Month: August 2021

In collaboration among the Energy and Water Agency (EWA), the Malta Business Bureau and the Malta Chamber of Commerce, businesses within the manufacturing industry will be given more guidance on how to consume energy and water efficiently.

The agreement was signed by the EWA, the Malta Business Bureau and the Malta Chamber, in the presence of Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Sustainable Development Miriam Dalli.

With the WE MAKE project (Water and Energy Management and Knowledge Transfer in Manufacturing Enterprises), the manufacturing sector will benefit from energy audits, offered by the EWA, so that businesses are guided on how to enhance their energy consumption and operate efficiently. This project will offer information on possible financial investments, where a forum will be created so that businesses can discuss and present best practices in the sector. This will lead businesses to have more guidance on how to operate sustainably.

Thanks to the WE MAKE project, the manufacturing sector will strengthen the competitiveness of the industry and therefore will increase investment in Malta.

During a press conference, Minister Miriam Dalli remarked on how with this agreement and collaboration more businesses will be assisted to have sustainable operations.

“The government is continuously incentivising the general public as well as the private sector through various incentives and measures whilst implementing policies so that our country will continue working on decarbonisation. Through collective work with different social partners and entities, the government is implementing this aim. Therefore, though WE MAKE project, we will continue to facilitate further the manufacturing sector, whilst assuring that they will have all the necessary tools and resources, to be part of this sustainable change”, said Minister Dalli.

“Malta must mobilise its resources in collaboration with the private sector to ensure that new and hybrid technologies, business re-engineering and other opportunities are mobilised to bridge the significant gap between our fossil fuel economy and the clean, smart and sustainable economy of tomorrow. For this reason, we are pleased to partner with the national authority – the Energy and Water Agency – and the Malta Business Bureau on the WE MAKE project”, stated the President of Malta Chamber Ms Marisa Xuereb.

President of the Malta Business Bureau, Ms Alison Mizzi said, “Malta Business Bureau has been developing and running energy and water projects for over a decade now. We have learnt that, while considerable technical knowledge on efficiency does exist, it is concentrated in a few performing businesses. The same can be said for knowledge of financing options. We therefore believe that it is important to have an ongoing mechanism for knowledge transfer and aim for the WE MAKE project to fulfil this role”.

The Malta Chamber launched its policy recommendations on a National Workforce Strategy in response to the ongoing national consultation process on a Labour Market Reform, which was drafted following an internal consultation together with RSM, which leads the Chamber’s HR Committee.

The document includes over 50 recommendations on various aspects of the labour market, some of which relate to education. Of all these recommendations, a particular one was picked up by certain sections of the media, namely the proposal to increase compulsory education to 18 years from the current 16 years.

During press launch on Wednesday, the Malta Chamber explained that the additional two years should not be spent in secondary education but in post-secondary training, as successful employees of the future need to have a solid basis on which to develop their careers. Leaving the education system at 16 is too early and Malta is often singled out internationally for having a high rate of early school leavers, with almost 1 out of every 6 students leaving school aged 16. And the majority without having achieved any qualifications at Level 3 (Ordinary level) or higher.

The Covid pandemic has made things worse as the current generation of students already has two scholastic years that have been significantly disrupted, and the impact of this is already being felt.

Remarkably, two unions representing teachers and educators came out strongly against this proposal, evidently without having read the 50-page document which is publicly available on the Chamber’s website.

The document stands out for highlighting the importance of employers investing in the upskilling of their employees and of working hand in hand with educational institutions to provide a more relevant and effective vocational educational experience. Yet, one of these unions interpreted the proposal of extending compulsory schooling as businesses wanting to shrug off their responsibilities to train new workers for their immediate needs by expecting educational institutions to carry out training through the proposed extended compulsory school age.

Among the objections raised against the proposal is the argument that there are not enough teachers to cope with the increased demand it would entail. This indicates that teachers’ representatives are assuming that the additional two years need to be spent in secondary schools rather than in post-secondary schools that are constantly trying to attract more students. But even if the lack of teachers is the main limiting factor, we need to address that as we are doing in other sectors by recruiting the required resources from other countries. We cannot possibly constrain the educational attainment of future generations by the availability of teachers locally.

However, the most heart-breaking objection was making it imperative for students to stay in education till they are 18 that was raised is the possible decline in tax revenue from 16- to 18-year-olds in the labour market. If students enter the labour market at the lowest ranks, without adequate qualifications, they have a high probability of remaining at the lower ranks for life because of their poor educational attainment. Coming from representatives of educators, it is appalling.

“The national debate on the future of education needs to involve all those who have a genuine interest in the prosperity and well-being of future generations. It needs to be free from short-sightedness and immediate self-serving interests.” – Marisa Xuereb, President, Malta Chamber.
The Chamber recently issued another document through its Education Thematic Committee, which is made up of representatives from various areas of education as well as employers. This document, entitled ‘Education for the Future’ is essentially an ode to educators, stating that:
“This document has mainly focused on the educator as a central pawn in the education system. We felt that we need to approach educational development and reform in Malta by giving educators their due… We appreciate that as a caring profession teaching is more of a calling rather than just another job. However, whilst altruism is at the centre of the profession, we cannot purely rely on this trait but need to work hard to ensure that a good mix of intrinsic and extrinsic factors come together for educators to feel prepared, empowered and respected by a society that demands so much out of them and who are responsible for developing the human capital of tomorrow.”

There was no reaction from the unions representing teachers and educators on the above document, but many educators who read it gave positive feedback.

Whether employers, parents, educators, or policymakers, we are all disappointed by the current educational outcomes, and we all need to work together to make sure that the educational experience improves for everyone and that students do not rush out of schooling empty-handed. It is a collective duty.

In collaboration between government entities, business representatives and the Richmond Foundation, a mental health assistance service is to be made available. MENT + is an initiative launched after several businesses recognised the impact of the pandemic on mental health.

The agreement was signed between Malta Enterprise, Business First, The Malta Chamber and the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises, and the Richmond Foundation, in the presence of Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Sustainable Development Miriam Dalli.

The MENT+ service will be provided in two ways: firstly, through the website, where training will be provided in the form of short clips tackling topics such as how one can adapt to change, mental health and resilience, amongst others. Secondly, for those who would like further assistance, the Richmond Foundation will be providing more aid through one-to-one sessions to address further the needs of the individual.

Minister Miriam Dalli explained that during the past months, Business First was instrumental in supporting enterprises, working together with Malta Enterprise.“The pandemic has not only impacted our economy but also the mental health of many people, employers and businesses. Therefore, with this agreement, we will provide the MENT+ service, to assist enterprises in an effective and realistic way”, said Minister Dalli.

Chief Executive of Business First, Ms Marika Tonna, said that, “Business First has direct experience with businesses and enterprises. During the pandemic, Business First assisted more than 146,000 clients. Apart from the financial assistance provided by the government – such as the wage supplement and other schemes – businesses needed guidance on how to cope with mental health and how to address the changes that were brought about by the pandemic, which impacted employees, clients and businesses”.

“One’s wellbeing is not complete if one is not taking care of their mental health, as this will affect productivity and innovation. Therefore, it is crucial to integrate mental health with business. This service will meet the needs of employers and directors in various businesses”, stated Richmond Foundation Chief Executive Ms Stephania Dimech Sant.

“The immediate human capital challenges for the country’s business community are the staff shortages and difficulties in bringing in and retaining foreign workers, as well as the increase in public sector employment figures. This has resulted in increased competition for employees in a very tight labour market” says Ms Marisa Xuereb, President of The Malta Chamber.

The Malta Chamber, in collaboration with RSM Malta, presented its recommendations on the National Workforce Strategy during a press conference which was attended by the Honourable Minister Clyde Caruana and Opposition Spokesperson Hon. Dr Jason Azzopardi, among others.

The central theme to the recommendations is to nurture, attract, retain and upskill talent so as to boost productivity and increase the added value provided by the workforce. The document identifies the four key workforce challenges experienced by the industry, namely:

1. Encouraging active labour market participation by increasing the female participation rate, promoting active ageing and focusing on early school leavers;
2. Tackling skills gaps and mismatches to address systemic gaps and incentivising upskilling and reskilling;
3. Attracting and retaining local and foreign talent to fill the gaps within the Maltese labour market;
4. Improving productivity and workers’ added value and addressing under-employment in certain sectors.

These challenges and the proposed recommendations were drafted to address deficiencies in the short and medium term. In total, 56 tangible recommendations were proposed, paired with 48 quantifiable success measures.

In her concluding remarks, Dr Marthese Portelli, CEO of The Malta Chamber, said, “The Malta Chamber believes that it has proposed tangible proposals and it expects the policy makers to review the recommendations in detail and come back with an action plan. The Malta Chamber will offer its assistance for the successful implementation of this plan, in order to make our country more competitive and build an economy which is more sustainable and people centred.”

Download the full document here. 

The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, and STM Malta Pension Services Ltd signed a bronze collaboration agreement to further support the policy framework of The Malta Chamber and ensure that pension systems continue to protect older people from poverty and allowing them to enjoy decent living standards and economic independence.

“The Malta Chamber is once again collaborating with local business champions towards a smarter and more sustainable Malta,” said Ms Marisa Xuereb, President of The Malta Chamber while noting that through the pairing with the ‘Pensions Committee’, STM Malta Pension Services Ltd. will assist The Chamber in increasing awareness through educational initiatives on issues regarding the sustainability of the state pension.

“The aim of this collaboration is two-fold. Through our rigorous policy team, the objective is to educate and assist both the business community and the Maltese population at large on matters related to private and workplace pension schemes. Furthermore, Malta will be promoted internationally as a leading base for international cross-border pension provision,” said Ms Xuereb.

Deborah Schembri, Managing Director and CEO of STM Malta Pension Services Ltd. said that the financial sustainability of pension schemes is indispensable and given their huge impact on public budgets and labour supply, they must be considered in pension policy.

Ms Schembri highlighted that the main goals of pension and retirement policies are to provide adequate income in old age while ensuring financial sustainability and maximising employment through incentives in support of stable formal work careers and longer working lives for women and men.

“Complementary retirement savings are necessary to secure adequate replacement rates in the future. Supplementary pensions can take the form of occupational pensions, i.e. pension schemes organised at the level of a company or sector and accessed through an employment relationship, or personal pensions, i.e. individual contracts with a pension provider,” said Ms Schembri.

This is relevant both for local pensions provision and also international cross-border pension provision.

The CEO and Managing Director of STM Malta Pension Services Ltd, said that supplementary pensions will play an ever-greater role in maintaining the future adequacy of pensions, especially where the adequacy of public pensions is expected to deteriorate.

The agreement was signed by Ms Marisa Xuereb and Mr Chris Vassallo Cesareo as President and Deputy President of The Malta Chamber respectively, and Ms Deborah Schembri and Mr Aaron Cilia, Managing Director/CEO and Director of STM Malta respectively.