Category: Archive – 2012

GRTU, along with the Chamber of Pharmacists and the Government, is now in the process of launching POYC in another district in Malta, a district that was previously covered by the Luqa Health Centre Pharmacy.

The rollout, despite the usual teething problems, is going well, and patients are registering themselves with the pharmacies of their choice and warmly welcoming the new system. This is a testament to the POYC system, which has proven over and over again to alleviate the hardships that people used to face when collecting their free medicine entitlement. The success has been achieved largely due to the hard work of the pharmacy owners, the pharmacists and staff, and despite the fact that the Government has repeatedly failed to keep its contractual and operational promises. A ray of hope has been the new Medicines Procurement System implemented by the Ministry Of Health, that follows very closely the advice GRTU has been giving the Ministry to overhaul its antiquated tender systems and put in place more modern procurement system. The new system has practically solved the old out of stock situation.

The agreement governing POYC, however is now reaching the end. Government was contractually bound to start negotiations on a new agreement two years ago. Despite the many representations by both the GRTU and the Chamber Of Pharmacists, Government procrastinates…and procrastinates…and then procrastinates again. This has now become an unacceptable way of doing things and shows the deep disregard and the lack of respect that the Government has towards the sector of private pharmacies.

The Government is being warned. When action will be taken by GRTU, it will be drastic and unexpected. Unless Government gets its act together and sits down at the negotiating table, that action will come. We have had enough of dilly-dallying civil servants who build little empires and perch on them like Prima-Donnas. We have had enough of having to have to threaten action for someone to do his duty. This time, we will not sabre rattle. We will take action.

GRTU has met Mr Godwin Warr and his colleagues from the Commerce Department, as responsible for trade licences, for an introductory meeting prior to the launch of the formal consultation of the revision of the Trade Licensing Act.

 

Mr Warr explained that the requirement for a revision was pushed by the need to simplify the legislation and iron out any issues that used to create complications and confusion sometimes.

The most important revision is that we will be moving away from the requirement of submitting applications for a trade licence for most sectors. Meaning that the sectors that are not connected with health or food shall no longer need to apply but simply notify the Department. With the notification one will be able to pay immediately instead of waiting for the acknowledgement. This should further accelerate the process.

The list of sectors and activities falling under the scope of the Department will be clarified. The requirement to submit a full MEPA permit will be waived and replaced by the requirement to only provide the MEPA permit number.

The commitment to issue a licence within 10 days is reiterated. Cancellation of licence will also be simplified however it is imperative for the fees and arrears to be paid. In addition the revision would introduce the concept that licences are automatically renewable subject to the conditions of the licence being respected.

GRTU in general welcomes the changes proposed. The consultation document will be published shortly and members are invited to participate.

GRTU takes this opportunity to remind all businesses that all economic operations require a trade license to operate.

SIGGIEWI will shortly become the first Local Council in Malta to effect a weekly recovery of glass through a kerbside collection weekly from its residents. Green MT , the National Authorised Waste Packaging Compliance Scheme has agreed with the Local Council of Siggiewi to recover glass through kerbside collection once weekly.

 

Currently Eco Councillors from Green mt are effecting a door to door education campaign outlining the pilot project to all Siggiewi households. Households who would like to participate are to collect a black crate (600x 400x 300mm) from the Local Council after 20th February 2012 upon presentation of identification. The black crate is to be filled with glass bottles or jars and will be collected every Monday at 9.30 am from the kerbside.

The waste carrier effecting the recovery will empty the black crate and leave it where it was when it was full. Green MT and the Siggiewi Local Council anticipate that at least 2000 households will use this kerbside collection system for glass.

Green MT and the Local Council are very confident that through this initiative 130 tons of glass can be collected on a yearly basis, thus a minimum of 2500 kilos weekly. Green MT members place nearly 5000 tons of glass (packaging waste) on the market and the Scheme is obliged to recover at least 3500 tons of this material fraction. Collections from Bring In Sites amount to around 2500 tons yearly and as such the Scheme is proactively looking at sources where this fraction can be collected. Of course, Green MT will be working with other Local Councils to provide this kerbside collection for glass.

Recovering more glass from source is a must for the Scheme and we will do our best to convince the public at large to use this glass kerbside collection system in the weeks to come.

Il-GRTU dil gimgha kitbet lil Onorevoli Ministru tal-Finanzi Tonio Fenech dwar kwistjoni li qamet waqt laqgha li l-GRTU organizzat il-gimgha li ghaddiet ghan nisa fin-negozzju fil-prezenza tal-Onorevoli Jason Azzopardi nkarigat mill-SMEs. Waqt il-laqgha fost l-issues diskussi qamet diskussjoni nteressanti u li wiehed ghandu jiehu nota taghha dan ghaliex taghmel sens u ma tikreja l-ebda konflit bejn negozzji ohra.

 

Hafna min dawk prezenti talbu l-intervent tal-GRTU sabiex dawk il-festi li ser jaqghu jew vicin weekend jew parti min weekend u fejn is-sidien jixtiequ jifthu n-negozzju taghhom, ma jigux mgeghla jhallsu 700 ewro sabiex jghamlu dan.

Il-GRTU taghmilha cara li din l-kwistjoni m'ghandhix x'taqsam ma Sunday Trading izda hija issue li dawn il-festi gejjien f'perjodu amalgamat ma' festi u n-negozzji  jixtiequ li f'dawn il-granet joperaw normali bhal granet ohra minghajr ma jidhlu fl-ebda spejjez. Ir-raguni principali hija li l-Gimgha u Sibt huma l-aktar zewg granet importanti ghan negozzji z-zghar fi zminijiet ta' sfidi ekonomici kemm f'Malta kif ukoll fl-Ewropa kollha.

Il-granet li qeghdin nitolbu li jigu mahfura huma;

l-Gimgha 10 ta' Frar

Is-Sibt 31 ta' Marzu

Il-Hamis 7 ta' Gunju

Il-Gimgha 29 ta' Gunju

Is-Sibt 8 ta' Settembru

Il-Gimgha 21 ta' Settembru

 Filwaqt li l-GRTU irringrazjat lill-Onorevoli Ministru tal-Finanzi Tonio Fenech tas-support kontinwu tieghu, talbitu biex jikkonsidra t-talba taghna.

Green MT is the national Authorised Waste Packaging Compliance Scheme. Green MT, a fully owned subsidiary of GRTU, recovers packaging and recyclable waste from 40 Local Councils , one or twice weekly through the grey bag kerbside collection system.

 

Birkirkara is one of the Local Councils where the community has shown through its deeds that it has a proactive approach towards implementation of waste managment strategy within the locaity. After discussions with the Local Council, an agreement was reached to recover differentiated packaging waste throughout the week, thus collecting paper, board, magazines,caton and leaflets on Wednesday and then collecting plastic and metal in the grey bag on Friday.

This implementation followed a door to door education campaign by Green MT Eco Councillors in Birkirkara during the month of January 2012. Leaflets were also distributed to those who were leaving at churches situated in Birkirkara after mass on the morning of Sunday 29th January 2010. Came Wednesday 1st February 2012 the final result was a collection of nearly four tons (4000kilos) of paper and carton from the Local Council of Birkirkara.

Taking into consideration that under normal circumstances a collection of 12 tons weekly is effected in this locality through the grey bag system, the result of 4 tons of segregated paper is very encouraging and Green MT would like to thank all those residents who heartily contributed to such a collection.

We are well aware that in the weeks to follow, this recovery rate will grow . Green mt will continue to support these initiaitves at Local Council level. This is the begining of a long road towards at source segregation. With a helping hand from everyone this will continue to be a success story.

Speaking during discussions in the Single Market Production and Consumption (INT) Section meeting at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) meeting today in Brussels, Vince Farrugia, Maltese business owners'  representative at EECS and GRTU Director General said that the Mario Monti Report on the Internal Market and the Louis Grech Report on the same subject approved by the European Parliament, clearly define the initiatives and measures that need to be adopted to have a more effective and strong internal market.

 

"There is no need to impose additional burdens on Member States that face no infringement procedures and indeed, because of their adherence to Internal Market Rules, have no development growth problems and unemployment problems, especially youth unemployment. The issue really is one of adherence to the initiatives as defined in the Monti report and addressing the numerous bottlenecks that have already been identified and are being addressed by the various EU Commission proposals and the programme of the 2020 Initiative. Creating further centralisation means punishing more those who are adhering. The issue really is one of Council facing those Member States who are not adhering and as a result bringing the European Union to a state of crisis and causing these States, as Monti is now doing in Italy, to meet their obligations and not imposing a more centralised European system that nobody wants". concluded Mr Farrugia.

Today Vincent Farrugia GRTU DG and Maltese business owners representative participated actively in the discussion at the EESC Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and Information Society (TEN) on the Commission's Communication on establishing the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) (COM(2011) 665). The CEF proposal is in the form of a package of five proposals by the Commission geared at investments in key infrastructures that will help to create jobs and boost Europe's competitiveness at a time when Europe needs this most. The "Connecting Europe Facility" will finance projects which fill the missing links in Europe's energy, transport and digital backbone. It will also make Europe's economy greener by promoting cleaner transport modes, high speed broadband connections and facilitating the use of renewable energy in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy. In addition the funding for energy networks will further integrate the internal energy market, reduce the EU's energy dependency and bolster the security of supply.

The Connecting Europe Facility will invest €31.7 billion to upgrade Europe's transport infrastructure, build missing links and remove bottlenecks. This includes €10 billion ring fenced in the Cohesion Fund for transport projects in the cohesion countries, with the remaining 21.7 billion available for all Member States for investing in transport infrastructure. The idea is to improve links between different parts of the EU, to make it easier for different countries to exchange goods and people with each other. By focussing on transport modes that are less polluting, the Connecting Europe Facility will push our transport system to become more sustainable. It will also give consumers more choice about how they want to travel. The Commission proposed to create corridors to cover the most important cross-border projects. It has estimated that by 2020, €500 billion will be needed to realise a real European network, including €250 billion for removing bottlenecks and completing missing links in the core network.

Mr Farrugia emphasised the role that private financing would be performing and spoke in detail about the Project Bonds scheme that the Commission is working on in conjunction with the European investment Bank. He further emphasised that besides the clear need and advantage for further integration of Europe as a result of the massive investment in infrastructure in all transport modes and in the environment and in energy the whole project is a tremendous boost for the revival of sustained economic growth in Europe. "Development and growth is the way forward not austerity" insisted Vince Farrugia. He demanded further clarification as to how the Commission and Council intend to speed up this tremendous commitment and congratulated the Commission on the production of this excellent package of proposals which are both innovative and extensive and involve deep discussions and consultations with stakeholders.

Mr Farrugia appealed for the incorporation of an additional Mediterranean dimension as the need for substantial investment for the efficient Connecting of Europe and North Africa through various transport modes should be much further promoted.

Low compliance costs for businesses.  – Viviane Reding, the European commissioner for justice, fundamental rights and citizenship, today unveiled plans for an overhaul of the EU's data protection rules.

 

The proposals aim to give people more control over their data while making it easier for business to use electronic data.

Reding said: "The protection of personal data is a fundamental right for all Europeans, but citizens do not always feel in full control of their personal data."

She said the proposals, to revise EU legislation on data protection dating back to 1995, would "help build trust in online services because people will be better informed about their rights and in more control over their information".

Reding is proposing a "right to be forgotten" as part of the reform. This would allow people to delete their data if there were not legitimate reasons for retaining it. People would have to give explicit consent for their data to be processed.

The proposals also aim to reduce costs for businesses by creating a single set of laws in all 27 member states, avoiding the need for complying with different rules in different countries. Reding said this would save companies around €2.3 billion a year.

Companies holding personal data would have to notify national authorities about any breaches within 24 hours. If they fail to do so, they would face fines equivalent to 2% of their annual turnover. 

All companies irrespective of where in the world they are based would have to follow the EU's rules if they are handling EU citizens' data and are active in the EU market. 

The proposals will have to be approved by national governments and MEPs before being adopted.

Reding's proposals have been welcomed by MEPs across the political spectrum. Axel Voss, a German centre-right MEP, said the proposals were a "major step forward to a comprehensive set of rules" which the Parliament had been asking for.

Claude Moraes, a centre-left MEP from the UK, said that the Commission had made "strong efforts to improve legislation" and to move away from a "patchwork of different national provisions".

Renate Weber, a liberal MEP from Romania, said her group welcomed the move to give internet users the right to exercise more control over their data by having to give explicit consent for it to be processed.

The European consumers' association BEUC reacted positively to the proposal. Monique Goyens, BEUC's director-general, said: "All the elements for a strong, user-centric legal framework are here. Today the EU is taking a large step towards giving data rights back to [their] rightful owners, individuals themselves."

ETNO, the European association of telecommunications network operators, also welcomed the proposals. Luigi Gambardella, ETNO's chairman, said that the Commission proposal was an "important step towards achieving a world-class privacy protection framework".

The Business Software Alliance (BSA), which represents commercial software developers, struck a rare negative note. Thomas Boué, BSA's director of European affairs, said: "The Commission's proposal today errs too far in the direction of imposing prescriptive mandates for how enterprises must collect, store, and manage information."

He said that there was a risk that the proposal's current design would "bog down companies with onerous compliance obligations, which would inhibit digital innovation at the expense of job creation and growth".

Din il-gimgha l-GRTU zammet laqgha flimkien ma l-Onorevoli Ministru Jason Azzopardi, il-Ministru il-gdid ghan-negozji z-zghar, kif ukoll ma’ Nisa li huma fid-dinja tan-negozju membri tal-GRTU ghal-laqgha bl-isem ta’ Women in Business. Il-President tal-GRTU Paul Abela fetah din il-laqgha billi qal li l-GRTU dejjem stinkat biex in-nisa jkunu min ta’ quddiem fid-dinja tax-xoghol u n-negozju. Filfatt semma li fil-kunsill tal-GRTU insibu tlett negozjaniti li huma nisa – Joan Haber, Therese Fenech  Azzopardi u Josette Vella, dawn flimkien ser jahdmu  biex in-nisa izidu l-kontribut taghhom fid-dinja tax-xoghol. Il-President tal-GRTU Paul Abela flimkien mal-GRTU ferah lil Onorevoli Jason Azzopardi ghal-kariga li ha.

 

L-Onorevoli Jason Azzopardi beda billi rringrazzja lil GRTU peress li ftit wara li ha l kariga tieghu bhala Ministru gie miftihem mal GRTU li l-ewwel attivita kellha tkun fuq Women in Business biex b’hekk inhajru aktar nisa fid-dinja tan-negozju. Hu sahaq ukoll li fis-sena li ghaddiet numru kbir ta’ nisa irritornaw jew bdew jahdmu fid-dinja tax-xoghol. Kienu 6,000 mara li dahlu fid-dinja tax-xoghol, fost dawn kien hemm 2,440 minnhom li dahlu ghall ewwel darba fid-dinja tax-xoghol u negozju. Dan ghaliex l-Gvern holoq ambjent ahjar fil-qasam tax-xoghol.

L-Ministru Azzopardi semma ukoll ir-rapport li hareg l-IMF li juri punti pozittivi dwar Malta. Dan juri li f’Malta l-qghad naqas u bhalissa qedghin il-5 l-inqas pajjiz li ghandna qghad fid-dinja. L-Onorevoli fahhar hafna l-proposta li harget biha il-GRTU rigward il-Maternity leave u enfasizza li din ghamlet hafna gid u giet milqugha hafna. Hu jemmen li l-mara ghandha potenzjal qawwi u irrifera ghal ” Il-Genju tal-mara”, qal li l-mara ghandha fiha nnifisha genju uniku u dan hemm bzonn li jigi rikonoxxut.

Waqt din il-laqa kien hemm ukoll id-direttur tal-Commerce Department, Godwin Warr. dan beda billi qal li waqt din il-laqgha tqassmu diaries biex jippromovaw l-EU Trade Mark, assistenza tal-ghaqdiet tal-EU. Is-Sur Warr qal ukoll li huma joffru servizz tal-IP checkups, dan janalizza l-progett billi jaghtu l-ideat lin-negozji kif jistghu jkunu ahjar. Hu sostna ukoll li qedghin jaraw fis-sehh ukoll il- “Family Friendly Measures” fejn dawn joffru possibilita ta’ Reduced hours, Alternative hours u Teleworking. Bis-sahha tat-teleworking dawk in-nisa li investew fihom baqghu jahdmu u dan ghandhu jigi anke min-naha ta’ min jaghti s-servizz.

Waqt din il-laqgha tqajmu diversi punti mis-sidien tan-negozji nisa prezenti fosthom dwar il-ligi tal-kera li ghadda l-Gvern, li ddiskrivewha bhala gerha kbira ghas-sidien tan-negozji. Dan ghaliex wara hafna snin li jkunu hadu hsieb u ddedikaw ruhom ghan-negozju taghhom wara 20 sena, issa 17 fadal, jsibu ruhom barra mil-hanut. Hi enfasizzat li hi ilha 40 sena fin negozju taghha u ghan negozju 17 il-sena m’huma xejn. Din giet imsejha bhala ingustizzja morali. L-Onorevoli Jason Azzopardi sostna li bhala pajjiz Malta domna 10 snin nikumbattu u mhux facli tilhaq bilanc mas-sidien u min qieghed jikri. Hu qal ukoll li din il-ligi tal-kera saret wara konsultazzjoni izda qal ukoll li ha jqajjem dan is-sugett bl-ghan li tittejjeb il-ligi.

Punt iehor li tqajjem waqt din il-laqgha kien dwar il-problema tal-parking. Din il-problema issemit hafna drabi fosthom mis-sidien tal-hwienet fil-Belt. Hafna mis-sidien isibuha difficli biex idahhlu l-merkanzija minhabba l-hinijiet limitati li hawn bhalissa. Hafna mis-sidien semmhew il-fatt li jkollhom ihallsu is-CVA peress li ma jsibhux fejn jipparkjaw u jkollhom bzonn inizlu xi xoghol fil-hwienet taghhom. Intqal ukoll li min ghandhu zewg negozji, wiehed Rahal Gdid u iehor il-Belt jista jara d-diferenza min wiehed ghall-iehor. In-Negozju ta’ Rahal Gdid qieghed dejjem jikber filwaqt li dak tal-Belt qieghed dejjem jickien. Isibu wkoll problem meta jigu biex jimpjegaw. Mara li tkun trid tahdem sa certu hin ma tacettax li tahdem il-belt minhabba l-hin li jinhela sakemm jinstab parking. Din il-problema ta’ parkegg jsibuha ukoll filghaxija. Huwa vera li qeghdin ninvestu fil-Belt u jemmnu li sa 3 snin ohra ikollna Belt ferm ahjar imma ma nistghux f’dawn it 3 snin naghtu spinta l-isfel lin-negozji u jitilfu l-klijentela taghhom. Qalu wkoll li l-bejh ha daqqa ta’ harta wara ohra- CVA, xoghol fit-toroq, accessibilita’ limitata, parkeggi bojod dejjem jonqsu u riforma fit-trasport pubbliku. Dawn il-fatturi kollha flimkin ikkontribwixxew li jaqtghu qalb il-konsumatru biex jidhol il-belt.

Il- President Paul Abela sostna li hemm bzonn naghmlu pressjoni fuq il-problema tal-parkegg. Specjalment meta jkun hawn il-parlament ma jkunx hemm ghalfejn il-parkegg jinghalaq gurnata shiha meta l-Parlament jibda wara s-sitta ta’ filghaxija. l-Onorevoli Jason Azzopardi qabel li il-punt dwar il-problema tal-parkegg huwa validissimu. Hu jirrikonoxxi li hemm problema u sostna li l-Gvern qieghed impenjat li ha jzid il-parkegg fuq barra u kif ukoll fuq gewwa tal-Belt.

Fil-Furjana l-problema tal-parkegg hi sfortunatament ukoll wahda prekarja. Il- GRTU dwar din il-problema diga kienet pruvat taghmel xi haga imma minhabba li l-popolazzjoni gewwa l-Furjana qieghda dejjem tikber il-parkegg qieghed dejjem ikun ta’ problema minhabba r-residenti. Membru tal-GRTU semmit li hi tipprova timpjega nisa. Bosta min nisa iridu jwaslu t-tfal l-iskola qabel ix-xol u sakemm jaslu il-parkecc ikun kollu ittiehed. Dawn jaghmlu ta l-inqas nofs siha ifitxu parkegg pero xorta iridu jergaw johorgu jaqilghu il-karozza wara 1.30 hrs ghaliex jehlu citazzjoni. Il-furjana mimli wardens u xhin johorgu l-impjegati biex imexxu l-karozza isibu l-warden lest biex iwahhal ic-citazzjoni. L-Onorevoli Jason Azzopardi semma l Furjana stand u qal li bhalissa hemm diskussjoni ma l MCP carpark u ha jizdiedu l-parking facilities. Se jhares lejn il-kwistjoni aktar fid dettall.

l-istess sitwazzjoni tal-Belt u l-Furjana tinsab ukoll gewwa tas-Sliema u kif ukoll gewwa St.Andrews. Is-sidien tan-negozji gewwa tas-Sliema qalu li l-bejgh naqas minhabba li n-nies  qedghin isibuha bi tqila biex imorru ta’ Sliema kemm minhabba parkegg u anke minhabba s-servizz gdid tat-transport. Giet moghtija l-idea li Luxol Ground jista’ jsir xi mod bhal-Park and Ride biex b’hekk jizdiedu l-parkeggi. Tqajmet l-issue ta’ Manoel Island li ghada ma saret l-ebda tibdil fiha. Ingibdet l-attenzjoni ukoll li gewwa tas-Sliema hemm bicciet ta’ art mohlija li minflok jibqaw abbandunati jistghu joholq minnhom parkegg, jekk hemm bzonn anke temporanju. Issemmew ukoll xi fondi li kienu ngabru mis-sidien tal-hwienet. Dawn il-fondi jixtiequ li jintefqu biex isolvu l-problema tal-parkegg. L-Onorevoli Jason Azzopardi sostna li ser jitkellem ma L-Onorevoli Mario Demarco dwar dawn il-fondi.

Gewwa St.Andrews deret ukoll din il-problema u isemma l-Luxol Ground li gie mehud mil-kumpanija tat-transport pubbliku “Arriva” izda mhux qeghda tkun uzata. L-Onorevoli Jason Azzopardi qal li kien se jhares gol kwistjoni li Luxol ma kienx qieghed jigi uzat. Il- GRTU qedgha tipjana biex tlaqqa l-Kunsill Lokali ta St. Andrews, l-Arriva kif ukoll lis-sidien tan-negozji biex ikun hemm lok ta’ titjib.

Punt iehor interessanti li qalu kien li l-mara tal-lum ma tistax tibqa’ tahdem filghodu biss izda izzid aktar fis-sighat taghha. l-Onorevoli Jason Azzopardi intervjena u qal li biex dan isir irid ikun hemm l-“after school hours” jigifieri li l-ghalliema jaccetaw li jahdmu sighat differenti. Izda meta l-Gvern prova jqajjem diskussjoni fuq din l-idea sab ostakoli. L-Onorevoli Azzopardi kompla jghid li meta jdur id-djar dejjem johrog bic-car li hemm hafna ommijiet li jixtiequ johorgu jahdmu izda ma jistghux habba l-hinijiet. Hu qal ukoll li jkun tajjeb jekk titqajjem kuxjenza permezz tal-media.

Fattur iehor li qieghed jinkwieta lis-sidien tan-negozji huwa l-“Online Shopping” dawn qedghin jghidu li huma jikalkolaw bejn wiehed u iehor li qieghed johdilhom 30% tal-beigh u sostnew li in-nies mhux vera li mhux qeghdin jonfqu izda qeghdin juzaw mezzi ohra. Huma qalu li bl’ebda mod m’huma kontra l-online shopping pero ihossu li dan qed isehh ghaliex qed issir difficli wisq ghan niex bix jaslu sal hwienet. Paul Abela qajjem l-issue tal-katamaran u qal li meta jgibu l-affarijiet ma jhallsu xejn u lanqas ecotax. L- Onorevoli Azzopardi qabel li din hija problema serja u sostna li din l issue qeghda tigi bil mod ikkontrollata sa fejn il-ligi tal-UE tipermetti. Dwar din l-issue bdew laqghat mal-GRTU.

F’certi setturi specjalment f’dik tal-industrija qeghdin isibuha difficli biex isibu mpjegati nisa bil- kwalifiki u skills li jissodisfaw l-esigenzi taghhom. Dan minhabba li l-ETC ghandha aktar courses ghall-irgiel milli ghan-nisa. Filwaqt li dawk ta’ l-MCAST ikunu over qualified. Li jrid isir hu li fil-korsijiet jindirizzaw ahjar il-kompetenzi li ghandhom bzonn fl-industrija. L-Onorevoli Azzopardi intervjena u qal li dan hu suggeriment validu hafna.

Punt iehor li tqajjem waqt din il-laqgha kien dwar il-hlas ta` 700 euro li n-negozji jridu jhallsu kull meta tinzerta festa matul il-gimgha sabiex ikunu jistghu jifthu l-istabilimenti taghhom f’gurnata ta’ festa jew il-Hadd. Huma iccaraw il-fatt li din mandiex x’taqsam mal-kwistjoni ta’ Sunday trading izda ghaliex il-festa ha tinzerta f’gurnata mportanti ta’ bejh. Is-sidien talbu li jkun hemm waver ta’ 700 euro ghall-hamest ijiem fost il-gimgha li din is-sena ha jinzertaw festi. Dwar dan il-punt l-Onorevoli Jason Azzopardi sostna li hu punt li ta’ min jikkonsidrah u filfatt ha jiddiskuti dan il-punt ma l-Onorevoli Tonio Fenech. Hu zied billi qal li ghandha ssir talba minghand il-GRTU biex b’hekk il-process jimxi aktar b’rittmu mghaggel.

Paul Abela semma li f’certu pajjizi kumpanija b’ turnover ta’ inqas minn zewg miljuni mumhiex obligati jaghtu Audited Annual Accounts. Joan Haber kompliet tajd li biex tmantni kumpanija illum il-gurnata saret tirrikjedi hafna flus. Dan anke f’kas ta` kumpanija li ma taghmilx trading trid tallas 800 euro.

Suggeriment li ntqal waqt din il-laqgha kien biex jinghata aktar sapport fid-dar, f’sens ta’ aktar childcare facilities, korsijiet mhux difficli ghal-carers individwali (nannies).

L-Ministru Jason Azzopardi ghalaq il-laqgha billi fakkar li l-licenzja hi obbligatorja sabiex tiftah negozju u li l-Gvern ser jaghmel overhaul tal-licenzji b’emendi fil-ligi li jwasslu ghal tnaqqis ta’ 90% ta’ negozji li jridu japplikaw ghal-licenzji u jigu biss notifikati. F’dan ir-rigward diga bdiet il-konsultazzjoni mal-GRTU.

L-Onorevoli Azzopardi qal ukoll li l-Gvern ghandu 500 art li qed tintuza ghal skopijiet kummercjali fil-Belt li bhalissa qedghin bil-kera li tiggedded sitt xgur sitt xhur. B’hekk dawn in-negozji minhabba li maghndhomx tul ta’ kera ma’ jistghux jipjanaw fit-tul dan iwassal li ma jkunux jistghu jiehdu loans. Il-Gvern ser ihabbar li ha jkunu jistghu ikollhom kirja ta’ ghexirien ta’ snin minflok dik ta’ sitt xhur. Dan ha jibda l-ewwel mis-sidien tan-negozji fil-belt peress li l-ikbar numru ta’ artijiet mikrijin tal-Gvern huma gewwa l-Belt. Dan umbad ha jinfirex mal-lokalitajiet ta’ Malta kollha.

Fl-ahhar L-Ministru Jason Azzopardi insista mas-sidien tan-negozji biex jaghmlu uzu tajjeb mil-Malta Enterprise. Il-laqgha ntemmet b’presentazzjoni min rapprezentant mil-Malta Enterprise dwar il-Business First li hija inizjattiva gdida.