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Month: March 2024

TradeMalta organises its first Trade Mission to Ethiopia

Posted on by Mel Chamber

TradeMalta is currently in Ethiopia, assisting Malta-based businesses to unlock new opportunities.

The trade delegation, which is being organised by TradeMalta in collaboration with the Ethiopian Investment Commission, is made up of sixteen enterprises coming from different sectors – education and training, construction and building maintenance services, medical equipment, business consultancy, manufacturing, energy and sustainable solutions, ICT, financial services, and architectural and design professional services. Malta Enterprise, MCAST and the Institute of Tourism Studies are also part of the delegation.

Being the seat of the African Union, Ethiopia presents attractive opportunities for Malta-based businesses exploring new avenues for export and international expansion. Moreover, Ethiopia serves as a hub in Eastern Africa, acting as a vital gateway to tap into the broader East African market. This provides huge potential for fostering mutually beneficial economic growth and collaboration between the two nations.

The multi-sector business mission currently in Addis Ababa aims to assist Malta-based businesses to extend their reach into this untapped market, whilst capitalising on the significant benefits brought about by the setting up of Malta’s embassy in Addis Ababa two years ago. Through leveraging this diplomatic milestone, delegates can unlock new growth opportunities in the vibrant economic landscape of Addis Ababa and beyond.

Anton Buttigieg, CEO of TradeMalta commented, “This Trade Mission is an important milestone to consolidate commercial ties between Malta and Ethiopia as it will unlock untapped investment opportunities. During our first visit we are providing Malta-based businesses with insights into the intricacies of conducting business in Ethiopia. It is encouraging that so many businesses are showing an increasing interest in doing business in this part of the world.

TradeMalta encourages Malta-based companies interested in taking their business across borders to reach out with their ideas and plans and avail themselves of our support and services. We look forward to offering guidance and resources to materialise their internationalization plans into successful cross-border endeavors’.

TradeMalta is organising the first Malta – Ethiopia business forum in Addis Ababa with key Ethiopian stakeholders. This will be followed by a business-to-business matchmaking session that will provide an opportunity to the Maltese delegation to discuss potential business opportunities.

Celebrating the power and diversity of women at BOV

Posted on by Mel Chamber

The 8th of March is synonymous with Women’s Day – a celebration of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women worldwide. Several initiatives were undertaken by Bank of Valletta to celebrate women’s achievements while showing support towards vulnerable people in our communities.

As the Bank’s CEO Kenneth Farrugia said in a message to staff, “I recognise the crucial role that women play in the Bank’s success and can recall many colleagues who have been pivotal in shaping this organisation over the years. With 60% of our workforce comprised of women, I invite everyone to join me in this celebration and encourage the women of our workforce to continue making their presence felt until we truly become one unified family.”

Staff from across the organisation showed their unwavering support for this cause by sharing messages and selfies to highlight the many female faces of BOV. Supporting this, a unique spotlight was placed on seven female employees from across the organisation, who showcased their individual life experiences. They all highlighted the diversity that exists within the Bank and shared their roles, passions, aspirations and also their responsibilities outside the office. These were Danielle Grima, Chief Risk Officer, Julie Grech who heads the Bank’s Corporate Financing function, Rita Lovegrove who has a support role, Charline Magro from E-Banking, Marisa Said who heads Consumer Lending and Microfinancing, Christine Mizzi, Naxxar Branch Manager, and Rim Zouari from the Bank’s People & Culture team.

The Bank also reached out to several non-profit making organisations that support vulnerable women, visiting their premises and offering much-needed monetary support. Speaking about this initiative, Charles Azzopardi who heads the Bank’s CSR function explained, “In addition to supporting our own people through benefits that focus on holistic well-being, this year we lent a helping hand to NGOs that do invaluable work, sometimes in the dark, that make big differences to vulnerable people’s lives. Four of our female colleagues personally visited the shelters and presented monetary donations to help further their mission.”

Tonia Parascandalo, Head of Pensions and Insurance Services paid a visit to the St Jeanne Antide Foundation (SJAF), a family and community-focused NGO committed to offering holistic support to vulnerable families. The SOAR service offered by this NGO focuses on empowering women and children who have endured the harrowing ordeal of domestic abuse. Another shelter that found the Bank’s support was il-Milja, a shelter run by Fondazzjoni Sebħ, that provides holistic services to women and their children from twelve families running away from various forms of violence. BOV representative, Jeanette Grech, along with the rest of the CSR Team discussed the vital work carried out by this NGO.

Dr Tania Camilleri from the Bank’s People and Culture team paid a visit to the Migrant Women Association, which supports women migrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers who fall within the category of the extremely vulnerable, but who at the same time have great potential and capacity to overcome the tough situations they are going through. The last shelter included in this initiative was Dar Ġużeppa Debono in Gozo that lends a hand to single mothers and families, helping them understand their rights and re-inserting themselves into society. BOV was represented by Gozo Branch Manager Charmaine Borg who discussed the role of this NGO within the Gozitan community.

Another important initiative was a 30-minute podcast moderated by BOV’s Tonia Parascandalo. It featured Stephanie Falzon from BPW (Business Professional Women), Graziella Castillo from Aġenzija Appoġġ, and Charmaine Bugeja. The discussion focused on the hurdles that victims of domestic violence face, and how their lack of financial independence makes their situation more acute. This clip is currently being aired on the Bank’s social media channels https://fb.watch/qGDqqw55bi/. “This experience was truly a reality check for me,” said Tonia Parascandalo.  “Listening to people who have lived domestic violence or who work so closely with its victims explain what an important block financial wellbeing is, is truly an eye-opener. I am convinced that if we stand with each other, we can truly help make a difference, both in supporting the vulnerable, as well as in celebrating diversity and living inclusion everywhere we are.”

Businesses Discuss EU Textile and Food Waste Measures

Posted on by Mel Chamber

Malta Business Bureau organises info session on revised Waste Framework Directive

The Malta Business Bureau organised an information session with businesses on the EU’s proposal for a revised Waste Framework Directive (WFD). The European Commission has now proposed a revision of the WFD to place a greater emphasis on the reduction and proper management of food waste and textile waste.

For the first time, the new rules put forward binding food waste reduction targets which all member states must meet. Latest EU statistics show that 139kg of food per person is wasted in the EU every year, which makes up 10% of all food made available to EU customers. In financial terms, this leads to losses of around EUR 132 billion.

By the end of 2030, member states must achieve a 10% reduction in food waste in manufacturing, and a 30% reduction in households, hospitality, and retail, compared to 2020 levels. Possible measures include supporting behavioural change, raising awareness, addressing inefficiencies in the food supply chain, encouraging food donation, redistribution, and skills development.

Opening the webinar, MBB President Alison Mizzi remarked, “by minimizing waste, businesses can achieve significant cost savings, enhance operational efficiency and foster a more sustainable approach. This not only contributes to their bottom line, but also resonates with the growing consumer demand for environmentally responsible practices.”

At the same time, selecting 2020 as the baseline year to measure food waste reduction has proved controversial. “This ignores the socioeconomic circumstances brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. As with many industries, hospitality suffered from repeated and prolonged periods of closures or other restrictions. This means any food waste data gathered that year does not reflect the real-world scenario of hospitality establishments”, Ms. Mizzi added.

The reduction of textile waste is also a key objective of the revised Directive. Initial efforts shall be placed on strengthening producer responsibility to carry the cost of waste management.

Through Extended Producer Responsibility schemes, producers of clothing, footwear, and household textiles will financially contribute towards collecting used textiles, carrying out of compositional surveys of collected mixed municipal waste, providing information on sustainable and circular practices, data gathering, and supporting R&D to improve waste processing.

Producers would also be obliged to set up their own free collection systems for used textiles, to run alongside public collection systems operated by governments.

Textile waste poses a major challenge across the globe. Current data shows that the EU generates 12.6 million tonnes of textile waste each year, with almost half attributed to clothing and footwear waste alone. At the same time, only 22% of such waste is collected for recycling or reuse.

The webinar also featured interventions by MHRA CEO Andrew Agius Muscat and The Malta Chamber Policy Executive (Sustainability) Gabby Grech Larsson. Mr. Agius Muscat shared his views on the proposal from the perspective of hospitality, stressing that hotels and restaurants have already prioritised food waste reduction in their kitchens, while more needs to the done to tackle households. On her part, Ms. Grech Larsson shared what support The Malta Chamber may offer businesses to reduce the environmental impact of their operations, through the Enterprise Europe Network service.

As it stands, the current WFD establishes fundamental principles and definitions concerning waste management, outlining important concepts such as what is considered waste, recycling, and recovery. It also sets out how waste should be managed to avoid adverse impacts on health, the environment, noise, and other aspects. The proposal for a revised WFD is an important file to address two sources of waste which has so far lagged behind.

The information session was hosted by MBB’s EU Policy Manager on Sustainability Gabriel Cassar who also provided an overview of the proposal’s main elements and what they mean for businesses in practice. He explained how the proposal may be expanded in the future to cover more sources of food and textile waste.

The MBB has been working closely with national and EU policymakers to put forward the views and concerns of Maltese businesses. Those interested in further information are encouraged to contact the MBB EU policy team on infobrussels@mbb.org.mt.

The Malta Business Bureau is the EU business advisory organisation of The Malta Chamber and The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association. It is also a partner of the Enterprise Europe Network.

87% of those aged between 25 and 34 prefer online shopping

Posted on by Mel Chamber

In recent years, Malta has witnessed a dynamic transformation in its social media landscape, significantly influencing how people, businesses, and communities interact and engage with one another.

To this end, The Malta chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, in collaboration with misco, organised an event that explored the current social media trends in Malta, highlighting the impact on society, business, and culture. The survey results from the ‘misco Social Media Usage Trends Survey 2023/24’ were presented, providing valuable insights into the strategies, challenges, and opportunities associated with the rapid evolution of digital communication platforms.

To view the full results of the survey, kindly click here.

In her opening speech, Dr Marthese Portelli, The Malta Chamber CEO, emphasised that understanding consumer behaviour and market trends is fundamental to The Malta Chamber philosophy. “The Malta Chamber’s mission is clear. We believe that digitalisation is key for business to succeed and will therefore continue fronting policy change and we will continue providing you with invaluable insights,” said Dr Portelli. She noted that amidst this digital revolution, it’s imperative to remember that technology should serve humanity, not the other way around.

Rebecca Gera, Director of Marketing and Opinion Research Unit at misco, presented the findings of the seventh survey on social media and online behaviour. “This year’s results reveal a growing acceptance of online advertising on social platforms, despite user discomfort with targeted ads. Moreover, while online shopping stabilizes, there’s a notable increase in the intensity of actions, with diverse purchases on the rise. Notably, 63% of online shoppers shop local, emphasizing the need for local enterprises to establish a digital presence,” she highlighted.

During a panel discussion, which was made up of Nick Bugeja (CEO, Ballotra), Prof. Franco Curmi (Head of the Marketing Department, University of Malta), Francesa Zammit Cutajar (Head of Marketing, P Cutajar & Co Ltd) and James Vella Clark (PR and Corporate Communications Director, Corporate ID Group), discussed several elements including:
• Influencer marketing, which is very popular with the younger demographics, and whether this trend will trickle down to the older generation
• The decline in breadth of sharing on social media platforms and what brands need to explore to increase engagement
• The discomfort surrounding targeted ads and what measures can be taken to improve transparency and trust in this realm
• Young people exhibiting a strong preference for video content over traditional text-based media, leading to lower rates of news website access
• Online shopping becoming ever more prevalent with 25-34 year olds, with increasing intensity across various product categories

In her closing remarks, Rachel Bondi Attard, Head of Media and Communications Strategy at The Malta Chamber, called on businesses to embrace the digital revolution. “It’s time to kick our digital game into high gear, harnessing the power of smartphones, social media, and all things digital to take your businesses to new heights. Let’s also remain mindful of the importance of education in shaping digital literacy and the integrity of information in combating the spread of fake news,” she noted.

Paymix SoftPOS is making waves in Malta and in Germany

Posted on by Mel Chamber

Malta-based Finance Incorporated Limited, recently captured the attention of small business owners in Malta and in Germany with the launch of Paymix SoftPOS, the innovative app that turns an Android phone into a POS terminal. Aside from giving the merchants the capacity to accept contactless payments on their phone, the app also boasts other benefits such as immediate access to funds, paperless receipts, low fees, no setup costs and no monthly commitment. Not long after its launch, the team participated at EuroCIS 2024, the biggest trade fair for retail technology in Europe, which was held from 27th to 29th of February in Düsseldorf, Germany.


“Exhibiting in EuroCIS was a huge break for us as we join the biggest POS brands worldwide. It was an opportunity for our team to showcase why Paymix SoftPOS is uniquely beneficial for retailers and how combining it with Finance Incorporated Limited’s suite of services can fully optimise the payment experience for both the client and their end-users,” Cenk Kahraman, CEO of Finance Incorporated Limited explains. “We are pleased with the number of interests we have received and the clients who onboarded with us on the spot.”


On the first day of EuroCIS, Finance Incorporated Limited coincidentally announced the collaboration of Paymix SoftPOS and Lune Climate Ltd, a leading global provider for funding high quality climate projects. By integrating Lune’s API to the app, Finance Incorporated Limited is donating a certain percentage of the respective transaction to fund high quality climate curated projects focusing on CO2 offsetting every time a payment is made with Paymix SoftPOS. An additional donation option for retailers and their customers is also being planned and should be implemented in the second quarter of the current year.


“The topics of sustainability and climate protection are also becoming increasingly relevant in payment transactions, both on the merchant side as well as with their customers. We are therefore very proud to now have a partner in Lune with whom all parties involved in the payment process can work together and at the same time fulfil our own environmental commitments as a company,” emphasised Cenk Kahraman.

Further information about Paymix SoftPOS can be found here.