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Month: August 2022

Moneybase launches extended hours trading, adds over 9 hours access to markets

Posted on by Developers Think

Moneybase has just announced that customers using the Moneybase Invest app and web platform can now access the US markets during pre- and post-market hours, giving investors an additional 9 and a half hours of trading.

Alan Cuschieri, co-CEO at Calamatta Cuschieri said: “This is yet another first for Malta brought to the market by Moneybase. Investors using the Moneybase platform can now choose to react to market-moving news before markets open for the main session. We are maximising investors’ ability to tap into investment opportunities and also providing convenience around the time investors can make focused decisions. I also wish to take this opportunity to thank our clients for supporting us and ultimately making these features possible.”

With pre-market trading, investors can place orders as early as 10 a.m. and after hours until 2 a.m. in local time (CEST), before and after the U.S. stock exchanges are open. All stocks and ETFs trading on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq will be available outside regular market hours.

Moneybase users have access to a wide array of investment opportunities with over 20,000 stocks, bonds, funds and ETFs. They can also access extensive payments functionality, including SEPA payments, make use of a personal IBAN on their e-money accounts, pay with a physical and virtual Mastercard, and make instant person –to-person payments. Visit moneybase.com for more information.

Moneybase users are invited to be part of this exciting journey and have their say in shaping the next-generation financial platform by joining the online public roadmap, community page and Facebook group. To access Moneybase, users may download the app from either the Android or Apple Store. Visit www.moneybase.com for more information.

Chair of Care Home Operators Executive Committee at The Malta Chamber response to nurse shortage

Posted on by Developers Think

In response to the Times of Malta article regarding shortages of nurses, Natalie Briffa Farrugia, Chair of the Care Home Operators Executive Committee at The Malta Chamber said “The care home industry has been raising the alarm about the systemic shortage of nurses in our country for several years now. The news that an Irish recruitment agency is attempting to poach nurses from Malta will exacerbate the existing issues that our care homes are facing as they keep losing well-trained staff overseas.”

“Care homes are now caught in a vicious cycle whereby they incur substantial recruitment and training costs, giving employees the opportunity to improve their English in the process, only to have these efforts taken advantage of by the UK, Ireland and other countries, as well as our local public sector entities. This news comes just as the care home sector is still reeling from the impact of the pandemic,” she said.

“Operators had to bear the disproportionate cost of necessary COVID-19 related health measures as they experienced higher operating costs with lower bed occupancy. The profitability of the sector has been further disrupted by the government’s requirement to set aside contingency beds. In addition to this, care homes are also heavily exposed to the current inflationary pressures, particularly in terms of spiraling food costs,” said Ms Briffa Farrugia.

The Malta Chamber And PT Matic Environmental Services Ltd Renew Bronze Partnership Agreement

Posted on by Developers Think

The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry and PT Matic Environmental Services Ltd have renewed their bronze collaboration agreement with the aim of supporting the Circular Economy Committee.

“We are honoured to be partnering once again with a business leader such as PT Matic in our strive to embrace sustainable measures within the business sphere,” said Marisa Xuereb, The Malta Chamber President, ahead of the signing.

“Working together composed of leading businesses in the field, the committee has responded to various public consultations and played a leading role in policy formation at The Malta Chamber, informing, amongst other documents, its recommendations on the Annual Budget 2023. The committee’s vision is for a smart, sustainable island in which the private sector plays a leading part in an effective, efficient and innovative waste management system. Moving forward, the committee will continue to make the case to government to find joint solutions to turn problematic waste streams into national opportunities,” said President Xuereb.

“It is our pleasure to renew our support to The Malta Chamber through continued dialogue on Circular Economy and by putting forward proposals that benefit both industry and the community alike. The Malta Chamber continues to offer the ideal platform for the exchange of ideas and for private enterprise to lead the way in terms of sustainability and establishing a circular approach to resource use,” says Ing. Oliver Fenech, General Manager of PT Matic Environmental Services Ltd.

The Bronze Collaboration Alliance Agreement was signed by Marisa Xuereb and Chris Vassallo Cesareo as President and Deputy President of The Malta Chamber, respectively, and Ing. Oliver Fenech as General Manager of PT Matic Environmental Services Ltd.

Daniel Cutajar appointed Chief Technology Officer of BNF Bank

Posted on by Developers Think

BNF Bank p.l.c. has announced the appointment of Mr Daniel Cutajar as Chief Technology Officer to lead the implementation of the Bank’s IT Strategy and digital transformation.

Throughout his career Mr Cutajar has held several senior management roles with direct experience in the Maltese Financial industry since 2005 and overall IT experience for 23 years. His specialisations include IT service management, project management and software development. He also holds a Master of Business Administration (eBusiness) degree from the University of Malta.

Prior to joining BNF Bank, Mr Cutajar accumulated a wealth of experience as Head of Information Technology at Ferratum Bank, responsible for the IT function and overseeing the Bank’s IT strategy, governance and business continuity. He was also a member of the bank’s Executive Committee and the Group IT Management Committee as well as having chaired the IT Governance, Risk and Compliance Committee.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Cutajar said “It is an honour to join BNF Bank’s Executive Committee as Chief Technology Officer. I’m excited to be driving the Bank’s digital transformation journey forward, and to strengthen BNF’s infrastructure with advanced technology, to ultimately provide customers an exceptional and seamless service they expect.”

Chief Executive Officer Michael Collis welcomed Daniel to the team and said this new role at the Bank will serve to make the bank’s digital trajectory more robust contributing to BNF’s overall strategic and financial strength in the market. BNF Bank has selected the cutting-edge Temenos Transact and Infinity to spearhead the next phase of technological investment of the bank for its Core Banking Transformation.

Daniel Cutajar joins Michael Collis – BNF Bank’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, George Debono – Chief Commercial Officer, Mark Micallef – Chief Financial Officer, Maruska Buttiġieġ Gili – Chief Risk Officer and Dr Jean Noel Cutajar – Chief Legal Officer as members of the BNF Bank’s Executive Management team.

The 5 Chairs

Posted on by Developers Think

5 chairs, 5 colours, 5 animals, 5 objects, 5 quotes – These are the 5 key elements behind ‘The 5 Chairs’ tool, one of the most innovative and universally applicable self-development tools on the market today.

Created by Louise Evans – Director/Founder at The5Chairs – ‘The 5 Chairs’ is a powerful, transformational tool which forces us to take a good look at ourselves; the way we think, talk, behave and relate in every moment. It changes the way we manage our relationships and lives forever and invites us to bring forth the very best of ourselves in any situation.

We ALL create the atmosphere of our workplaces, the climate in our homes and the culture of our society at large. We are all authors and masters of our own lives. But are we doing our best?

As humans, we have tendencies, especially under stress, to revert to unhelpful, unproductive and defensive behaviours. We do and say things we regret. This has a negative impact on our relationships which then takes a toll on our personal happiness. But we can change this. How?

The 5 Chairs tool consists of 5 differently coloured chairs which act as a mirror to our daily attitudes and behaviours. They invite us to wake up and consciously track the way we are managing ourselves and other people, providing us with constant feedback.

Whether you are managing an organisation, leading a team, parenting a family or navigating any relationship, the 5 Chairs will provide you with a powerful gateway to greater self-awareness, deeper learning and richer relationships. The tool is designed to help you learn, lead and behave more effectively in your professional and private roles.

BENEFITS OF THE 5 CHAIRS TOOL
• A practical tool for heightened self-awareness and self-leadership
• An approach to help understand and manage other people more effectively
• Better self-control and stress management
• Greater ability to stay in positive intention and manage difficult conversations
• Assured development in 3 defining areas: Behavioral Agility, Conscious Communication, Relationship mastery
• A highly effective tool for self-coaching and coaching others
• More productive behaviour both at home and at work

WHY ARE THE 5 CHAIRS EFFECTIVE?
• Very practical – using simple easily digestible concepts and metaphors suitable for all learning styles and accompanied by the highly practical book ‘5 Chairs 5 Choices’
• Very memorable using multisensorial messaging including visual, audio, tactile
• Both simple and profound depending on its application & target audience, ranging from in-depth 5-day leadership training to 18-minute TEDx talk
• Innovative and engaging base on a highly engaging ‘Edutainment’ approach
• Universal – it crosses all cultures, generations, sectors, hierarchies, departments and roles
• Very versatile – has multiple applications: Corporate, Education, Nonprofit, Government
• Just as effective online as in person

The 5 Chairs has a message for everyone. They are designed to nurture, transform and maintain the Human Side of life. If your ambition is to become a truly effective human being in order to better serve yourself and others then The 5 Chairs is the tool for you. These chairs are not for the faint-hearted though. It takes courage to listen to the messages of the Chairs and then act on them. However, once you have internalized the 5 Chairs they will be your companion for life.

FEEDBACK + TESTIMONIALS

Feedback from participants who have taken part in our programs and adopted the core teachings of The 5 Chairs has described it as ‘transformational’, ’highly practical’, ‘extremely original’,‘easily applicable’, ’life-changing’, ‘a life-tool everyone should use’.

“If everyone applied Louise’s guidelines we would live in a decidedly better world’
Franco Moscetto – President OVS Italy

“This is a must for anyone who wants to grow in this world”
Dr. Ing. Gianfranco Michelini – Entrepreneur and Author

Louise Evans will introduce The 5 Chairs to the general public on Thursday 15 September. Please click here to know more.

HSBC Malta Foundation renewed its commitment to Down Syndrome Association Malta

Posted on by Developers Think

For the past three years, HSBC Malta Foundation has renewed its commitment to support a range of educational programmes organized by Down Syndrome Association Malta (DSAM). The educational programmes have been specially designed to provide DSAM student members with a plethora of life skills and work-related competencies to better equip them for taking on jobs that suit their talents and interests.

During a visit to HSBC Head Office in Valletta, a number of members from DSAM met with Michel Cordina, Executive Director and Head of Business Development at HSBC Malta. Cordina commented: “At HSBC Malta we feel that DSAM’s mission to help each of their members reach their full potential and lead a happy fulfilling life is something that resonates strongly with us. It is always a genuine pleasure seeing our support providing such a positive and empowering impact.”

DSAM President, Joeanna Xerri said: “These educational programmes serve to upskill and empower our members to be in a better position to lead a more independent life. The support of HSBC Malta Foundation has been pivotal for us in being able to provide these services and encourages us to continue expanding our assistance in a more holistic manner.”

DSAM was set up to encourage people who have Down Syndrome to fulfil their potential for a successful and happy life, in a society that recognises their abilities and is supportive of their needs.

For more information about DSAM, one can visit their website at www.dsa.org.mt

Airmalta saga: taxpayers foot the bill – The Malta Chamber

Posted on by Developers Think

The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry reiterates the strategic importance of having a national airline that is run efficiently to ensure its long-term viability. It is clear that there is no other way that this can be achieved without shedding hundreds of Airmalta’s employees. It is also clear that the starting negotiating position of guaranteeing their inflated take-home pay, which was a contributing factor to Airmalta’s failure, makes it virtually impossible for them to be employed anywhere where their pay can be justified. The Malta Chamber is cognisant that in these circumstances, severance payments may very well work out cheaper for the country than burdening the public sector with hundreds of superfluous overpaid reluctant workers indefinitely. What needs to be clarified is the basis on which the amounts being offered have been arrived at. The Malta Chamber believes that these amounts appear to be absurdly high and illustrative of how the bargaining power of overly protected groups results in unfair outcomes for the country as a whole.

Reports of the severance packages for Airmalta employees negotiated by unions with Government have understandably provoked anger in taxpayers and private sector operators who uphold performance-based standards for compensation. The salary expectation of hundreds of Airmalta employees are not commensurate with their competence and willingness to be productive. They therefore could not be absorbed by the public sector and would not fit in the private sector either. Following years of being paid hefty salaries for questionable output at the national airline that bled millions every year they are now being given a six-figure golden handshake costing the country around €50 million.

The Malta Chamber believes that the Airmalta saga is the culmination of decades of unsustainable employment practices and vitiated political interference in the running of the national airline. Other Government-owned entities are susceptible to similar extravagances, and are unlikely to ever be brought to the reckoning by the European Commission, as Airmalta has been. The Malta Chamber is particularly concerned that we will continue paying millions in hefty salaries and superfluous spending at other entities unless a credible framework for the monitoring of the performance of such entities that is ringfenced from political interference is put in place.

Implementation of work-life balance directive & its impact on business discussed with PN representatives

Posted on by Developers Think

Earlier this week, a delegation from The Malta Chamber, led by President Marisa Xuereb, met with representatives from the Opposition Party to exchange views on employment-related matters, labour market restrictions and wage inflationary pressures on industry.

Several topics were discussed including:

• Work-Life Balance
• Parental leave transferability
• Centralized shared system with employers
• Productivity
• Pensions

The Malta Chamber outlines Tourism industry priorities with Malta Tourism Authority

Posted on by Developers Think

A delegation from The Malta Chamber led by CEO Dr Marthese Portelli and The Malta Chamber Tourism Operators Business Section Chair Alan Arrigo, met with Carlo Micallef and Leslie Vella, CEO and Deputy CEO of the Malta Tourism Authority to discuss national priorities with the tourism sector.

The topics highlighted included:

• Licensing Regime
• Funding & Events coordination
• Seasonality practices
• Digitalisation
• Industry engagement with Accademia
• Enforcement on unregulated operators

The Malta Chamber CEO also highlighted the following points:

• Reposition MTA’s role as an enabler for the industry and as a regulator which enforces licensing standards and promotes best practices, as opposed to its current perceived status as a competitor with the private sector.
• The extension of community policing to tourism zones in core areas. Incentivise the use of technology to improve sanitary standards and safety by reducing human intervention in cleaning and similar processes.
• Implementation of Digital Strategic Roadmap for Tourism in the Maltese Islands 2030.
• Proper waste disposal by and for the industry.