Category: Archive – 2010

Today retailing is not only straight forward shopping but is also an opportunity that many families use as an outing. This is especially so on Saturdays and other days when children are at home.  Malta has few shopping centres with retails establishements were families can visit for leisure and also shop.

 

A complete weekend without shopping is today a punishment to many consumers and especially young families with children and a tremendous loss of business for all those who have invested heavily in the new retail establishments, super markets and shopping complexes. These shopping complexes, super markets and retail establishments are spending millions in investment to offer a wide variety of options to satisfy the consumer`s need.

The traditional belief that what is not spent on Saturday will be spent on another day is not as sound as it used to be as many consumers spend on impulse and many others for a number of reasons are restricted from going out  on  any other normal shopping day.

When GRTU requested Government to emend the rules and allow retailers that so disired to open on May1st  2010, GRTU took this and many other considerations before proposing the change. There was no real reason why Government refused the advice of Malta's National Retailers representative and adhere to its silly conservative use.

In spite of Government's negative decision in refusing GRTU's request made on behalf of the retailing community and the request of the Consumers Association made on behalf of consumers who also argued that retail outlets should open on Saturday May 1st, GRTU has sent to members information as to which sectors and in which localities are allowed to open.

In addition GRTU also informed members that those wishing to open can do so through the application to organise a Commercial Fair under the Trade Licensing Act Cap 441/2002 and Subsidiary Legislation. A €698.81 fee is paid for every outlet covering 7days normal opening hrs with the difference that during these seven days you can remain open until 11.p.m. The application can be obtained from the Trade Department. 

In the last GRTU Newstring, we inadvertently published wrong information about pharmacy opening hours in the future. We have had a meeting, along with the Chamber of Pharmacists, and we have agreed IN PRINCIPLE to the following:

 

1.   The minimum opening hours for Pharmacies are between 9.00 am and 12.00 pm and between 4.00pm and 7.00 pm on weekdays and Saturdays. There is no other minimum set. These are minimum hours and a pharmacy is free to open longer than this, remain open during mid-day or whatever it wishes.

 

2.   However, on Saturday afternoon, ONE pharmacy in every local council has to open, according to a special roster that will be published. The other pharmacies can opt to open, or close, as they wish.

 

 

3.   There is no change in the Sunday and Public holiday roster. This will remain as before.

 

4.   It is imperative that all pharmacies have affixed in a prominent place the name and address of the pharmacy required to open in their local council on Saturday afternoon and, also, the pharmacy opening in their district on Sunday.

 

 

The present situation is that together with the Superintendent of Public health, we are fine tuning a Legal Notice in order to effect this change. We will, of course, inform you when this change will take place. We expect this to happen in the coming weeks. Pharmacy owners are asked NOT to effect any changes unless given the go ahead by GRTU and the Chamber of Pharmacists.

 

We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Should you need more clarity, please contact the undersigned on 99494405.

 

Best regards

 

 

Mario Debono

President

GRTU Pharmacy Section

GRTU Director General Vincent Farrugia and Abigail Mamo have this week met the candidate for the appointment as Honorary Consul for Malta in Iran.

 

Ms Tabatabaei, aged 37, is a partner in the firm Fichte and Co. Legal Consultancy, with main office in Dubai. Ms Tabatabaei specialised in Maritime Law at Southampton University and her career to date has concentrated on maritime and international trade issues. She lectures on marine insurance and maritime law at maritime training institutes.

Her name features on the British and German Embassies` lists of recommended lawyers. Ms Tabatabaei seems to be a woman of outstanding integrity, personality, and knowledge…impeccable reputation within the shipping industry and able to abridge the gap between different cultures. Ms Tabatabaei has been instrumental in having some 28 Iranian-owned tankers transfer to Malta register of shipping.

Mr Farrugia explained that Iran is a country that has it all: resources, people, geopolitical expansion, therefore for Malta to trade with Iran would be a big step forward. The Maltese are keen to find a bigger market than ours where to trade and apply our abilities. He proposed that the Iranians would help us penetrate their market and the Maltese would in turn help them penetrate the European market. Mr Farrugia explained also the advantages of doing political lobbying with a country as small as Malta.

Ms Tabatabaei confirmed that they posses all the natural resources such as oil, mines, gas and they have a very strong agricultural product. As to some figures 46 are the number of companies listed with the MFSA with Iranian shareholding and 79 are the number of vessels registered with the MMA.

GRTU representatives, Joseph Zerafa, Stephen Galea and Joe Attard, as members of the MEUSAC Sectoral Committee meetings have participated in a Joint Committee meeting on the Europe 2020 Strategy.

 

The EU 2020 Strategy stems from Europe's critical evaluation of the Lisbon Strategy and a follow up to its shortcomings. From this evaluation it transpired that there was progress in growth and employment but central targets were still missing.  There was also more awareness of the need of reforms in the Member States were difference in speed and extent of implementation reigned. It also brought to light the shortcomings in the fight against poverty and identification of early signs of crises.

The European Commission therefore launched The New Strategy for Growth and Jobs: Europe 2020. The strategy should enable the EU to make a full recovery from the crises, while speeding up the move towards a smart, green and inclusive economy delivering high levels of employment, productivity and social cohesion. The tree Growth priorities at the heart of Europe 2020 strategy are:

Smart -developing an economy based on knowledge and innovation

Green -promoting a sustainable and competitive economy,

Inclusive – fostering a high-employment economy delivering social cohesion.

Headline Targets:

Aiming to bring to 75% the employment rate for women and men aged 20-64

Bringing the combined public and private investment levels in R&D to 3% of GDP

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% compared to 1990 levels; increasing the share of renewables in final energy consumption to 20%; and moving towards a 20% increase in energy efficiency.

To reduce school drop-out rates and increase the share of the population having completed tertiary or equivalent education

Promoting social inclusion, in particular through the reduction of poverty.

Governance

The European Council will have full ownership and be the focal point of the new strategy

The Commission will monitor progress towards the targets, facilitate policy exchange and make the necessary proposals to steer action and advance the EU flagship initiatives.

The European Parliament will be a driving force to mobilise citizens and act as co-legislator on key initiatives

The partnership approach should extend to EU committees, to national parliaments and national, local and regional authorities, to social partners and to stakeholders and civil society so that everyone is involved in delivering in the vision.

It-Transport Malta organizzat seminar l-Hamis 15 ta' April 2010 dwar  l-Avviz Legali 29/2010 li jinkorpora fih diversi mizuri godda li ser jidhlu fis-sehh fix-xhur li gejjien. Waqt is-seminar inghataw struzzjonijiet u parametri ta' kif ghandhom isiru l-interventi fit-toroq skond l-Avviz Legali ppubblikat. Ghal dan is-Seminar gew mistiedna Kunsilli Lokali, operaturi,  u entitajiet involuti b'mod dirett f'xoghlijiet fit-toroq.

 

Giet diskussa fid-dettal r-Riforma u Proceduri ghal titjib fl-operat kollu fejn gie enfasizzat li l-interventi fit-toroq isiru bil-ghaqal, ikunu efficjenti u ta' kwalita' gholja bl-inqas inkonvinjent possibli. Issir koordinazzjoni, kooperazzjoni u komunikazzjoni ahjar bejn l-Roads Infrastructure Directorate (RID) u l-entitajiet li jipprovdu servizzi jew ohrajn. Ix-xoghol li jsir irid ikun effettiv u ta' valur ghall-flus u li jkunu mharsa r-regolamenti ghas-sahha u sigurta' fuq il-post tax-xoghol.

Gie mfassal pjan ta' xoghlijiet li jkopri l-interventi ta' l-Enemalta, Water Services Corporation (WSC) u l-RID. Saret riorganizazzjoni tas-sistema li tamministra l-permessi. Qed tigi zviluppata sistema gdida li se timbidel kompletament is-sistema ta' l-IT prezenti li tipprocessa l-applikazzjonijiet tal-permessi. Gew introdotti mizuri ta' kontroll u supervizjoni f'dak li jirrigwardja l-kwalita' minn kull aspett ta kull intervent li jsir fin-network tat-toroq. Dahal fis-sehh A.L. li jirregola s-settur u l-operat kollu. Gew ifformulati linji ta' gwida u handbook rigward l-imaniggjar tat-traffiku. Imbdew proceduri ta' awditjar kemm fuq is-sahha u s-sigurta' kif ukoll fuq l-kwalita tax-xoghlijiet ladarba jitlestew.

Qed jigi mplimentat pjan koordinat tax-xoghlijiet li jsir bejn l-Enemalta, l-WSC u RID. Interventi komuni bejn diversi entitajiet qed jigu koordinati u ppjanati qabel sabiex l-intervent fit-toroq isir darba u b'hekk jigi mnaqqas l-inkonvinjent. Qed isiru laqghat mal-partijiet koncernati waqt it-tfassil tal-progett. Aktar kooperazzjoni bejn entita' li tkun ser taghmel ix-xoghlijiet, il-kuntrattur u entitajiet ohra bhal Kunsilli Lokali, entitajiet kummercjali u ohrajn.

Ri-organizazzjoni tal-process tal-permessi fejn kull applikazzjoni qed tkun evalwata qabel tigi mdahhla fis-sistema sabiex ikun zgurat li l-informazzjoni hija korretta u tissodisfa l-kriterji kollha. Ser tigi introdotta sistema gdida  ta' l-IT fejn l-ghan ewlieni ta' din is-sistema hu li; tkun accessibli aktar peress li tkun web based, jiddahhlu sistema godda sabiex il-process jithaffef aktar u jsir aktar efficjenti, kontra s-sistema ta' llum li hi limitata ghal numru ta' users biss, il-pubbliku se jkollu access dirett ghall-informazzjoni. Qabel ma tigi ntrodotta s-sistema ser isiru workshops  sabiex ikunu spjegati l-passi kollha u kif ser tithaddem din is-sistema.

B'mod regolari jsiru spezzjonijiet fuq kull intervent approvat sabiex; jigi assigurat li l-intervent qed ikun implimentat skont il-kundizzjonijiet tal-permess, ikun assigurat li l-pjan ghall-imaniggjar tat-traffiku ikun esegwit fuq is-sit tax-xoghlijiet, ikun zgurat li fuq is-sit ittiehdu l-mizuri kollha necessarji fir-rigward tas-sahha u s-sigurta'. Fil-gimghat li gejjin l-ispezzjonijiet se jkunu akkumpanjati minn mizuri ta' infurzar skont l-A.L. 29/2010.

It-Transport Malta qeghda tniedi dokument intiz li jaghti linji gwida sabiex ikun spjegat l-imaniggjar tat-traffiku skont l-intervent u skont is-sit tax-xoghlijiet b'referenza ghat-triq. Jindika b'mod dettaljat l-apparat li ghandu jintuza sabiex wiehed jahdem fit-triq. Juri id-dettalji kollha li kull operatur irid jevalwa qabel ma jkun ser jesegwixxi xi intervent. Ser jitqassmu zewg dokumenti; wiehed jelenka l-linji ta' gwida b'mod dettaljat, u l-iehor ser juri b'mod grafiku d-diversi sistemi ta' mizuri ghall-kontroll tat-traffiku flimkien ma' xi ezempji.

Is-Seminar infetah u tmexxa minn Jonathan Vella, Chairman Advisory Committee Roads. Kelliema ewlenin kienu Stanley Portelli, Kap Ezekuttiv, Charles D'Alfonso, Manager, Dr Ivan Gatt, Konsulent Legali, Ernest Tonna , Chief Officer – Transport Malta

The GRTU has this week prepared for a visit by a business delegation on a trade mission from New Zealand. Unfortunately due to the flight situation created by the ash cloud from the volcanic eruption in Iceland, out of the 4 companies from various economic sectors only one company made it to Malta.

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GRTU has nevertheless welcomed this company and one to one meetings with interested members were held at the GRTU offices. The visiting company informed the GRTU that the meetings were indeed very interesting and that there is much more possibility of collaborating with Maltese companies than they actually thought.

As to our other members that were let down by the non arrival of companies in the sectors of interest to them, we have some good news. The delegation is planning to visit Malta later on this year and we will see more companies visiting Malts this time round.

We will keep members posted on developments

The Naxxar Business Community has objected to the Application for a project  proposed by the Naxxar Local Council consisting of the embellishment of the Naxxar Parish Square, a change in the existing traffic directions and the pedestrianisation of the Naxxar parish square.

 

GRTU has been in contact with the Naxxar Local Council as well as various owners of business establishments who operate in the Naxxar parish square in relation to the proposed Project. Moreover, representatives of GRTU have met with the Business Operators and the Council to discuss the impact of the proposed project on the business community.

In a letter dated 8^th April 2010 the GRTU informed Parliamentary Secretary Honourable Chris Said that it was not in agreement with the Project given that this would adversely affect the Business Operators whose businesses will no longer be viable as a result of the pedestrianisation and loss of what is already a limited amount of parking spaces in the area.

GRTU has been informed by shop owners who are also residents in the area that the project will severely increase traffic flows on the other side of the parish church (given the proposal to change a one-way traffic road into a two-way traffic road) thus causing increased air and noise pollution. In view of this the Project may also have an adverse effect on the residential community in the area and thus not even the residents will benefit from the Project.

As explained above the Project might cause severe job losses in view of the loss of parking facilities and the reduction of traffic flows in the area in which Business Operators have their establishments.

GRTU is not aware of any economic impact assessment carried out in relation to the proposed Project but through its experience of the impact of a similar project in the neighbouring town, is of the view that the Project will have severe repercussions on jobs.   The GRTU has not been given sight of the Application however it is aware that the Local Council needs to demonstrate justified needs to implement the Project and to provide a detailed justification of why the project is required and how the project will tackle specific local problems.

The GRTU is aware that the Local Council has carried out a survey to comply with this requirement but has concerns about the way the survey was implemented and the type of methodology adopted. In fact the GRTU has been informed that the survey was focused specifically on tourist attraction in the Naxxar locality without taking into account the repercussions of the project or the wider needs of the local community (both business and residential).

GRTU on behalf of the Naxxar Business Community is insisting for an economic impact assessment by experts, independent of the Local Council, to be carried out before the project is even considered. 

By agreement reached in 1995 between GRTU and the Government of Malta as representative of Enemalta Corporation, who was there not only as the national energy supplier but also as the public regulator and licence authority in the energy sector, the gas distributor future was assured. Gas distributors were given a license by Enemalta as the Licensing Authority that enables them to distribute and sell gas cylinders in the whole territory of Malta and Gozo.

The territory was divided among 29 distributors in Malta and 2 distributors in Gozo. Each distributor was given exclusivity in each zone provided the "distributor distributed gas cylinders of Enemalta Corporation or of other private suppliers".  

GRTU therefore ensured, and the Maltese Government accepted after the matter was referred to Brussels, that after an eventual Malta-EU accession, the Gas Distributors would continue to enjoy their exclusivity as long as they do not try to foreclose the territory under their charge to any new supplier on the market. This is the same system that is operational in most EU member states including Belgium where Gas Distributors distribute a variety of cylinders according to the consumer's choice.

When the gas distribution was privatised to Liquigas/Gasco, the new company inherited, as successor of Enemalta, the contract the Gas Distributors had with Enemalta. Gasco Ltd is now refusing to honour this agreement.

GRTU has therefore presented a claim to Government, who signed the privatisation deal and promised Gas distributors that their licence would be honoured by Government to commence negotiations for the liquidation of the agreement.

This is essential the same story as with the busses. Government by act of privatisation has denied Gas Distributors their livelihood as Government thought its action is effectively withdrawing the licence commitment to each distributor. The dismissed Distributors now seek full compensation and then Gasco will be free to operate its own system. But Government and Gasco cannot have the cake and eat it.

The 31 Distributors have a right for their compensation and GRTU will fight for their rights.

GRTU has written to the Hon Minister Tonio Fenech and Hon Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said to issue the necessary Legal Notice to give the opportunity to businesses to open  on Saturday week the 1st of May.

 

For most consumers a two day weekend with no shopping is too long. This creates particular problems to super-markets, mini markets and other retailers, that sell services, goods and other retail activities sought after by consumers, normally at the end of the week.

As usual following requests by members, GRTU has conducted a survey among retailers to establish whether retailers prefer to open or stay closed on Saturday May 1^st  2010.  The result of the survey  conducted on April 22^nd and 23^rd shows that 71% prefer to open on Saturday May 1^st  2010 while 29% prefer to stay shut.

Given that the preferred choice of the absolute majority is in favour, GRTU, as the national retailers representative advised Government to take the necessary legal measures to ensure that retail establishments in all districts are allowed to open on Saturday May1st 2010 if they so desire.

If Government agrees to this it will constitute an opportunity to business owners who choose to open but by no means will it mean that shop owners will be made to open against their will or that this will apply for any other public holidays.