Maltese Business Community Together for a Better Environment*

By Vince Farrugia Director General GRTU, Chairman Green MT

GreenMT is GRTU's commitment for a better environment for all of us. As a business organization we could have done what comes natural to most businesses chambers, criticize, propose and then leave it to the state bureaucrats to implement. GRTU's experience with issues effecting waste management, whether on the packaging waste or on waste of electrical and electronic equipment, has proved that when the businesses community leaves all to state bureaucrats, businessmen will end up paying the bill and receiving a shabby service. More than that the tax-men find the most comfortable way to achieve their Budget revenue target irrispect of discrimination among enterprises and impact commerce in general. This happened most grotesquely when the Eco-Contribution was introduced. This eco-tax is nothing but a farse. All the promises made on refunds and on promotion of compliance schemes never materialised. This in spite of GRTU's persistent and regular pressing and direct action to get the government moving.

This time round GRTU advised businessmen that it is best we do things ourselves. We took the laborious task of establishing Waste Management Compliance Schemes both packaging waste and for WEEE. The Schemes are registered GreenMT. This is a company owned 100% by GRTU on behalf of the business community. It is a not for profit organization. GreenMT's Schemes will be managed on a transport basis so that Scheme participants can control that it is run efficiently and with full accountability to business owners themselves. This is a fundamental difference from the competing schemes. GreenMT is accountable to its members and any surplus of revenue on cost will be transmitted immediate in reduced chargeable rates to Schemes members and all accounts and management papers and submissions are subject to the scrutiny of members subject only to the strict rules imposed on GreenMT management on confidentiality and impartiality. 

GreenMT is a best practice way of how to manage Waste Compliance Schemes. It has the full support of the Minister for Resources and Rural Affairs. GreenMT is a ready – to – go organization. Over the last months GreenMT has been the main instrument assisting government to build sound waste management and alternative energy and practical environmental policies. As a business concern it will go into action as soon as government decides to implement Legal Notice 74 of 2008 and releases participating enterprises from the double burden of paying Eco Contribution and also Scheme Contribution.

GRTU has, on behalf of the Maltese business community, providing the best tool possible to prove that "yes Maltese businesses are for a better environment for all of us."

* Vince Farrugia is a Candidate to the European Parliament Elections on June 6^th 2009 for the PN/EPP-ED.