmilx aktar minn 25% profit ghalhekk il-problema hi l-prezz tal-art kawzat mill-iskarezza ta’ art ghall-bini ta’ djar u appartamenti.

Jien ilhi s-snin f’kull opportunita’ li kelli naghmel proposti kif din il-proprjeta tista’ tintuza skond il-kriterji miftehma bejn il-Gvern u l-Knisja meta l-Knisja ghaddiet din l-art lil Gvern. Fil-BICC u f’seminars dwar is-suq tal-proprjeta ipproponejt, li din l-art tintuza biex fuqha l-privat jibni djar u appartamenti moderni li jkunu jistghu jinbieghu bi prezzijiet baxxi. Dan ghaliex meta mill-prezz tal-bini jitnehha l-prezz tal-art, fuq l-ispejjez tal-kostruzzjoni biss, il-prezz tal-bini lest ma jkunx gholi. Jistghu jinbnew ‘comprehensive estates’ moderni li joffru bini modern u ambjent sabih kollox mibni u bi flus il-privat bla mal-Gvern johrog xejn hlief l-art. Jien nemmen li jekk l-art tal- Joint Office tghaddi lil privat bi prezz nominali u mhux kif qed isir issa bil-prezz tas-suq u tkun trasferita b’kundizzjonijiet cari, li dik l-art tintuza biss ghal bini tar-residenzi ghal Maltin u b’kundizzjonijiet cari wkoll li l-art trasferita ma tintuzax ghal ispekulazzjoni, fuq is-suq johorgu bizzejjed bini bi prezz baxx biex il-Maltin, specjalment il-kopji godda jsibu proprjeta bi prezz gust. B’hekk min ikun irid dar jew appartament ikollu ghazliet ohra barra dik li jhallas prezz gholi tas-suq ghax jew jikri, jew jixtri b’cens, jew jixtri, parti xiri u parti cens, mill-bini li jinbena fuq l-art tal-Joint Office trasferita bil-kundizzjonijiet specjali.

S’intendi hawn min jghid imma jekk il-Kumitat Kongunt jista’ jaqla’ fuq il-proprjeta li taqa tahtu ghax ghandu jbiegh bl-irhis? Hawn il-punt: il-Knisja u Gvern x’irridu, jkomplu, jghollu l-prezzijiet u jsallbu aktar nies, jew jghinu biex isibu soluzzjoni? Ghax facli tparla u meta tista’ taghmel gustizzja, thares biss lejn il-profit qiesek negozjant kwalunkwe. Il-Kumitat Djocesan qalli li l-profitti li jaghmel l-Joint Office minn fuq l-art li jitfa’ fis-suq bi prezzijiet kummercjali jmorru fil-Fond tal-Iskejjel tal-Knisja. Imma meta l-art tal-Joint Office tinbiegh bi prezz kummercjali x’vantagg ikunu hadu l-koppji zghazagh u dawk kollha li jridu jixtru jew jikru bi prezz gust? Hekk staqsa b’mod sincier Dun Ang Seychell din il-gimgha.

Il-proposta tieghi tkompli wkoll ghall trasferimenti li jsiru wara l-ewwel bejgh f’kaz ta bejgh minn min ikun xtara l-ewwel darba. La l-art tinghata bl-irhis l-vantagg ghandu jibqa jitgawda anke meta terga tinbiegh.

Jien insistejt ukoll, ghalhekk, li l-kundizzjoni tal-bejgh tkun li din il-proprjeta tkun trasferibbli biss taht certi kundizzjonijiet li jizguraw li din il-proprjeta mibnija fuq art tal-Joint Office ma tintuza qatt ghall-ispekolazzjoni fuq il-valur tal-art. Din kundizzjoni li qatt ma saret fuq bejgh la tal-proprjeta tal-Gvern u lanqas tal-Knisja. Fil-fatt hafna art li qed tkun spekulata llum bi prezzijiet esagerati hi art li jew kienet tal-Gvern jew kienet tal-Knisja.

F’ekonomija mibnija fuq is-suq hieles l-Gvern m’ghandux jintervjeni fis-suq hieles bil kontrolli imma jista’ biss jimmanuvra bil-proprjeta tieghu u tal-Joint Office u bi programm intelligenti ta’ agevolazzjonijiet fiskali li jippremjaw il-good practice.

Meta nisma nies bhal Dr Buontempo tal-MLP jissugerixxi sussidji, jew bhal tal-Alternattiva jissugerixxi taxxi godda ninkwieta ghax ninduna kemm ghad ghandna nies li l-ekonomija moderna ma jifhmuhiex.

Il-GRTU ipproponiet u stinkat biex iddahhal fl-ahhar Budget skemi li jqajjmu s-suq tal-kiri tal-proprjeta jew tal-bejgh tal-proprjeta b’cens biex min ma jiflahx ihallas il-prezz tax-xiri jkun jista’ jew jikri b’kera jew jixtri b’cens. Il-proposta tal-GRTU hi li l-Gvern ifittex johloq rata ta’ taxxa agevolata – il-GRTU ssuggeriet withholding tax ta’ 5% – kemm fuq dhul minn kera kif ukoll minn cens. B’hekk il-proprjetarji tal-art ikunu mhajra jibnu u jpoggu fuq is-suq bini ghal kiri jew ghal bejgh b’cens jew tahlita ta’ parti cens u parti bejgh.

B’dan il-mod il-proprjeta tkun tista’ tinbiegh jew kollha jew parti f’cens u min irid jixtri jkollu ghazla ta’ proprjeta bi prezz orhos. Il-GRTU wkoll ssuggeriet li min jixtri wkoll ikollu agevolazzjoni fiskali biex dak li jhallas f’kera jew f’cens ma jbatix taxxa qawwija fuq il-hlasijiet li jaghmel.

B’dawn l-iskemi s-sidien tal-proprjeta u zviluppaturi jkunu mhajjra jzommu flushom fl-investiment ta djar u appartamenti ghax anke jekk flushom ma jdahhluhomx lura mal-ewwel bhal ma jsir f’kaz ta’ bejgh, ir-ritorn ta’ flushom maqbuda fil-proprjeta li tinbiegh b’cens jew tinkera, tkun adekwata b’ paragun mar-ritorn fuq investimenti f’kontijiet bankarji jew investiment iehor fejn it-taxxa hi iebsa hafna aktar minn 5%. Il-Gvern ukoll ikollu aktar kirjiet u cnus iddikjarati ghall fini ta’ taxxa ghax illum kwazi hadd ma jiddikjara dan it-tip ta’ income.

Xoghol il-Gvern illum hu li b’mizuri intelligenti fiskali u agevolazzjonijiet ohra inkluzi uzu aktar mahsub ta’ skemi tal-MEPA, jillegisla biex jilhaq ghanijiet miftiehma bla ma nitharbtu mit-triq li qbadna ta’ ekonomija libera funzjonabbli.

Il-kwistjoni tal-prezzijiet tal-proprjeta tista’ titranga.

Mhux bil-priedki imma b’mizuri f’waqthom. U mhux bil-kontroll!

Il-GRTU, il-Prezzijiet tal-Proprjeta u l-Knisja

Posted on 12.01.200708.09.2020 by SME Chamber

Il-Knisja harget stqarrija dwar il-proprjeta fis-suq bla ma kkunsultat mal-istakeholders f’dan il-qasam. Il-GRTU tirraprezenta l-akbar numru ta’ property developers u l-maggoranza assoluta tal-imsiehba tal-GRTU u tan-negozjanti Maltin huma sidien tal-proprjeta. Il-GRTU ghalhekk tqies li hi stakeholder importanti u kienet tistenna, bi prudenza, li kellha tkun ikkonsultata qabel ma harget l-istqarrija. Il-GRTU thoss li ghalhekk hadd ma kellu jiehu fastidju meta l-GRTU ikkumentat fuq l-istqarrija pubblika li saret. Il-GRTU fil-verita ma ppuntat subaghajha lejn hadd

Il-kumment tal-GRTU kien car, mhux bizzejjed li tikkumenta u tgerger fuq kwistjoni importanti u difficli bhal ma hi l-kwistjoni tal-prezzijiet fis-suq tal-proprjeta u l-impatt socjali tal-prezzijiet mis-suq hieles tal-proprjeta f’pajjizna. Imma hu aktar importanti li tipproponi x’ghandu jsir u tiehu passi biex dak li jista’ jsir, isir.

Dan il-GRTU qed taghmlu. Kif jaf kulhadd il-Knisja ghandha esperjenza kbira fejn tidhol bejgh ta’ proprjeta u illum il-Knisja taghmel parti integrali mill-amministrazzjoni tal-Joint Office. Il-Joint Office, amministrat mill-Gvern u l-Knisja huwa wiehed mill-akbar land owners f’Malta. Wara t-tibdiliet ricenti fil-konfini tal-izvilupp aktar art li taqa’ taht il-Joint Office illum saret fabbrikabbli u tista’ tithaddem b’mod intelligenti biex tikkalma l-girja sfrenata ta’ prezzijiet gholjin fis-suq tal-proprjeta u biex jinbnew aktar affordable houses ghal Maltin li ma jifilhux ghal prezzijiet tas-suq hieles. Sfortunatament, ghal ragunijiet li hadd barra l-Joint Office ma jafhom, dan l-Ufficju ghadu lanqas biss irregistra l-proprjeta kollha li hu nkarigat jamministra. Barra minn hekk ftit li xejn nafu xi skemi godda li qed iwettaq jew ghandu progettat biex il-volum kbir ta’ proprjeta amministrata mill-Joint Office tintuza biex tittaffa l-problema kbira tal-gholi tal-proprjeta kkawzata l-aktar minn nuqqas kbir ta’ art disponibbli ghal min irid jibni djar bla ma jsallab lil min irid jixtri bi prezzijiet gholjin tas-suq.

Il-GRTU ilha s-snin taghmel proposti kif din il-proprjeta tista’ tintuza skond il-kriterji miftehma bejn il-Gvern u l-Knisja meta l-Knisja ghaddiet din l-art lil Gvern bi prezz miftiehem u mhallas. Il-GRTU ipproponiet, u ghadha tipproponi kif ghamel il-BICC f’isem l-industrija kollha tal-kostruzzjoni, li din l-art tintuza biex fuqha l-privat jibni djar u appartamenti moderni li jkunu jistghu jinbieghu bi prezzijiet baxxi. Dan ghaliex meta mill-prezz tal-bini jitnehha l-prezz tal-art, fuq l-ispejjez tal-kostruzzjoni biss, il-prezz tal-bini lest ma jkunx gholi. Il-GRTU issostni li jekk l-art tal- Joint Office tghaddi lil privat bi prezz nominali u mhux kif qed isir issa bil-prezz tas-suq u tkun trasferita b’kundizzjonijiet cari, li dik l-art tintuza biss ghal bini tar-residenzi ghal Maltin u b’kundizzjonijiet cari wkoll li l-art trasferita ma tintuzax ghal ispekulazzjoni, fuq is-suq johorgu bizzejjed bini bi prezz baxx biex il-Maltin, specjalment il-kopji godda jsibu proprjeta bi prezz gust. B’hekk min ikun irid dar jew appartament ikollu ghazliet ohra barra dik li jhallas prezz gholi tas-suq ghax jew jikri, jew jixtri b’cens, jew jixtri, jew jikri, mill-bini li jinbena fuq l-art tal-Joint Office trasferita bil-kundizzjonijiet specjali.

Il-GRTU insistit ukoll li l-kundizzjoni tal-bejgh tkun li din il-proprjeta tkun trasferibbli biss taht certi kundizzjonijiet li jizguraw li din il-proprjeta mibnija fuq art tal-Joint Office ma tintuza qatt ghall-ispekolazzjoni fuq il-valur tal-art, kundizzjoni li qatt ma saret fuq bejgh la tal-proprjeta tal-Gvern u lanqas tal-Knisja. Fil-fatt hafna art li qed tkun spekulata llum bi prezzijiet esagerati hi art li jew kienet tal-Gvern jew kienet tal-Knisja.

Li ssostni l-GRTU hu li l-Gvern m’ghandux jintervjeni fis-suq hieles b’xi kontrolli imma jista’ biss jimmanuvra bil-proprjeta tieghu u tal-Joint Office u bi programm intelligenti ta’ agevolazzjonijiet fiskali li jippremjaw il-good practice.

Il-GRTU wkoll ipproponiet u stinkat biex iddahhal fl-ahhar Budget skemi li jqajjmu s-suq tal-kiri tal-proprjeta jew tal-bejgh tal-proprjeta b’cens biex min ma jiflahx ihallas il-prezz tax-xiri jkun jista’ jew jikri b’kera jew jixtri b’cens. Il-proposta tal-GRTU hi li l-Gvern ifittex johloq rata ta’ taxxa agevolata – il-GRTU ssuggeriet withholding tax ta’ 5% – kemm fuq dhul minn kera kif ukoll minn cens. B’hekk il-proprjetarji tal-art ikunu mhajra jibnu u jpoggu fuq is-suq bini ghal kiri jew ghal bejgh b’cens jew tahlita tal-parti cens u parti bejgh.

Il-GRTU wkoll issuggeriet li l-Gvern ihaddem skema li tinkoragixxi lil min ghandu flus mhux dikjarati ghall-fini ta’ taxxa biex juza dawn il-miljuni f’investimenti fi proprjeta li tkun tista’ tinbiegh, tinkera jew tinbiegh b’cens taht kundizzjonijiet stabbiliti.

Il-GRTU trid li d-dibattitu ikun dwar x’ghandu jsir biex il-Maltin ma jbatux mill-prezzijiet gholjin tal-proprjeta u fl-istess waqt is-sidien tal-proprjeta ma jbatux telf fuq l-investimenti taghhom b’xi imposizzjoni bla sens li titfa’ lil pajjizna lura flok ‘l quddiem.

Il-GRTU ghamlet proposti konkreti u tistenna li ohrajn inkluzi l-Knisja jaghmlu wkoll proposti konkreti. Il-GRTU tistenna wkoll li lkoll, inkluz il-Knisja, nuzaw l-influwenza taghna biex isir dak li ghandu jsir bla hafna argumenti zejda.

L-importanti hu li dak li jsir, isir bi ftehim u bi trasparenza u mhux b’imposizzjoni u minn wara dahar l-istakeholders.

Post Malta fl-Ewropa Hielsa

Posted on 11.01.200708.09.2020 by SME Chamber

Is-sena 2007 gabghet maghha tlett celebrazzjonijiet ghall Unjoni Ewropeja. L-ewwel wahda hi it-tkabbir ta’ l-Unjoni Ewropeja ghall- 27 pajjiz, hekk kif issa dahlu wkoll ir-Rumanija u l-Bulgarija. It-tieni c-celebrazzjoni tal-50 anniversarju mill-iffirmar tat-Trattat ta’ Ruma li waqqaf l-Ewropa maghquda. It-tielet l-2007 tfisser 20 sena mill- iffirmar tas-Single European Act. Dan hu l-Att importanti ferm ghas-sidien tan-negozji Ewropej ghax jistghabilixxi il-pedament tas-suq wiehed intern Ewropew. L-Ewropa tkun maqghuda mhux biss ghax itiru l-fruntieri imma aktar ghax jitlaq kull xkiel ghall- kummerc biex b’hekk wiehed jista’ jinnegozja bla diskriminazzjoni bl-istess kundizzjonijiet hu liema hu l-pajjiz. Bis-suq singlu ewropew jahdem sewwa jkun ifisser zona ewropeja bi prosperita ghall aktar minn 490 miljun persuna li illum tifrex minn Lisbona sa Costantia.

Il-firmatarji tat-Trattat ta’ Ruma kellhom vizjoni kemm politika kif wkoll morali u ghanjijiet ekonomici cari. F’dinja li tinbidel b’pass verament mghaggel l-enfasi illum hu fuq l-impjiegi, it-tkattir ekonomiku, il-globalizzazjoni u il-bidla teknologika, il-kompettitivita u l-agenda ta’ Lisbona. Wiehed jista’ jifhem li l-ghanijiet li stabilixxew il-fundaturi tal-Unjoni, illum intlahqu u hu ghalhekk l-Unjoni Ewropeja qed tahdem fuq ghanjijiet godda. Dan ma jfissirx li x-xoghol li baqa’ jsir biex l-ghanijiet originali jintlahqu hu zghir. Baqa’ hafna xi jsir. Importanti ghalhekk li llum li l-Kummisjoni Ewropeja issib mezz kif tikkonsolida dak li gie mirbuh biex l-Ewropa tkun tista timxi lejn l-ghanijiet urgenti tal-lum.

L-enfazi tal-lum hi ekonomika. Jigifieri ghandu jsir biex tissahhah l-kompettivita’ fuq livell Ewropew: ambjent legislattiv ahjar u anqas inkumbranti, suq wiehed ewropew li jahdem tassew bhala suq hieles b’mod partikulari f’dak li ghandu x’jaqsam mas-servizzi. Politika kummercjali li tkun tassew liberali u timxi lejn l-innovazzjoni u aktar flessibilita’ u mobilta’ fis-suq tax-xoghol. Dan kollu jekk isehh jissarraf f’aktar xoghol u f’aktar gid.

Fil-verita izda sar hafna diskors dwar kemm hu importanti li dan kollu jsir imma issa l-htiega urgenti hi li kemm fuq livell Ewropew kif wkoll fuq livelli ta’ Gvernijiet membri, dak li ghandu jsir jitwettaq biex dak li gie miftiehem sitt snin ilu f’Lisbon jitwettaq. Tajjeb li l-Kummissjoni Ewropeja u l-Kunsill tal-Ministri u l-Gvernijiet imsiehba jkunu jafu x’inhi l-marda. Djanjosi tajba. Imma t-trattament ahjar. Il-pazjent jfiq irid u mhux nghidulu biss x’ghandu hazin. L-Ewropa illum mimlija esperti li joholmu hafna u jipproponu ftit. Dan sindromu li f’pajjizna nafuh sewwa: kulhadd jghid u jgerger, imma hadd ma jipproponi s-soluzzjonijiet.

Dawk li waqfu l-Ewropa maqghuda hasbu l-aktar dwar kif iwaqqu l-hitan u l-fruntieri li kienu jzommu lil Ewropa politikament mifruda. Hasbu li la jitnehhew l-fruntieri u l-ixkiel ta’ bejn pajjiz u iehor l-prosperita’ li tirrizulta wahedha iggib l-kumplament. Fil-verita il-hitan li kienu jzommu l-moviment hieles ta’ haddiema, merca, servizzi u kapitali illum twarrbu. Izda l-ghan ahhari ta’ suq wiehed intern hieles ghadu ma ntlahaqx.

L-ostakoli li baqa’ huma hafna u x’uhud determinanti. Tezisti dik li tissejjah l-‘gold plating’, il-privileggi specjali li jgawdu certi pajjizi membri fl-implimentazzjoni tad-direttivi – il-ligijiet jghoddu, imma mhux ghal kulhadd indaqs. Hemm il-kwistjoni kumplikata tas-sistema ta’ trasferimenti finanzjarji, dik imsejha multilateral interchange, sistema ta’ hlasijiet bejn pajjiz u iehor li effetivament tgholli l-ispejjez f’pajjiz wiehed u skapitu’ tal-pajjiz l-iehor u b’hekk ikun assigurat li ma jahdimx is-suq wiehed hieles fejn jidhol pagamenti u transferimenti ta’ hlasijiet ghax dak li jigi irhis f’pajjiz wiehed ikun fil-fatt aktar gholi fil-pajjiz l-iehor. Meta imbghad nigu ghal-bejgh ta’ prodotti u servizzi bejn pajjiz u iehor mhux biss is-sistema ta’ pagamenti tiddiskrimina, imma imbghad issib wkoll nuqqas serju ta’ trasparenza. Kummercjant ma jkunx qaf ezattament ta’ xiex qed ikun iccargjat mill-istituzzjonijiet finanzjarji. Ftit huma n-negozjanti li jidhlu f’dawn l-irqaqat izda is-sistema tal-pagamenti illum hi wahda li tohloq zvantaggi kbar ghall-kompetizzjoni. Barra minn hekk hemm wkoll n-nuqqas ta’ carezza fuq termini legali li ma jaghmluhiex possibbli li negozjant jipprevedi ezattament x’ser ikun il-prezz ahhari ta’ kull transazzjoni. Dan meta suppost hu suq hieles u r-regolamenti jghoddu l-istess, kullimkien.

L-aktar li jsoffru b’dan kollu huma n-negozji z-zghar ghax l-kbar jaffordjaw iqabdu l-esperti li jhollulhom il-kobob legali u teknici. Infieq fuq dan kollu ghall-kbar jintilef meta ix-xoghol ikun fuq kuntratti kbar. Ghaz-zghir imma dawn huma problemi bla qies, iqumu hafna u jincizaw hafna fuq l-prezz tal-prodott jew servizz tant li ma jaghmluhx kompetittiv. Ghalhekk is-suq wiehed Ewropew ghadu suq iddominat mill-intraprizi l-kbar. Iz-zghar fil-fatt ghadhom ikkoncentrati l-aktar fis-swieq interni ta’ pajjizhom. Il-pizijiet li ghadhom isofru l-kummercjanti li jikkumercjalizzaw prodotti bejn pajjizi ewropew u iehor ghadhom enormi u jaghmel tajjeb ghalihom l-konsumatur. Il-kummercjant ma jarax xi vantaggi li jikkompensaw ghall pizijiet u xkilijiet li jsib. L-infieq zejjed jghaddihom imma l-konsumatur qed ikun imcahhad minn ghazla ikbar u prezzijiet ahjar. Il-pajjizi qed isoffru mill-impatt negattiv li jgib mieghu t-tfixkil lis-suq hieles ghax dan it-tfixkil mhux ghajr forma sublimi ta’ protezzjonizmu.

Min jirraprezenta lil haddiema jahseb li dan l-ixkiel jisselvagwardja l-impjiegi. Fil-verita izda johnoq il-prosperita u l-holqien ta’ impjiegi godda.

Min bhali llum hu attiv fuq livell Ewropew fl-oqsma tal-kummerc jaf kif organizzazjoni bhal EuroCommerce, li hi l-organizzazjoni Ewropeja li tirraprezenta s-settur tar-retail, tal-wholesale u tal-kummerc u li taghha jien membu tal- Ezekuttiv Ewropew, qed taghmel sforzi kbar biex jitnehhew l-intoppi kbar li baqa biex is-suq wiehed ewropew jkun verament suq hieles.

Mhux facli izda li dan isir malajr ghax huma wisq l-interessi. Hafna drabi il-politici, imbuttati mill-interessi ta’ gruppi b’sahhithom f’pajjizhom, jghidu haga u jwettqu ohra. Ahna nbghatu biex nispjegaw li illum hafna battalji jridu jintrebbhu fi Brussels. Il-businessman Malti ghalhekk irid bilfors ikun rapprezenta fil-fora importanti Ewropej u rapprezentant b’nies ta’ kalibru.

Pero pajjizna donnu imhawwad dwar kwistjonijiet bhal dawn. Jien insegwi l-posizzjonijiet li tiehu Malta f’livell Ewropew. Ninnota nuqqas serju ta’ konsistenza. Malta ma baqala’ xejn xi tgawdi mill-protezzjoni u hafna xi dgawdi mis-suq hieles Ewropew. Ahna irridu minn dan is-suq. Malta staghniet matul is-sekli kull meta l-kummercjant Malti kellu l-hila jinnegozja f’suq hafna u hafna ikbar minn taghna. Malta tirbah aktar milli titlef aktar ma l-ewropa tnehhi l-ixkiel zejjed li jzommha fi stat ta protezzjonizmu.

Sfortunatament izda forzi b’sahhithom, kemm minn naha tat-trade union, kif wkoll minn naha tal-monopolji industrijali antiki, jistinkaw bil-mezzi kollha taghhom biex idawwru l-arlogg lura. Malta m’ghandhiex tinqabad b’din il-loghoba. L-istorja millenja ta’ Malta turina li meta ahna konna kapaci ninnegozja l-prodott ta’ haddiehor u nbieghuh f’suq hieles. Malta imxiet il-quddiem. Ahna kummercjanti. Il-loghba tas-suq wiehed hieles Ewropew malajr nitghallmuha. Imma mhux bil-kumplikazzjonijiet ta’ sistemi rigidi li jaghmluha difficli ghan-negozji z-zghar li jimirhu u jfendu. Ma nifhem qatt jien kif Malta hafna drabi tilghab il-loghoba tal-kbar.

L-Ewropa illum qed tkun dominata minn mewga ta’ protezzjonizmu fuq livell nazzjonali u d-dhul ta’ aktar pajjizi li sal-bierah kienu kommunisti, mhux jghin biex ir-rih tal-liberalizmu jonfoh aktar. Importanti fl-2007, aktar minn qatt qabel, li it-tmexxija Ewropeja jkollha il-vizjoni u l-kuragg politiku li jsarrfu il-kliem f’azzjoni.

Post Malta hu magenb min ghandu il-vizjoni u l-kuragg ghall-bidla.

L-quddiem u mhux lura.

Ma Nesagerawx

Posted on 10.01.200708.09.2020 by SME Chamber

Il-GRTU hadmet ghas-success li ntlahaq f’certi zoni kummercjali fejn, bil-hidma ta’ hafna entitajiet, privati u pubblici, saru attivitajiet li b’rehiethom zdiedet l-attivita’ kummercjali waqt il-granet tal-festi u waqt granet partikolari. Dan hu process li rridu nkomplu nibnu fuqu ghax hu fid-direzzjoni t-tajba biex tissahhah il-‘consumer confidence’ li matul dawn l-ahhar snin kienet hadet tisbita gmiela.

Il-problemi fis-settur tar-retailing huma kbar. Illum il-GRTU hi sodisfatta li hemm aktar rikonoxximent mill-awtoritajiet biex ikunu solvuti problemi, bhal burokrazija zejda, li johonqu l-kummerc. Matul l-2007 nistennew li naraw zieda fir-registrazzjoni ta’ negozji hekk kif tahdem ahjar is-sistema b’anqas xkiel tar-registrazzjoni tan-negozji. Nistennew ukoll li naraw zieda fin-numri ta’ haddiema rregistrati bhala li jahdmu fis-settur tar-retailing hekk kif tibda tahdem wkoll l-inizjattiva li n-nisa mizzewga tas-sidien tan-negozji jkunu jistghu jirregistraw l-impjieg taghhom fin-negozju tal-familja bla xkiel ghall-istess negozju. Ukoll ser naraw effett pozittiv ghall-inizjattivi li jhajru aktar investiment fil-qasam tal-kummerc. Pero baqa hafna xi jsir biex il-kummerc ikun b’sahhtu s-sena kollha u mhux biss fil-ftit granet tal-festi.

Il-GRTU tibqa tinsisti fuq l-Gvern li issa li dar l-kantuniera u qed jahdem b’aktar determinazzjoni favur in-negozji z-zghar, ikompli jwettaq aktar mil-proposti tal-GRTU favur is-settur kummercjali u s-settur ta l-intrapriza z-zghira. Jaghmel zball min jahseb li f’daqqa wahda issa kollox sewwa.

Zgur li mhux il-lok li nesageraw u nghidu, bhal ma qalet l-NSO fl-ahhar pubblikazzjoni tal-Labour Force Survey, li fl-2006 l-impjiegi fis-settur tar-retail, wholesale u garaxxijiet tat-tiswijiet tela bi 3448. Din hrafa li tirredikola lil min jghidha. F’ghaxar snin mil-1996 l-hawn dan is-settur zied l-impjiegi bi 3218 ruh, medja ta’ 322 haddiem fis-sena. Ma jistax ikun li s-sena l-ohra, fi ftit xhur, dan is-settur haddem zieda ta’ 3448 haddiem. Dan hu aktar minn ghaxar darbiet il-medja ta’ l-ghaxar snin ta’ qabel.

Il-GRTU tifhem li l-Labour Force Survey mahdum fuq sample, izda l-kredibilita’ titlob li c-cifri jkunu studjati sewwa qabel ma jkunu ippublikati. Dan qed nghiduh biex hadd ma jesagera u jmur jghid li fis-settur tar-retailing issa kollox tajjeb tant li l-impjiegi ghamlu qabza mirakuluza. Dan hu settur li qed jikber u jitlob hafna attenzjoni bbazata fuq fatti konkreti.

Il-GRTU wkoll hi xettika dwar ic-caqlieq li gie mhabbar dan l-ahhar fil-Prodott Gross Nazzjonali u fir-rati ta’ impjieg u nfieq minn sena ghall-ohra. Ma nistghux illum nghidu li bejn l-1996 u 2003 l-ekonomija kibret bi 22% anqas milli kienu qalulna dak inhar, u mil-2000 u l-2006 nghidu li t-tkattir ekonmiku reali minn 0.5% ittripla ghall- tkattir ta’ 1.52% u fl-istess waqt nippretendu li s-sidien tan-negozji jiehdu figuri hekk importanti bis-serjeta.

Dan l-GRTU tghidu bla ma tkun negattiva. Il-progress ekonomiku qed isir anke fis-settur tar-retailing tal-kummerc li ghalih titkellem l-GRTU, imma ejja ma nesagerawx. U ejja nkunu kredibbli fejn jidhlu cifri ekonomici pubblikati ufficcjalment.