The Commercial Courier July/August 2020

THE COMMERCIAL/90

COURIER THE OFFICIAL BUSINESS MAGAZINE OF THE MALTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, ENTERPRISE AND INDUSTRY SINCE 1947

JULY/AUGUST 2020

Artistic experimentation

Kane Cali’s language of art

NEWSPAPER POST GOLD COLLABORATING PARTNERS

IN THIS ISSUE POST-COVID RECOVERY: HOW BUSINESSES ARE PERFORMING / LEADING ECONOMISTS PREDICT ECONOMIC OUTLOOK FOR SECOND HALF OF 2020 / CHANGE AND RESTRUCTURING AT THE MALTA CHAMBER / FINANCE MINISTER EDWARD SCICLUNA ON THE ROAD AHEAD FOR MALTA’S ECONOMY / HEALTH MINISTER CHRIS FEARNE ON DEALING WITH COVID-19 / BEHIND THE DESIGN OF BEEFBAR MALTA / THE LATEST BUSINESS NEWS

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48 FOCUS

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FOOD TRENDS

THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT The Malta Chamber and the architects behind its new branding speak to Rebecca Anastasi about the process towards the new designs, and their hope for what lies ahead.

91 BUSINESS MEET THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE YOUNG CHAMBER NETWORK

10 COVER STORY THE RECOVERY STRATEGY: SEIZING OPPORTUNITY POST-COVID-19 Following the unprecedented blow dealt to the global economy by COVID-19, Sarah Micallef talks to business leaders to find out what their future looks like, post-pandemic.

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34 INTERVIEW THE PANDEMIC IN MALTA: WHAT’S NEXT?

A look into the figures related to the impact of COVID-19 on businesses in Malta.

Martina Said catches up with Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne to discuss Malta’s current position in the midst of a global pandemic, the availability of a COVID-19 vaccine, and the likelihood of a dreaded second wave.

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40 IN DEPTH

27 IN FIGURES COVID-19 & BUSINESS … IN NUMBERS

KEEPING THE ECONOMY GOING Minister for Finance and Financial Services Edward Scicluna speaks to Rebecca Anastasi about what lies ahead as the island gets back on its feet following the COVID-19 crisis.

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STYLE REVIEW

SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE MALTA CHAMBER Over the past year, The Malta Chamber has been working tirelessly on an extensive restructuring, which includes upgrading its statute, rolling out a digitalisation programme and refurbishing the iconic La Borsa. The team behind it reveals what’s in store to Martina Said.

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Sarah Micallef meets Rebecca Barbaro Sant, Creative Partner at The Authentic Brief, and Justin John Camilleri, Business Development Manager at Lewis Press Limited to discuss their involvement with the YCN.

102 DESIGN TRENDS A REFINED LUXURY BY THE WATER’S EDGE Sarah Micallef discovers what went into the design of the recently opened Beefbar with Lesley-Ann Mintoff of Edwin Mintoff Architects, the architects and civil engineers who spearheaded the project.

118 MEET THE ARTIST EXPLORING THE LANGUAGE OF ART Artist Kane Cali chats with Martina Said about his journey from 3D character animation to modern art, his family legacy, and applying his fascination with new technology into works of art that will stand the test of time.

stablished in 1947, The Commercial Courier is the official magazine of the The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry. It is the leading business magazine, having one of the best distribution channels in the sector. The publication is distributed for free to the members of The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry. It is also delivered to leading businesspeople across the Maltese islands.

The Exchange, Republic Street, Valletta VLT1117 Tel: +356 2123 3873 Fax: +356 2124 5223 info@maltachamber.org.mt www.maltachamber.org.mt

This issue covers the month of July/August 2020.

EDITOR

Articles appearing in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry.

EDITORIAL COORDINATORS

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Kevin J. Borg Sarah Micallef Edward Bonello PUBLISHER

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DIRECTOR OF SALES & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Matthew Spiteri CORPORATE SALES & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

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ON THE COVER Vertices by Kane Cali.

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EDITORIAL

The true and vibrant voice of Malta’s business community In our last editorial, we spoke about the challenges the country and our businesses were facing as we were making our way out of the COVID crisis. The Malta Chamber took a leadership role in the spring months of this year as it led businesses through an unprecedented time of uncertainty and hardship.

Photo by David Pisani

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oday, as some weeks have passed from the partial lockdown and we have started witnessing the fledglings of a restart, it is noteworthy to discuss the operation that went on behind the scenes during the past months, and how The Malta Chamber kept up its business plan of renewal and regeneration, to be in the best position possible to assist businesses in the new norm and beyond.

As from its election in March 2019, the current Council agreed to a determined plan that would bring about the necessary changes to the organisation, that would help it better reflect the ambitions of its current and prospective members alike. In fact, we decided that the time was right to embark on an active process of evolution to make sure that our mission and approach remain relevant for an exciting future we look forward to.

One of the first things we realised was that the core of our structure, which is the three Economic Groups, needed to be supplemented by a complementary structure of horizontal committees that tackle issues that affect all sectors, no matter what their operation is. Now, The Malta Chamber has a series of Thematic Committees which are

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focused on matters such as economic and financial affairs, human resources, education, the circular economy, energy efficiency and conservation, sustainable mobility, quality management, building and construction, entrepreneurship and family business, digital transformation and good governance.

At the same level we also created a Think Tank, which is tasked to think outside the box and create scenarios of how we can take the best advantage of the new norm post-COVID. In fact, we are excited to attend an event which we are organising under the patronage of the President of the Republic on 4th August in which the Think Tank shall be presenting its findings and report.

With a view to help you look beyond, even at these times, this year, we established an International Relations Council (IRC) which is headed by our President. The IRC is further composed of the Head of Internationalisation and a member to represent each of the five continents. The purpose of the Council is to determine the cross-border import/export priorities and interests of members, and most importantly, to hub inter-country trading through Malta. Through our combined internationalisation efforts, we are seeking to help members expand their business abroad

through practical support services as well as by facilitating an environment conducive to tapping new and emerging markets overseas.

In the light of our objective to enhance customer experience, we shall shortly be undergoing a complete refurbishment of our building. This will include general maintenance work as well as new electrical and data installation. Once this crucial stage of work is complete, the Chamber will be given a fresh look with plans to make the courtyard a comfortable lounge area for use by members for informal meetings and a redecoration of all the rooms and offices.

Staying ahead of the curve, even for a 172-year old organisation, also means never shying away from leading the way and making sure that our members’ experience is as comfortable as possible. For this reason, digitalisation remains a key element in our plans. Our biggest project in digitalisation was the investment in a platform which we have just launched. ‘Members Gateway’ sits on our website, and apart from helping us to target our communications better, it will serve as an intranet for our members to access a number of services including calendar of events and online event registration, online payments, access to committee minutes and view our position papers. The platform incorporates an online business directory to give our members’ companies exposure. Other additional services are being contemplated for launch in 2021.

So, as you can realise, the Chamber has gone through a lot of change over the past 12-14 months. We have chosen to build on our strength and on our glorious 172-year-old history. But at the same time, we chose to invest wisely and be bold in designing and executing the changes required to ascertain a strong future for our organisation.

We are confident that after a year of solid discussion, planning and work, we are now delivering a Chamber that is stronger than ever, and which is further focused on member needs, more oriented to analyse the national economic landscape through strengthened horizontal structures, better positioned and equipped with modern technologies, quicker off the mark and more responsive.

The work we have undergone in the past months will support us in delivering our mission “to support, represent and connect businesses to grow and engage in shaping Malta’s future.” And be true to our vision, to be “the true and vibrant voice of Malta’s Business Community” within our core values which remain - Leadership - Integrity Growth - Member Focus - Partnership. cc

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The recovery strategy: Seizing opportunity post-COVID-19 Following the unprecedented blow dealt to the global economy by COVID-19, Sarah Micallef talks to several of Malta’s business leaders to find out how different businesses and sectors are performing, and what their post-COVID recovery strategy looks like.

Kurt Farrugia CEO at Malta Enterprise Describing the situation in the last months as “very demanding”, the CEO of Malta Enterprise explains that administering the bulk of the assistance being provided

by Government has resulted in further responsibilities for its workforce. “All employees at Malta Enterprise have been working very hard to ensure that we assist all businesses as fast as possible,” he says.

Revealing that employees have been going above and beyond their regular schedules and responsibilities, Mr Farrugia affirms that he is proud of their efforts, adding that “as a team we are committed to giving our utmost in assisting our entrepreneurs towards spearheading the regeneration of Malta’s economy.”

During the crisis, the CEO maintains that Malta Enterprise’s main objective was

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to ensure that companies operating from Malta remain afloat. “We wanted to limit redundancies in order to ascertain that companies retain their human capital to be able to hit the ground running as soon as the right conditions present themselves,” he asserts, pointing out that this “slowdown period” was also ideal for companies to retrain their employees and revisit their operations.

However, this is not to say that the corporation let up on its efforts to attract new FDI to Malta. “Although travelling had been halted, we still continued to meet virtually with a number of potential investors,” Mr Farrugia reveals, adding that since the airport reopened, Malta Enterprise has already started receiving the first ‘in person’ delegations in order to continue negotiations with investors and strategic partners. “The preparedness showcased both by our health services and our business-support functions

delivered results which were noticeable,” he continues, adding that this was highlighted by prospective investors.

Speaking of the local economy, the CEO asserts that its diversity ensures that whilst some sectors might be exposed to adverse shocks, others are actually going through a strong cycle. “Malta’s economy provides a lot of strong linkages between sectors,” he continues, illustrating that while tourism may not appear closely associated with manufacturing, there actually exists a strong relationship in some activities.

“Over the years Malta has developed a strong aviation cluster which includes the maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) of aircrafts. The global anaemic tourism sector implies that most aircrafts are grounded and this results in limited demand for MRO services,” he explains, noting that on the other hand, Malta has a strong pharma and medical devices sector which, as a result of the pandemic, experienced a significant

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“As a team we are committed to giving our utmost in assisting our entrepreneurs towards spearheading the regeneration of Malta’s economy.” - Kurt Farrugia, CEO, Malta Enterprise

increase in demand for their products.

“The pandemic clearly highlights the importance of having a well-diversified economy,” he maintains, explaining that Malta Enterprise is actively working to attract new investment that further spurs diversification of the local economy.

Speaking of the long-term effects of the pandemic, Mr Farrugia says that the situation remains fluid. “The Summer Economic Forecast published by the European Commission shows that in 2020 the Maltese economy will contract by 6 per cent and go on to grow by 6.3 per cent in 2021. Malta will be the only EU member state that will have fully recovered the contraction recorded in 2020,” he points out. However, he goes on to highlight that some industries such as tourism in its wider sense will continue to struggle to reach the economic activity recorded in 2019.

Referring to Government’s wage supplement and household vouchers

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schemes, the CEO explains that the objective is for these sectors to maintain their human resources until demand picks up. Noting that an increase in domestic consumer confidence augurs well, he continues that “the fact that most Maltese probably will not be going abroad this year could also translate into additional local expenditure that in part will compensate for the loss experienced due to the anaemic tourism sector.”

Meanwhile, Malta Enterprise continues to play its part. “Apart from the COVID Wage Supplement we are also currently finalising the processes to be able to roll out the Rent Refund and Electricity Refund support schemes,” he concludes.

Marisa Xuereb Managing Director at Raesch Quarz (Malta) Ltd Looking back on the last few months of quasi-lockdown, Managing Director Marisa Xuereb reflects that Raesch Quarz fared “pretty well” from an operational standpoint,

having not experienced any major logistical delays thanks to the support of their logistics partners.

“Our main customers are companies of international standing who rushed to place orders to secure their supply chain,” she explains, which meant that the company was busy throughout, with employees doing their best to meet the demand.

Stating that the workforce was cooperative throughout, Ms Xuereb notes that the company provided teleworking facilities for office employees and took all possible measures to mitigate contagion risks for employees who work in the production hall and were hence unable to work from home. “Many of these measures created some workflow inefficiencies that placed more pressure on capacity,” she reveals, adding that the first few weeks were particularly challenging.

“We tried to create a safe bubble within our production hall and went to the extent of having basic groceries available on the premises to minimise the extent to which our employees had to expose themselves to public places,” she says, affirming that

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these measures provided reassurance that helped ease employees’ concerns about the contagion risks they could be facing by having to leave home for work, allowing them to focus on their work without having to worry about other issues.

“By the end of the quasi-lockdown period, we were exhausted but satisfied that we had managed the situation proactively and with a great sense of responsibility across all levels,” she maintains.

However, the Managing Director highlights that the going will get tougher now that the real impact of COVID on international markets kicks in. “Anyone who is operating in international markets – from airlines and hotels to manufacturing companies to corporate service providers – knows all too well that we are nowhere next to normal, and that there is a long and challenging road ahead,” Ms Xuereb attests, affirming that while we may be returning to a sense of normality socially, it is a different story economically, where export activity remains subdued.

Warning that “we would be naïve to think that it’s all behind us”, the Deputy-President of the Malta Chamber predicts that the international economy will take a couple of years to get back to pre-COVID levels of confidence. Apart from that, she continues, some industries may change forever. “We have discovered that a lot of corporate travel is not really necessary, and while nothing beats face-to-face interaction, the frequency of this can be reduced by using digital technologies. We have also discovered that supply chains that are highly dependent on one country or geographical area are risky, and that just like it’s nice to have the little grocer around the corner, it’s also nice to have suppliers at closer proximity to secure your supply chain,” she maintains, sharing her wish for this to translate into a smarter distribution of business that is not purely based on price, but that factors in considerations such as risk mitigation.

Environmental considerations have also become more relevant for more people, Ms Xuereb points out, stating that the quasilockdown has allowed people to appreciate that life can be cleaner and healthier if we slow down. “We have all missed socialising, but we haven’t missed traffic jams, poor air quality and overcrowding,” she attests, adding that the real challenge is finding a happy medium by making better use of technology and finding ways of assigning value to non-monetary gains.

“As long as we continue to measure our success in terms of GDP as we know it and shying away from addressing negative externalities and incentivising positive contributions to the environment and our community, there is a good chance that

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COVID will be a missed opportunity. The good news is that we are still in time to capture as much of the positives of this challenging period as we can. And that is exactly what we should be doing.”

Nathan Farrugia CEO at Shireburn Software Limited and Managing Director of Vistage (Malta) “At Shireburn and Vistage we were geared up to work remotely as we often balanced flexibility with structure to enhance productivity,” says Nathan Farrugia, affirming that the situation with COVID served to enhance the teams’ trust in their systems of working, albeit on a much wider scale.

“Our approach to team performance is almost always output based, so where they physically sit is often not an issue,” he continues, adding that while particular roles do require certain time and place restrictions, such as the reception welcome desk, these team members were repurposed in order for their skills to be utilised elsewhere while working remotely.

Throughout the period of quasi-lockdown, Mr Farrugia maintains that primary efforts were focused on employees’ health, both from a pandemic risk as well as mental health issues caused by isolation. “We enhanced communication with more frequent meetings, and our management team checked up on individuals on a regular basis. We are very transparent about our finances and how we run the company, so everyone understood the collective sacrifices we had to make, to ensure the business was sustainable and no one lost their job,” he affirms.

As a result, they saw an increase in engagement survey results and productivity, and Mr Farrugia says that “the positive

“As long as we continue to measure our success in terms of GDP as we know it and shying away from addressing negative externalities and incentivising positive contributions to the environment and our community, there is a good chance that COVID will be a missed opportunity.” - Marisa Xuereb, Managing Director, Raesch Quarz (Malta) Ltd

business result is a by-product of the deeper purpose of taking care of each other.”

Bringing things to the present, the CEO points out that they are now seeing a slow uptake of projects that had been halted due to the insecurity of the economy, although some resistance to invest is still felt. “We expect people to be cautious until we understand how the pandemic will progress or recede. It’s no use speculating, so we create scenarios to be prepared for as many eventualities that can be predicted with current information,” he asserts, maintaining that ultimately, “leadership is about making

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decisions in tough times, and we have the right people on board to take them.”

Adding that while they do have some expectation of improved economic activity, they are not making any assumptions that normality – whatever that may be – will return soon. “We focus on the ‘now’ aspects of the business; improving our products, training our staff and supporting our current clients and exploring new revenue streams,” he says.

Speaking of the potential long-term effects and their strategy moving forward, Mr Farrugia reveals that he has consulted a number of industry experts as well as international Vistage research teams, and the messages are mixed. “The CEO confidence index is increasing, showing that the general feel is a gradual increase in economic activity over the next 12 to 18 months, but the speculation around second or more waves of the virus will derail any predictions,” he explains, pointing to a long-term negative effect on technology companies as a potential side-effect of a downturn in economy.

“On the other hand, it is an opportunity for companies like ours to push innovations to prepare for a new way of doing business, through further digital transformation and value creation from new products and services that facilitate new business practices. The ‘art’ is in making the right judgement calls in a VUCA environment, with the risk mitigation and creative pivots in place as things evolve, to be ahead of the next curve,” Mr Farrugia concludes.

Christine Pace Managing Director at Dorkins Ltd “The economic impact of this pandemic has been devastating, with unprecedented decisions having to be taken to steer the business through these uncharted waters,” says Dorkins Managing Director Christine Pace.

Sharing her belief that the uncertainty of not knowing what’s to come is likely to linger for a while yet, she affirms that “retail has been one of the worst affected sectors, as we were closed for seven weeks on zero income,” with remote work being limited to office staff.

“Leadership is about making decisions in tough times, and we have the right people on board to take them.” - Nathan Farrugia, CEO, Shireburn Software

“I am fairly confident fashion retail will weather the storms ahead.” - Christine Pace, Managing Director, Dorkins Ltd

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“We are seeing a gradual increase in bookings; however, it is too early to assess passengers’ expectations and perceptions.” Clifford Chetcuti, CEO, Air Malta Speaking of the company’s primary focuses during this period, Ms Pace highlights “cutting costs to the bare minimum and closely monitoring our daily cash flows.” This, she says, resulted in many lessons being learnt, primarily the importance of being resilient in a time of crisis and remaining rational in times of panic. “One has to be innovative and resort to foresight to fully understand the challenges ahead,” she maintains.

Bringing things to the present, several weeks since shops were allowed to reopen, Ms Pace laments that as expected, fashion retail is still slow, with different locations being impacted differently. “Valletta is on a slower recovery than Sliema, as Valletta is more tourist dependent,” she reveals.

“In my opinion, until a vaccine to this pandemic is found, the tourism sector will continue to suffer,” she says. “Nevertheless, a large portion of fashion retail in Malta emanates from a loyal local clientele. I am fairly confident fashion retail will weather the storms ahead,” the Managing Director continues.

Moving forward, Ms Pace asserts that undoubtedly, post-COVID-19, the business model for fashion retail will change. “This will be more skewed towards consumer demands, spending power and easy access 16

to high-street shops,” she says, adding that as the island slowly returns to a sense of normality, online sales of apparel have begun to decrease and locals are building back the confidence to enjoy shopping on the high streets.

“Tourism accounts for 15 per cent of our GDP and has a knock-on effect on the spending power of the locals. With clothing not being a necessity, it is very much dependent on the money available in one’s pocket,” Ms Pace maintains. “The driving force that kept us going is remaining positive and not looking solely at the downside of the situation.”

Clifford Chetcuti CEO at Air Malta “During the three months suspension of commercial traffic to and from Malta International Airport, Air Malta continued its operations, albeit with a limited number of flights,” explains CEO Capt. Clifford Chetcuti.

During this time, the airline flew some 200 repatriation flights on behalf of the Government of Malta, including its first ever passenger flight to India.

“Apart from organising and operating these repatriation flights, which also carried

urgent medical equipment and supplies, mail and freight to the Islands, the Air Malta staff continued to maintain the aircraft fleet, worked on new travel policies and procedures, worked out a new flight schedule and started processing the various flight options and/or refunds for customers who were affected by the flight cancellations,” continues Capt. Chetcuti.

With their primary focus during this time directed to the health and safety of passengers, staff and crew, the CEO explains that they maintained close contact with local health authorities, and constantly reviewed the new procedures being adopted and the recommendations by various international bodies, including EASA and IATA among others. “In order to improve health and safety on board our flights and throughout every customer touch point, we have issued new policies and procedures for our customers,” he affirms.

Turning his attention to the present, Capt.

Chetcuti reveals that currently, the airline is focused on slowly rebuilding its flight network, as well as adding progressively new frequencies and destinations, which are understandably subject to health and safety assessments.

“We are seeing a gradual increase in bookings; however, it is too early to assess passengers’ expectations and perceptions,” he concludes. cc

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Economists confident about economic recovery but prescribe their own remedies Economists Gordon Cordina and JP Fabri and banker Giovanni Bartolotta are confident Malta has what it takes to navigate successfully through the post-COVID-19 period, but they tell Ray Bugeja that there are a number of dos and don’ts to watch out for.

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ordon Cordina, Executive Director of E-Cubed Consultants, notes that Malta’s management of the COVID-19 wave in the first half of 2020 is a widely acknowledged health and economic management success, especially in comparison to other countries and regions.

The country exited this episode with its economy and businesses largely intact, abetted by stimulus measures enabled by its strong fundamentals and practical support by the social partners, he says.

This, the economist continues, enabled domestic economic activity to open up, closely followed by international travel, at a pace significantly faster than was perhaps anticipated. “This was the right way forward. Health measures are not an end in themselves but a means to enable economic and social activity to rebound at the earliest possible opportunity. And, as Malta has managed a COVID wave once, it can equally if not better overcome future ones should they occur,” Dr Cordina asserts.

Looking ahead, he perceives three main issues characterising economic activity in the second half of this year and beyond.

Firstly, notwithstanding Malta’s relative successes, the tribulations of other countries will remain a key concern for our business, he warns. The economies of a number of Malta’s major trading partners will take a long time to recover, and some of them may remain permanently scarred, also as the likelihood of successive COVID waves appears to be increasing. He notes that Malta’s pace of economic recovery will be constrained by this, though not necessarily unduly hampered if it adopts appropriate business and economic policy measures.

Secondly, the COVID-19 wave will present costs to be borne in future. Dr Cordina predicts that public debt levels will be higher, GDP growth will be lower and even negative for a time, while a number of key business activities will struggle under the pressure of weak demand for quarters to come.

“This is at a time when our economy was starting to grapple with long-standing concerns, including the viability of some of

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the main tenets of the competitiveness of international business operating in Malta, the sustainability of environmental and infrastructural assets, demographic and social pressures, and the cost of the social protection system.

“While the pressures of COVID-19 impact globally, Malta’s success will very much depend on our ability to manage these problems in a better manner than other countries and regions will be able to, while sustaining the domestic agenda for economic and social development,” he says.

Thirdly, in Dr Cordina’s view, Malta’s smallness yet relative abundance of human and business assets indicate it can weather global crises through niche approaches that seek and create value in regional markets.

He therefore cautions that Malta’s greatest fear should not be the coronavirus itself but its irrationality in dealing with the situation.

“Irrationality,” he explains, “could manifest itself as excessive and unfounded fear, which inhibits the taking of manageable risks. Perhaps even worse, it could take the form of complacency, whereby we would enter into activities without adequately considering risks. Irrationality would also be present if we fail to learn from past experiences, where we exit COVID with a mentality that the business-as-usual will be unchanged by the event.”

In contrast, rationality compels the country to tackle head-on the years-old question of volume versus value in tourism, which it has been skirting, the economist advises.

To him, it is clear that the pandemic mandates a re-orientation of Malta’s product and brand towards a market niche focus, and this as a whole-of-country project rather than one belonging to a specific sector or Ministry. What the country has been through makes us all realise how we can do more by using less of our infrastructural resources, thanks to digital means of working and consuming or simply by a re-allocation of the time at which we pursue such activities, Dr Cordina adds.

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Photo by Jan Zammit

Rationality, he continues, compels us to appreciate that we are effectively in control of the extent of damage to the environment we are creating through our activities, towards a better quality of life approach, which would underpin economic success. “Forecasts at this stage are not only fraught with the uncertainty characterising global economies but also perhaps not as useful to business and Government as much as the realisation that this country has got what it takes to extend its success over the coming years,” he says.

“It will take a lot of hard work, which the COVID event will by no means alleviate but which could actually spur us to more rapidly and actively transform ourselves into a futureproof economy,” Dr Cordina asserts.

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“Health measures are not an end in themselves but a means to enable economic and social activity to rebound at the earliest possible opportunity.”

– Gordon Cordina JP Fabri, the co-Founding Partner of Seed Consultancy, notes that, having surpassed the survival phase, businesses and the wider economy are now facing a period of stabilisation towards the new reality that still remains highly uncertain and volatile. To varying degrees, the economic environment is being faced by strong precautionary behaviour by both consumers and firms, induced by uncertainty about the course of the pandemic and the policy responses to it, he points out.

He sees the pandemic acting like a tax on activities involving close human contact, which is expected to have a large impact on an economy dependent on tourism. He says that the expected strong contraction in tourism activity will have a significant effect on the economy in the second half of the year, despite the various support measures introduced. Still, measures and initiatives such as the vouchers are likely to support consumer demand in this period and, Mr Fabri notes, other measures aimed 21

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at supporting liquidity and protecting employment are also having an important stabilising economic effect.

“With various initiatives being launched, it is important that Government and the public service remain focused on their implementation to ensure that the expected effects do materialise in the medium-term.

The measure aimed at supporting property demand seems to be having the expected effect, with a pick-up in property sales being registered,” he explains.

However, Mr Fabri warns that, because COVID-19 looks likely to remain for the long term, Malta needs to ensure that spending reflects priorities. Public spending and the reform programme in the second half of the year need to be geared to ensuring that Malta remains on a sustainable and resilient growth path, he insists.

Although the European Commission forecasts a resilient Maltese economy, there is no room for complacency, he asserts,

“Public spending and the reform programme in the second half of the year needs to be geared to ensuring that Malta remains on a sustainable and resilient growth path.”

– JP Fabri

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adding that, in the second half of the year, Malta’s collective focus needs to be on four economic pillars that will ensure a sustainable economic recovery.

First, he says, there is need to further internationalise the Maltese economy.

Malta needs to continue focusing on niche markets for goods and services, and, in his view, the establishment of an export credit agency should be considered to address a market failure that Maltese firms have faced.

In terms of services, a constant review and streamlining of current legislative structures and regulatory frameworks needs to be conducted.

Secondly, Mr Fabri thinks that Malta must improve the skill-base of the workforce.

Notwithstanding the advances Malta made in the educational sector, much more needs to be achieved. A closer link between acquisition and utilisation of skills in industry needs to be achieved, however, focus must be made on the basics too.

The early school leaving rate remains high when compared to European averages, and Government needs to drive this through a broad-ranging reform in the educational sector, he explains.

Thirdly, companies must be enabled to innovate. The economist feels that a review of the innovation ecosystem is required, and that it is the Malta Development Bank that should take a key role to provide the financing such firms require. The right ecosystem for companies to innovate, including talent and incentives, must be created, he notes.

Finally, a digital transformation is a must, according to Mr Fabri. The public sector needs to become digital to the core, and Malta must move towards a digital society that includes a discussion on digital health records and prescriptions, digital identity and signatures, and much more. Government has to ensure digital transformation is entrenched in society.

“COVID-19 has caught us unprepared.

However, it presents a unique opportunity for us to re-examine ourselves, our current practices and our outlook and vision on the future,” he maintains.

“Our biggest responsibility lies in charting a long-term vision and strategy for our country. One that is future-looking, and which directs us to achieve a sustainable path of well-being as a nation whereby the economy, the environment and our society co-exist for the benefit of all, present and future,” Mr Fabri concludes.

Giovanni Bartolotta, Chief Risk Officer at APS Bank, acknowledges that it is very difficult to forecast the speed and shape of Malta’s economic recovery following the end of the “Great Lockdown”, which he terms as one of the boldest and most radical socio-economic experiments in human history.

As the economic engine restarts – he likens the lockdown to a computer reboot – the ‘scarring’ of the economy will gradually become evident, he notes, adding that what is certain is that Malta, unlike many of its European partners, entered the recession from a position of strength.

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He points out that consumers emerge from the lockdown with spare cash, concentrated among people with higher income, although spending sentiment remains weak due to the uncertainty surrounding the resolution of the COVID-19 health crisis and the fact that a certain amount of social distancing measures could remain in place for some time to come.

Mr Bartolotta asserts that, as a small, open, service-oriented economy, much of the recovery momentum will depend on the speed of recovery of Malta’s trading partners. International tourist arrivals are key in supporting the recovery; however, he notes, the 500,000 expected in the second half of 2020 are a far cry from the 2.7 million arrivals of 2019. As a result, hotel occupancy is expected at about 25 per cent of 2019 levels, with a gradual recovery in 2021 and 2022.

He sees five key aspects that will cushion the effects of the crisis and support the recovery momentum. These are: the financial resilience and high savings rate of Maltese households; the available fiscal space of Government; an effective public health system; a strong labour market; and a wellcapitalised and liquid banking system. He remarks that, as some economic operators will be forced out of the market, banks might be faced with potential credit losses, the magnitude of which remains uncertain.

On the flipside, he mentions five features that might act as a drag on recovery: low skill levels of domestic workforce, limiting growth potential in high-added value; the low level of research and innovation spending; pressure on land and water resources, creating a sustainability issue in relation to economic growth; renewed focus at EU level on tax harmonisation as Malta derives 15 per cent of its budget revenue from corporate income tax; and the uncertainty related to the outcome of the Moneyval evaluation, expected in October this year.

Concluding, he says: “weaknesses in our governance system, for example, shortcomings in the anti-corruption framework and inefficiencies in the judiciary system, necessarily weigh on the business environment and need to be effectively addressed – on paper and in practice – as they represent necessary conditions for the recovery to take hold. This is the anti-virus which will protect the Maltese ‘economic computer’ in the post-COVID world.” cc

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“As the economic engine restarts, the ‘scarring’ of the economy will gradually become evident.”

– Giovanni Bartolotta

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€336.7 0.8% Government deficit in the first quarter of 2020.

€5.9 BILLION

Government debt at the end of March.

the harmonised index of consumer prices inflation forecast for this year by the European Commission.

€857 11,423 MILLION

the drop in the value of imports in the first five months of this year, compared to the same period in 2019.

€138.1 €110.2 MILLION

the drop in Government revenue from current taxes on income and wealth in the first three months of this year.

the decrease in the value of exports between January and May 2020 over the same period last year.

6%

9.2%

the Government deficit in relation to GDP forecast

by Fitch for this year.

the number of officially unemployed people in May, up from 9,278 in March when COVID-19 struck.

62%

the number of people who felt that their job was affected by the pandemic as of April.

24%

the decline in the volume of retail trade in April when compared to the same month in 2019.

Sources: National Statistics Office; Eurostat; European Commission; Fitch JULY/AUGUST 2020

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Source: Gozo In Figures, National Statistics Office, Malta

MILLION

the contraction of the Maltese economy in 2020 forecast by the European Commission.

the Government debt in relation to GDP forecast by Fitch at the end of 2020

Source: All figures were sourced from the 2020 Budget document.

MILLION

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Photo by Jason Borg

Keeping the economy going The unprecedented shock brought on by COVID-19 has left governments across the globe reeling, with Malta also seeking to retain a balance between the island’s health and economic imperatives. Yet, there is reason to be hopeful, according to the Minister for Finance and Financial Services, Edward Scicluna.

Here, he speaks to Rebecca Anastasi about what lies ahead as the island gets back on its feet.

“I

n economics, we talk about business cycles, where cyclical recessions usually take a very long time to pick up due to the lack of confidence. But that is not the situation at the moment,” says the Minister for Finance and Financial Services Edward Scicluna, who has been at the forefront of rolling out financial packages to mitigate the economic fallout of COVID-19.

When the pandemic hit Malta in March, the authorities instituted a raft of economic measures intending to shelter businesses, and the wider community, from the brunt of the coronavirus crisis – at least from a monetary standpoint.

These included a wage supplement, which was introduced to mitigate against unemployment; a teleworking grant to cover some of the costs inherent in shifting to a remote working scenario; and later, subsidies to help with energy and rental costs. Moreover, the Malta Development Bank launched its COVID-19 Guarantee Scheme, by means of which Government pledged to guarantee loans at subsidised interest rates issued by commercial banks to finance the working capital needs of businesses facing cashflow shortages.

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And while the raft of measures introduced in March have since been altered to meet the changing challenges of the pandemic, most remain in force, putting a continual strain on public finances. Despite this, for the Minister for Finance – and for most in the business community – these measures were imperative to prevent an economic disaster. Indeed, the Minister says, this is because “this is no ordinary recession, even though the symptoms – such as unemployment, the lack of exports, and lower incomes – are those of a traditional recession. But even though there are these many similarities, the cause and the remedy are different.”

In other words, the downturn has not been the result of the volatile vagaries of the market, but due to an unprecedented societal shock, the likes of which the modern, globalised world has never seen before. Yet, this does not negate the impact of Government’s financial decisions on public coffers, and for the Minister, this will translate into a deficit – though the question, the Minister says, is by how much.

“We are planning for it to be around three per cent in 2021,” Prof. Scicluna

says. “This is a working benchmark, and we hope we don’t exceed this figure since we want to go back to surplus territory in due course.” This is predicated on a ‘V-shaped’ pattern characterising the current recession, he says, based on the assumption that the dip experienced by the pandemic is but a momentary blip and positing that 2021 economic levels will compare to 2019.

However, he is quick to point out that “there are so many ifs and buts” which are dependent on the global reach of COVID-19, and the way other countries have managed to reign in its devastating effects, both from an economic as well as a health perspective. “Will 2021 compare to 2019? That’s the big question.

Here in Malta, it looks like the ‘up-part’ of the V-shaped recession will compensate for the dip. And, if this is indeed the case, then, for Government, this will be a big step forward because we’d be able to expect revenues which could compare to those in 2019.”

But what happens if Malta experiences a ‘second wave’ of the coronavirus pandemic, not to mention the continued fallout from the current loss in business confidence? Can Government afford to continue subsidising businesses in the long-term, perhaps into

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next year? “In the UK, the government have said they will stop the wage supplement and they don’t intent to go back to it,” the Minister answers. “We haven’t said that yet. In other words, we have given it till the end of September. Now, there is a budget in early October, so we are still postponing the decision,” he continues, insisting, however, that “assistance is limited. It’s finite”.

In the meantime, and while the current insecurity persists, it’s about bridging the gap, until the economy gets going again, Prof. Scicluna underlines. “We’re talking about a recovery fund, a recovery plan. And hopefully, there will come a time when things become normal again. Government has pledged that we can bridge this dip – hoping that it is ‘V-shaped’ – by giving assistance and liquidity, which is what companies need.

They need deep pockets, and Government is trying to provide these, whether through EU or national funds,” he explains.

Yet funds cannot simply come in the form of grants, the Minister underlines. Loans, in his view, can be the deep pockets businesses rely on. “Of course, everyone wants a grant and handouts, but you cannot discount the usefulness of loans,” he says. This, indeed, seems to have been the rationale behind both the 12 month moratorium on past loans and the MDB’s COVID-19 Guarantee Scheme, Prof. Scicluna continues, “to give some comfort to the banks to lend”, and thus unlock much-needed liquidity.

But with pundits, constituted bodies and entrepreneurs in the business community predicting that there will be no returning to 2019-levels in the near future – with some locating full recovery sometime in 2023, particularly in the tourism sector – is it realistic to talk about a ‘V-shaped’ recession at all?

“That is what we’re aiming for. We’re monitoring the situation and I’m quite optimistic, although the downside of the pandemic is that it is impacting all countries, particularly in tourism. It’s a terrible issue.

But the good thing is that we have learnt so much from other people’s mistakes. And now, we’re not in the midst of that first shock, where we didn’t even know what had hit us.

We’ve learnt a lot, not only from a medical point of view, but from an economic policy perspective too,” he explains.

These lessons have come in many forms, the Minister continues. Firstly, he says, in observing how other countries have dealt with the pandemic, Malta has understood how important it is not to opt for a total lockdown. “In total lockdown, while you’re giving health an absolute priority, you’re suffocating the economy and causing irreparable damage. So, it’s like during a war: why did we build shelters? It was to ensure that a life of some sort, could carry

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Photo by Alan Carville

“We’re monitoring the situation and I’m quite optimistic, although the downside of the pandemic is that it is impacting all countries, particularly in tourism.”

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on regardless. Similarly, life has to go on economically, even now,” he says, pointing to the implementation of teleworking scenarios which – “while not perfect” – ensured continuity, while the manufacturing, construction and services sectors also helped keep the economic wheel turning.

Moreover, the Minister underscored the importance of discipline, saying that this is what helped contribute towards Malta’s success, stressing this cannot be abandoned now that Malta is entering a new phase in which we need to “live with the virus, yet contain it.” He points to the opening of the airport as characteristic of this current second stage.

“I think now is the real test. What I’m seeing is that some countries have started to forget that there is an enemy in our midst. It’s very easy to do. And, we might see reversals of opening up policies if care is not taken. And just as there have been plenty of red faces in the US, the UK and Sweden, we might see new red faces on whoever doesn’t

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“We’re now faced with the issue of for how long to continue giving assistance. And how long can companies survive? There are many questions, but there are few answers.” manage this phase well,” Prof. Scicluna says, speaking generally, yet indicating his preference for a more cautious course of action.

“Malta is a city, so we have to be careful and we cannot go for certain risky activity, especially in the tourism sector,” the Minister continues. He points to Ibiza as a good case study, saying that the authorities there have decided to forbid large events until December. “They’ve realised that once you get a bad name, that will stick. Tourists want to know they’re safe,” he insists.

This brings us back to the continued applicability of Government’s subsidies, and in particular, the wage supplement, for if tourism opens up more cautiously, businesses will need continued aid if they are to survive the pandemic. “We did the

right thing in giving assistance [from March till September]. If we hadn’t, unemployment would have spiked, and many companies would have gone belly-up. But we’re now faced with the issue of for how long to continue giving assistance. And how long can companies survive? There are many questions, but there are few answers,” he responds non-committedly.

Despite this, and come what may, the Minister is certain that unemployment levels will not increase substantially. This is thanks to the “cushion” of foreign workers, who form the majority of tourism sector employees. “Yes, we’ll have less employment, but not necessarily higher unemployment since people who came to Malta – because there was a vacancy for them – will go back home,” he says.

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When challenged that this implies human capital is disposable, the Minister is quick to point out that “unemployment is cruel to everybody, whether you are a foreigner or not”. He also stresses that “the majority of people coming over [to work in Malta] were young, single, and perhaps, coming over for a year and then going back home. It was temporary. This was not their intended home.

It suited them, like it suited us. There were vacancies that paid them better [than jobs at home] so if those disappear, they will go back. It’s an accepted thing,” he says.

Looking ahead, I ask the Minister about the much-touted green recovery post-COVID, which, international experts – from the World Economic Forum, the United Nations and the World Health Organisation – stress is necessary if humanity is to thrive, longterm. Is this all talk and can it be applied to Malta? Prof. Scicluna, while expressing some exasperation at the lack of progress in this regard – “everybody is saying we need higher value tourists, but then you see the low level of tidiness” – says that change is happening on the ground, in, perhaps, less obtrusive ways.

For, he insists, COVID-19 has been “a watershed” event, although he warns not to expect results tomorrow. “Change will happen, though development will be slow,” he asserts. Part of this shift will stem from younger generations whose priorities may be different from those of their parents and grandparents, although he expects different perspectives to develop across the board.

“Whoever ignores this, even politicians, will be very short sighted. They’re going to find that people have changed. If you speak to people using the same language, the same excuses, and the same replies as before, you will lose your credibility and put off much of the population”.

But before the world can truly kick off a green Marshall plan for the planet, the more immediate future still holds the potential for optimism, the Minister insists. “We have reason to be hopeful, although we are still at the mercy of research in the field of health.

We believe this recession will be V-shaped, and that the economy will come up quicker than expected. We need to be optimistic,” he concludes, asserting that success can be achieved through global conviviality. “Let’s get our heads together, globally, and let’s get there. I think the world can do it.” cc This interview was held on 16th July 2020.

Photo by Alan Carville

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The pandemic in Malta: What’s next?

Following a trying few months for Malta’s healthcare system, Martina Said catches up with Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne to discuss Malta’s current position in the midst of a global pandemic, the availability of a COVID-19 vaccine, and the likelihood of a dreaded second wave.

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ompared to a few short, or very long, months ago, Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne appears more tranquil, and reasonably so, now that Malta has – so far – moved past the worst phase of the pandemic which continues to ravage several other parts of the world. The biggest concern back in February was whether Malta would be able to handle it. “Now we know that we can,” says Minister Fearne.

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“The measures we took were not just right for public health, which of course takes priority over everything, but were also right for the economy. Having a strong population and a strong functioning health system is the keystone of having a strong economy.”

“At the start of the pandemic the main concern was not just what was happening at the time but what might happen – the tsunami of infection that we were afraid of. Seeing what was happening in some regions such as northern Italy, we were unsure whether it would be the same all over the world or whether different countries, including Malta, were going to be able to handle and control it.”

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Minister Fearne asserts that the measures taken locally were the appropriate measures taken at the right time that brought the number of positive coronavirus cases under control, “which is what we wanted to do in terms of making sure that we don’t have a tsunami but a stream of cases, and we managed. So now we know we can do it, which is one of the main differences between the situation on the ground now compared to February this year.”

At the time of writing* Malta has 27 active cases, after a total of 701 cases and nine deaths between March and now.

Although the numbers remain low, Minister Fearne says that the global infection is still persisting. “As long as there are parts of the world where the pandemic is ongoing then we are all in the pandemic. Globally the number of cases daily is increasing, and as the world is still in this pandemic, then so is Malta.”

However, different regions and countries are experiencing different phases of the pandemic. “Locally, we are currently in a phase where the infection rate is low, so the reproduction rate is low and therefore we are keeping the number of active cases low, so the situation is under control,” he says.

“Compared to a few months ago, we are now also better prepared – this is a situation no one expected the world over. We increased our capacity to deal with infectious cases very rapidly over the first three to four months of this year and of course we retain that reserve, so we can now deal with increased cases better than we were able

to at the beginning of the pandemic,” says Minster Fearne.

Without doubt, almost more than the concern of contracting the virus itself is the worry of a so-called second wave of infection after summer, causing another forced closure of many of Malta’s businesses. Is this likely to happen? “The whole world is experiencing this pandemic for the first time and we don’t know what’s going to happen next week, let alone next month or in four months’ time,” he says.

“We have to continue doing what we are doing, in other words being vigilant, testing vigorously and continuing to contact trace, isolate and quarantine positive cases and positive contacts. We need to make sure that we are prudent, that we follow hygiene protocols – handwashing especially – that we observe social distancing and wear masks in crowded situations,” he asserts. “The pandemic is still raging around the world, and we are part of the world, so if we let down our guard, we can have a resurgence.

On the other hand, if we continue to observe the health regulations that are in place and continue to test as we are now, then we are confident we can keep the situation under control.”

And if a second wave does come, Mr Fearne says his team and all medical staff are better prepared, both mentally and resource-wise than they were at the start, with adequate ventilators, ITU beds, isolation wards, at Mater Dei and other hospitals, as well as training of all staff. “We now know what to expect and have all the standard 35

CC INTERVIEW operating procedures in place. Everybody knows what they need to do at any stage,” he asserts, adding that, over and above the €705million Government budget allocated to the health sector this year, there has been a direct increase of more than €120million to deal with the pandemic.

“We are also maintaining a pandemic reserve – even if the numbers remain low, and not just for COVID but for other epidemics that could arise from one year to the next, the health system will retain a pandemic reserve which we will be able to switch on within 24 hours and step up over

the following days as needed,” he explains.

“It is the same concept as having a fire engine – you don’t wait for a fire to break out and then start the process of buying a fire engine but have one in place and wheel it out as necessary. The same applies to a pandemic reserve, and it can scale down over a quiet period but can be scaled up very quickly if the need arises.”

From an economic standpoint, several business owners lamented the stringent measures put in place at the height of the pandemic in Malta, which for some meant a severely diminished income and an overall

negative effect on their business, no matter how big or small. Sharing his thoughts, the Minister says “to have a strong economy, you need a strong health system and of course strong citizens.”

“If your health system is overwhelmed, as we’ve seen and continue to see in various countries or regions around the world, we know for a fact that the economy there has fared much worse than in those countries where the appropriate measures were taken at an early stage to prevent the overwhelming of the health system,” he asserts, explaining that placing a heavy burden on a country’s health system can indeed have devastating effects, especially on the availability of ITU beds, which will not be accessible for patients with other serious diseases who turn up at hospital.

“The measures we took were not just right for public health, which of course takes priority over everything, but were also right for the economy. Having a strong population and a strong functioning health system is the keystone of having a strong economy.”

Turning to the availability of a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year, Minister Fearne’s response is clear: “It is unlikely that a vaccine will be available by the end of 2020. There are promising developments by a number of firms and pharmaceutical companies around the world, but some are more reliable than others,” he asserts. “For it to be widely available by the end of the year is pushing it – it is not impossible, but we cannot bank on it, so we need to keep our mitigation processes in place. We have entered into an agreement with other EU member states to procure the vaccine jointly once it is available, and we will offer it, but it won’t be mandatory, for free to all citizens.”

A vaccine that will be widely available, however, is the one against influenza, which the Health Ministry is actively campaigning for citizens to take before winter. He clarifies, however, that the influenza vaccine will have no bearing on a person’s susceptibility, or otherwise, for COVID-19.

“The flu vaccine will not prevent you from getting COVID-19, and vice versa. But what the influenza vaccine will do is diminish the symptoms of influenza, which can be additive to those of coronavirus. If you get influenza and coronavirus at the same time, it will be much worse than if you get coronavirus on its own or influenza on its own,” he explains. “Currently, we don’t have

“The whole world is experiencing this pandemic for the first time and we don’t know what’s going to happen next week, let alone next month or in four months’ time.”

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“For a vaccine to be widely available by the end of the year is pushing it – it is not impossible, but we cannot bank on it, so we need to keep our mitigation processes in place.”

a vaccine for coronavirus, but we will have one for influenza as we do every year, and we are actively campaigning for as many people as possible to be vaccinated. In fact, we have ordered twice the amount of influenza vaccines as we normally do – we have 200,000 vaccines on order for October this year as against the usual 100,000 vaccines.”

Minister Fearne further explains that COVID-19 has been dealt with, locally and globally, in such a different way to influenza – both of which bear similarities – because it is indeed a completely different virus. “The class of virus that causes COVID-19 is similar to the class of virus that causes influenza in that it spreads by a similar mechanism, it spreads more or less equally if not slightly more than influenza, and produces, broadly speaking, symptoms that are similar to influenza. But it is a different virus; it behaves differently and has to be treated differently – which is why vaccines that work on influenza do not work on the COVID-19 virus and vice-versa.”

Speaking about Malta’s success at handling the spread of the virus, the Health Minister says that maintaining a high and consistent level of swab tests – of which there have been over 120,000 at the time of printing* – has been one of the most important factors in bringing and keeping the pandemic under control. Statistics published 38

in April by Malta’s Superintendence of Public Health showed that Malta was among the top three countries in the world with the highest number of tests per capita – and this needs to be maintained.

“Testing allows you to identify positive cases early, isolate them and quarantine the people around them to keep cases under control. For the cases we have now and will continue to have over the coming days or weeks, it is extremely important to continue to identify these early, isolate them and quarantine the people around them to avoid spread into the community,” he says.

“The timely setting up of swabbing centres, conducting a high rate of swabbing and testing, which we continue to do, and vigorous isolation and quarantine practices have helped a lot, and looking after the vulnerable members of society has been extremely important,” he asserts. “Even though we have had over 700 cases of coronavirus, there have been only nine deaths, and we know that the virus affects those with underlying diseases much worse.

So, looking after and being responsible towards our elderly relatives and vulnerable people in society has been extremely important in this success.”

On a personal note, I ask Minister Fearne whether he ever thought, as a freshly reinstated Health Minister at the beginning

of the year, whether he would ever face a situation such as this. “I think nobody expected this to happen in 2020, and if you had asked me this question last year, it wouldn’t have even seemed plausible as a science fiction book,” he quips.

Sharing his greatest ups and downs from the past months, the Minister says his biggest worry was at the very beginning, when the dramatic and devastating situation unfolded in the north of Italy. “We were worried that the same would happen to the rest of Europe and in Malta, in which case our health system would have been swamped, and that was, as Health Minister, one of my biggest worries.”

That Malta managed to avoid this, he continues, is the greatest reward. “Our healthcare professionals have shown their worth and we need to continue to recognise this. Healthcare is a bit like religion – when you’re in trouble you pray a lot, but when you’re not you tend to forget that there is a deity,” he smiles. “And with healthcare sometimes this happens too – when you are in the middle of a crisis the national health system is our hero, but we need to continue to remember that our healthcare professionals are all heroes, under all circumstances.” cc *27th July 2020

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Photo by David Pisani

Shaping the future of The Malta Chamber Over the past year, The Malta Chamber has been working tirelessly to lay new and improved foundations for its future through an extensive restructuring, which includes upgrading its statute, rolling out a digitalisation programme and refurbishing the iconic La Borsa. Building on a 170-year old legacy, Martina Said catches up with the organisation’s team to understand what’s in store.

David Xuereb President “The past year has been a veritable rollercoaster for anyone who crossed paths with The Malta Chamber,” says President David Xuereb, who explains that lots of work has gone into ensuring that the organisation 40

is best placed and equipped to provide top value support services to businesses.

“One of our main goals was to significantly increase our engagement with members and to reach out to all entrepreneurs and business leaders in our country,” says Perit Xuereb. “The Chamber has also undergone an extensive regeneration programme in every department to make sure that our

organisation is sensitive to the true priorities of honest and ethical business, nimble enough to react and act intelligently, and efficient and effective in the manner with which it conducts its support to its membership.”

A central achievement was the establishment of the Young Chamber Network (YCN), which now includes over 100 CEOs under the age of 45. This new JULY/AUGUST 2020

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our offices. Once this crucial stage of work is complete, the Chamber will be given a fresh look, with plans to make the courtyard a comfortable business networking facility for members and a restructuring of all offices that will beam efficiency and business intelligence for the benefit of The Malta Chamber’s membership.”

Earlier this year, The Malta Chamber has written another part of its illustrious history by holding its first ever online Annual General Meeting. While doing so was a necessity due to the partial lockdown Malta was under at the time, Perit Xuereb says “this initiative clearly showed that no crisis, local or international, could stop our Chamber’s drive to be close to its members. They appreciated this and the energy throughout the AGM was electric, where members participated in the meeting in incredible numbers, breaking all previous records. It was a memorable experience that brought us together during a challenging time, albeit in a different format to that we are normally used to.”

Lino Mintoff Head, Membership and Internationalisation

“The Chamber has undergone an extensive regeneration programme in every department to make sure that our organisation is sensitive to the true priorities of honest and ethical business.”

– David Xuereb, President forum, the President explains, is fundamental in accomplishing the Chamber’s vision of engaging with the younger generations of the business community.

Over the past year, The Malta Chamber has also signed a number of Memoranda of Understanding with various institutions, drawing on specialised expertise on issues of direct importance to business. “These agreements were in turn sustained by a number of sponsorship agreements at various levels with the country’s leading commercial organisations,” says Perit Xuereb.

Through such sponsorships, The Malta Chamber was able to establish new thematic committees, which will complement its existing Economic Groups. These will “enable opinions to be discussed, all background to be researched and tangible recommendations formulated in a harmonised manner on behalf JULY/AUGUST 2020

of the business community. With The Malta Chamber’s new business plan in place, these horizontal policy areas are where our business truly lies.”

Speaking about the organisation’s internationalisation efforts, President Xuereb says an International Relations Council (IRC) was also established to complement the Chamber’s work in Trade Malta and the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN). “The IRC represents each of the five continents’ business and trade interests, and is tasked with determining the cross-border import/ export priorities and interests of members and, most importantly, to hub inter-country trading through Malta.”

In light of its objective to enhance customer experience, the Exchange Building will also be getting an upgrade. “We shall shortly be undergoing a complete refurbishment of

“Any leading organisation needs to be sensitive to the signs of the time and to reshape itself to ensure that it remains relevant and of value to its clients,” says Lino Mintoff, Head of Membership and Internationalisation. Sharing his thoughts on The Malta Chamber’s restructuring process, Mr Mintoff says that since its set-up 170 years ago, it has been involved in some way or another in all major commercial and economic events that have shaped Malta’s economy. “It is natural that at some stage, a change in the outer appearance helps to bring a fresh visibility to this glorious organisation. But this is not enough.”

“It needs to ensure that we remain member-focused and relevant to their needs. The organisational changes which are happening will support the Chamber to strengthen a knowledgeable, nimble and lean structure which is effective to participate in the members’ journeys in their effort to grow and thrive. It will also bring the Chamber to the 21st century in terms of digitalisation.”

Zooming in on his area of expertise as Head of Internationalisation, Mr Mintoff explains that with Malta’s EU accession, SMEs have found themselves in a disruptive environment, with commercial opportunities that can be tapped by those with a vision to venture into a bigger market.

“The Malta Chamber was always active in promoting internationalisation in the form of partnering opportunities for import and export purposes. Over the last few years, it had set up and nurtured several business councils, the ultimate focus of which are to do 41

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“The International Relations Council strives to maximise the export and import potential and trade opportunities that exist in different regions.”

– Lino Mintoff, Head, Membership and Internationalisation on Sub-Saharan Africa and the other one is concentrating on enhancing market intelligence in certain regions and better knowledge of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), to enable our members to make use of such important instruments in penetrating new market opportunities.”

Johanna Calleja Manager, Statutory Affairs and Administration “I have worked for The Malta Chamber for nearly 35 years and I have seen a lot of change,” says Johanna Calleja, Manager of Statutory Affairs and Administration. “I started at the Chamber working on a manual typewriter, at a time when circulars were printed on a Gestetner machine, when an agenda for a meeting was sent out by post, and the President rang a silver bell when he needed something. I have seen the Chamber come a long, long way.”

Ms Calleja explains that, like anything else, the organisation must constantly update and improve its practices to keep in step with the rest of world – “any organisation that does

business with a specific country,” he asserts.

“This is supported by our active participation in the Enterprise Europe Network project which provides a global network of connections, expertise and market intelligence on a global level.”

In recent years, The Malta Chamber has also felt that to be more effective, it needed a coordinating body that could facilitate the access of Maltese companies to international growth and traditional markets, and that could complement the work of its co-owned organisation, Trade Malta.

“For this purpose, the International Relations Council (IRC) within The Malta Chamber was set up and covers Europe, Africa, Middle East, Far East and the Americas.

The IRC strives to maximise the export and import potential and trade opportunities that exist in different regions, and to act as a hub and broker of internationalisation projects between different regions to counterbalance the island’s size and capacity limitations,” says Mr Mintoff.

“Presently, we are working on two important projects, one of which focuses

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not move forward becomes an anachronism and redundant,” she asserts. “The current restructuring is preparing the Chamber for the years ahead. The restructuring is being monitored every step of the way to make sure that our targets are being reached and that the restructuring is meeting expectations,” Ms Calleja adds. “It will give management direction and a renewed approach to the support and services the Chamber provides its members.”

Part of The Malta Chamber’s extensive restructuring is a complete refurbishment of its iconic Valletta office, La Borsa, on Republic Street. Ms Calleja recalls walking into the building for her interview and being so impressed by its magnificence. “After all these years, I still come in to work every morning thinking how lucky I am to work in such an elegant building. It is unique and built to the highest of standards. Like the organisation, over the years, the building has been updated to meet the demands of the day.”

The refurbishment, which should start in August and be completed in six months, will provide a marked improvement to every part of the building. “It will give the building a fresh new look, while respecting its integrity and history. Apart from the infrastructural

“Any organisation that does not move forward becomes an anachronism and redundant. The current restructuring is preparing the Chamber for the years ahead.” – Johanna Calleja, Manager, Statutory Affairs and Administration

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“These changes will help us gear up for the challenges of the future and respond to the needs of our members and society at large, not only economically but also in terms of social and environmental issues.” – Andre Fenech, Head, Policy Development

works which need to be carried out, the entire building will be given a facelift – lighting will be improved, new colours will be introduced, and all the offices will be refurbished with new, practical and contemporary furniture.” The building’s courtyard will be transformed into a casual space with the addition of comfortable seating, with the overall intention of making the Chamber a relaxed and informal venue for members to meet.

Andre Fenech Head, Policy Development Head of Policy Development Andre Fenech says that the current major restructuring The Malta Chamber is undergoing couldn’t have come at a better time, especially in light of the changes COVID-19 is bringing about.

“These changes will help us gear up for the challenges of the future and respond to the needs of our members and society at large, not only economically but also in terms of social and environmental issues,” he asserts.

“Concretely, the digitalisation of our operations, the renewed focus on attracting and retaining members, the rebranding but also the strengthening of the crucial role we play as a key policy stakeholder in Malta all form part of a grand scheme to make our organisation relevant to the needs of business today,” says Mr Fenech.

A major part of the organisation’s restructuring is the introduction of thematic committees, where experts and like-minded Chamber members will be grouped into committees focusing on horizontal policy areas. This change, says Mr Fenech, has been in the making for a few years. “As part of the restructuring of our policy team, we have analysed what our international peer 44

organisations are doing. We learned that their policy set-up reflects the horizontal needs of members, ranging from human resources to education, mobility, circular economy, quality, macro-economic issues and good governance, to name a few.”

The Malta Chamber has set up 12 horizontal policy-oriented committees so far, with the intention to establish additional ones should the need arise. “These committees will be crucial policy advisors to our Council and Board of Management as their participants are nominated in accordance with their specific expertise,” says Mr Fenech. “As part of this change, we have also established a Chamber Think Tank.

Its initial objective is to develop strategic initiatives which will need to be undertaken in the short to medium term to address the post COVID-19 scenario and what many are calling ‘the new normal’. The Think Tank is assisted by 12 sectoral round tables which are helping in the development of sectoral recommendations.”

The Chamber continues to work closely with its three long-established economic groups and business sections. Mr Fenech explains that the input of a macro policy nature from the economic groups and business sections will also feed into the work of the thematic committees, allowing more cross fertilisation of ideas and recommendations between the different internal groups.

Expanding on the real value this new structure will offer to members, Mr Fenech asserts “we will be able to manage and tackle issues in a more direct manner as we will have input from different sectors in one committee. I feel that this bottom-up approach, in which the Chamber’s grassroots will be directly involved, will enable our policy

“Digitising work processes will allow the secretariat to be more efficient in its work and allow the Chamber to really focus its energy on what truly matters to our members.” – Rachel Micallef, Projects Manager

positions and any lobbying efforts from our organisation to truly reflect the members’ direct needs.”

Rachel Micallef Projects Manager “As the leading business organisation in Malta that has been around for over 170 years, it is only natural that the Chamber looked internally to refocus and transform the organisation to remain relevant to its members,” says Projects Manager Rachel Micallef. The changes and restructuring will radically improve some of the most important drivers of the organisation, Ms Micallef explains, from its efficiency and effectiveness, to member satisfaction and representational excellence. “This transformation has instilled the importance of aligning the Malta Chamber’s officials and JULY/AUGUST 2020

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“With the introduction of new technologies, we have registered a substantial increase in participation this year. This feedback gives us comfort that the organisation is moving in the right direction.”

– Stefan Bajada, Business Development Manager secretariat team around a common mission and strategy to ensure that the Chamber is geared up for the future and improve its visibility and membership value in a sustainable manner, year after year.”

By the end of July, The Malta Chamber will launch its new Members’ Gateway, an intranet which will provide an added value to its members in ways that were not possible in the past. “This project has not only meant a digital transformation of the Chamber, but it has also proved to be a business transformation. It has forced us to rethink the way we conduct our work on a day-to-day basis as well as the way we shall be interacting with our members.”

The intranet will give members exclusive access to a system that facilitates communication, engagement and feedback between members and the Malta Chamber, Ms Micallef explains. “It will simplify the sharing of timely information providing the Chamber with important insight of its membership overall, of the needs of individual segments, and increasingly, of each individual member so that their experience with the Chamber is always refined and tuned to their needs.”

“As we launch this intranet, members will feature in the Malta Chamber’s Members’ Directory, be able to access the upcoming Calendar of Events with an easy online registration process, access their membership

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status, billing dues, online payments and easy participation in a projects and committee management system,” the Projects Manager explains. “Digitising work processes will allow the secretariat to be more efficient in its work and allow the Chamber to really focus its energy on what truly matters to our members.”

Looking towards the Malta Chamber’s calendar for the rest of the year, Ms Micallef says the organisation always has and will continue to provide a wide array of events that provide value to different segments of its membership and also offer different ways of engagement and feedback channels. “In fact, we have worked to provide members with different events that vary from networking events to ones that provide policy and representation support, international business support, as well as skills and business education support,” says Ms Micallef.

Stefan Bajada Business Development Manager Since January 2020, The Malta Chamber appointed Stefan Bajada as Business Development Manager as part of its restructuring efforts. Mr Bajada explains that through this initiative, the Malta Chamber’s

objectives are not focused exclusively on increasing awareness about its services to attract new members, but also engaging, maintaining, and fostering relationships with its existing ones.

“Our journey began last January, as we embarked on a series of company visits, aimed at reaching out to the operators in several fields to take stock of the business sentiment among our members. This initiative gave current and potential members the opportunity to voice their concerns first-hand with Chamber representatives,” says Mr Bajada. “The valuable insights we collected served as the foundation to engage with potential members. If I had to sum up our achievements so far, just by reaching out to the business community outside the comfort of our building and membership structure, The Malta Chamber established new relationships and secured future engagement with companies across all sectors of the Maltese economy.”

Attracting new members to The Malta Chamber remains at the heart of the organisation’s efforts, and Mr Bajada asserts that communicating value is just as important as offering it. “When a business or professional decides to join The Malta Chamber, they do so because of the benefits associated with being a member. The Malta Chamber has revised its services to highlight the tangible value members will gain through their membership.”

To communicate this value, they’ve established one-to-one onboarding meetings with new members, “in order to better understand the company’s needs, to suggest services which they can benefit from and ultimately serve as an introduction to the Chamber staff and its active members. Under the proposed restructuring plan, The Malta Chamber is committed to continue building strong relationships with each member individually.”

Mr Bajada emphasises that communication in a digital age is key and helping individual companies to communicate empowers them to recognise important issues and find common grounds for action. “The Malta Chamber has restructured its services to build a sense of identity within its community.

With the introduction of new technologies, we have registered a substantial increase in participation this year. This feedback gives us comfort that the organisation is moving in the right direction,” he explains. “Our active members understand the real value in membership. A restructured Malta Chamber is seeking to interact, engage and communicate in a more efficient manner to ensure that membership value is maximised.” cc

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The future looks bright This June, The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry launched its rebranded visual identity, renewing its purpose to be the voice for the island’s diverse sectors. Here, The Malta Chamber and the architects behind the new branding speak to Rebecca Anastasi about the process towards the new designs, and their hope for what lies ahead.

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n 1848, when Malta was still a colony of Great Britain, the Governor at the time, Sir Richard More O’Ferrall, spearheaded the institution of a new voluntary constituted body – an instrument to strengthen the island’s position as an engine of British trade in the Mediterranean. Together with a local merchant-politician, Sir Agostino Portelli, Sir More O’Ferrall inaugurated the Malta Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise, reorganising the island’s business community, and strengthening it for posterity.

Over its 172-year history, The Malta Chamber matured in its mission and values,

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as the island became independent and set its commercial engines in full-gear to attract investment and ensure economic growth. Today, The Malta Chamber, which is proudly housed within the historic Exchange Buildings in Valletta, boasts hundreds of members and continues to work intently on fulfilling its mission of providing a voice to the local private sector, and supporting it through thick and thin.

And it aims to continue doing so in perpetuity. To this end, this year, The Malta Chamber launched a rebranding exercise – in conjunction with PR agency

BPC International – aiming to bring it into the new decade of the millennium. This was a new vision which saw the entity transformed, ready to continue in its role as an indispensable partner to the thousands of business leaders on the island.

Indeed, during this year’s Annual General Meeting, which was held online, The Malta Chamber President, David Xuereb underlined the “ethos of innovation” which drives The Malta Chamber, and said that “under the banner of a new identity, we shall continue to boldly influence policy, and foster a resilient enterprise culture, safeguarding Malta’s

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CC FOCUS prosperity in respect of the values of our population.”

This is corroborated by Kevin J. Borg, the entity’s Director-General who says that The Malta Chamber, over the past months, “has changed gear and has been on an uninterrupted path of renewal. Some have described it as a veritable renaissance, which is allowing Malta’s foremost business representative body to look ahead into the future and be an ever-more formidable force to be reckoned with,” he explains.

The rebrand, launched during the organisation’s AGM, is just the tip of the iceberg, however. “Fully representative of the raison d’être of the Chamber today, it is merely the slick packaging for an extraordinary product which we have been only too keen to carefully craft over the past months,” Mr Borg continues, underlining that the substance of the entity’s work will be strengthened through a refreshed image.

“Our rebrand has repackaged our business offering to our established members who have been with us for decades, as well to the prospective members who have set up shop last week. With this visual identity, we feel that we can communicate with entrepreneurs, who carry the experience and weight of a long career, as equally and as effectively as to a member of the Young Chamber Network, who we have welcomed with open arms,” the Director-General explains.

For the rebranding is all about “futureproofing” the organisation, he underlines.

“We want to guarantee that this organisation will be at the forefront to represent and lobby on behalf of businesses for at least another 172 years, and perhaps even more!”

These sentiments are echoed by Edward Bonello, The Malta Chamber’s Communications Manager, who was at the very heart of the rebranding exercise.

“Rebranding an organisation like The Malta Chamber is no mean feat. While wanting to fulfil the requirements of a rebrand in its purest form, we made sure to pay full respect to an institution which has stood the test of time, and has remained relevant to Malta’s socio-economic reality, notwithstanding its 172 years of age,” he says.

There were a number of considerations which led to the chosen identity, he goes on.

“We wanted to express the will to remain relevant and be ever-more accessible to every person in business on the island. We also wanted to show how The Malta Chamber is going through a process of transformation which is allowing it to be ever present in the national debate and how ultimately it wants to be an irreplaceable partner to businesses who want to grow,” he continues.

The process towards finalising the rebranding included several intense brainstorming sessions, workshops, design

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presentations and plenty of energetic deliberation to ensure the parties honed their ideas appropriately. The Hermes wing – a symbol representing the Greek God of trade – has remained at the centre of the entity’s look. “We believe we put our best foot forward and chose a strong brand which did not stray too far from the iconic Hermes’ wing, which has been associated with the Chamber for so many years. But we chose a new identity which expressed the Chamber’s will to look forward,” Mr Bonello says.

“Re-branding an organisation like The Malta Chamber is no mean feat. While wanting to fulfil the requirements of a re-brand in its purest form, we made sure to pay full respect to an institution which has stood the test of time.”

– Edward Bonello, Communications Manager, The Malta Chamber 49

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And, the feedback, he continues, has been “fantastic”, with the new branding being “very well received” by The Malta Chamber members and by the public at large, he asserts. “The new brand has an unusual familiarity, which our audiences identified with immediately and had no problem recognising as their new familiar identifier,” he says, underscoring the importance of creating something which was familiar, but different, to what came before.

Both The Malta Chamber’s DirectorGeneral and Communications Manager, have, indeed, high praise for the architects of the organisation’s new look, with the former underlining the PR firm’s ability to “read the ambitions and goals of the projects”, while the latter stresses the professional guidance provided to The Malta Chamber throughout the entire process.

Indeed, from the get-go, BPC International understood the goals of The Malta Chamber’s rebranding. “The key requirement was to communicate that, with all its strengths as well as its notable and resilient history, the Chamber is nevertheless a forward-looking organisation that can take bold steps, modernise, and update its vision,” Managing Director David Brockdorff says, who orchestrated the work with his senior executive, Adam Brockdorff.

“In terms of a strategy, as the Chamber’s identity has always been synonymous with the classical winged figure of the ‘messenger of the gods’, we felt that Hermes should feature in the new identity,” the MD continues, adding that the visuals’ “tone of voice” – communicated through the colour palette and design language – was also of central importance.

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“We want to guarantee that this organisation will be at the forefront to represent and lobby on behalf of businesses for at least another 172 years, and perhaps even more!”

– Kevin J. Borg, DirectorGeneral, The Malta Chamber

“In terms of a strategy, as the Chamber’s identity has always been synonymous with the classical winged figure of the ‘messenger of the gods’, we felt that Hermes should feature in the new identity.”

– David and Adam Brockdorff, Managing Director and Senior Executive, BPC International

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“We also made sure to update the visual identity proposed to something which is relatable to new audiences.”

– Chris Vassallo Cesareo, Board of Management Member, The Malta Chamber

“We needed to ensure that we communicate our independence, and our belief in that we are stronger together in a business community rather than in isolation and that we are not a governmental body.”

– Liz Barbaro Sant, Board of Management Member, The Malta Chamber

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Once the initial deliberations, and the preparatory phase, were concluded, the agency generated a number of “viable design routes”, which were discussed in detail with The Malta Chamber, and which “underwent a rigorous and objective assessment by key stakeholders.” Once the preferred choice was identified, the agency proceeded to refine and develop the identity, “till we arrived at the core visual DNA”, the Senior Executive continues.

“With this in place, we then developed a set of comprehensive brand guidelines as a basis for all future development and application.”

The deadlines for the project were demanding, both insist, with “high client expectations, so the bar was set pretty high”. But, the principal challenge, they both say, was “developing a design which strikes the right balance between ‘established’ and ‘forward-looking’, as befitting an organisation that traces its roots back to 1848 and yet has its eyes firmly fixed on the future. The end result hopefully demonstrates we rose up to this.”

The new visual identity, according to the pair, sends an “unequivocal signal that, not only is The Malta Chamber here to stay, but it has also embarked on an ambitious process of transformation to ensure its ongoing relevance in a rapidly evolving world and business environment.”

To this end, it will further serve, in BPC’s view, to help The Malta Chamber attract new members and audiences, as well as consolidate its position in the very heart of Malta’s business community. “The Malta Chamber is now hopefully able to speak with a stronger and more strident voice at a time when this is very much needed,” the Managing Director underlines.

On the operational side of The Malta Chamber’s rebranding exercise, members of the organisation’s Board of Management, the committee overseeing the new visual identity, points to the hard work which went into achieving the result.

Board member, Chris Vassallo Cesareo, said the new identity will “stand the test of time” and, while the project took a number of weeks to be successfully delivered, it “fulfilled all the ambitions of our organisation” and was updated with an eye to ensure the continued relevance of the entity to Malta’s business community.

“Throughout the process we were sensitive to respect, and not overlook, the 172-year history of the organisation, which sets it apart from others in Malta. At the same time, we also made sure to update the visual identity to something which is relatable to new audiences. The end result did just that,” he says.

Lisa Barbaro Sant – another of the organisation’s board members - concurs, saying that the rebranding was necessary “to modernise our brand to better communicate our relevance in the current digital world and attract new businesses to our community – but not at the expense of our existing members.” In line with this philosophy, a logo was created to work on both social media and traditional channels, with the overall look designed to further reflect the members’ sense of professionalism.

“From the positive feedback I have received, this has been achieved. We needed to ensure that we communicate our independence, and our belief in that we are stronger together in a business community rather than in isolation and that we are not a governmental body. Our Chamber is the voice of business,” she affirms, concluding. cc

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How Malta’s fastest growing science business is expanding overseas The origins of Evolve Ltd, which services the scientific industry, can be traced back to a company that handled photographic film and delicatessen. Its Managing Director, Christopher Busuttil Delbridge, recounts to Ray Bugeja how and why the evolution happened.

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ttard & Co., which was set up in 1921, founded the Medical and Scientific and Supplies Department in 1956. In 1999, Christopher Busuttil Delbridge joined as a scientific consultant, and lost no time in changing both the pace and the direction of the department. Seven years later, the department developed into Evolve Ltd, whose aim is to better serve the scientific industry in Malta, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

In the meantime, Malta joined the European Union. The more delicate nature of business and level of expertise required by the incoming pharma industry following EU accession necessitated a separately branded entity, Mr Busuttil Delbridge explains. Till then, Attard & Co. was mostly known for Agfa photo film and Fiorucci delicatessen. “Not a fitting match to the niche scientific and medical markets,” he quips.

The setting up of Evolve also brought about new directorships, which helped steer the course to new and better horizons.

The Managing Director admits that his core targets for Evolve remain unchanged.

He strives to attract top talent to offer exceptional support to the company’s scientific and medical customers, allowing them to focus on what they do best. The team makes it a point to learn, move on, and grow from every single opportunity. What has been added is an internationalisation dimension.

Mr Busuttil Delbridge points out that Evolve is no different from its forerunner, the Medical and Scientific and Supplies Department. He insists that what exists now is a continuation of what had been started, learnt, and built upon. Today’s operation also embraces the same ethical principles the family-owned business always stressed, he adds.

“By time, we became much more agile, experienced, and confident in our designs, installation and propositions. Our portfolio has been expanded and our work philosophy went from trader to solution provider to professional services company. Before we sold products while, nowadays, we can handle entire facilities and projects,” he asserts.

“Many opportunities still remain, and the [medical cannabis] market will flourish once more clinical trials are finalised.”

Photos by Inigo Taylor

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The Managing Director explains that when speaking about the scientific industry, one must, first and foremost, bear in mind that ‘scientific’ is one broad term. In Evolve’s case, the term is used to denote anything from pharma manufacturing to academic labs, as well as any healthcare facility. In fact, the company is constantly on the lookout for complementary and additional business, and that is why Evolve succeeded in gaining a competitive advantage in the local medical cannabis industry.

Along the years, Evolve has been assisting technical entities in designing, equipping, training, and maintaining facilities. Mr Busuttil Delbridge explains that the company is always adapting its business model, depending on the type of industry it is servicing and its geography. “It is very clear that one size fits one. We pride ourselves in being very familiar with the latest regulations of the particular industry we are serving,” he remarks.

Most of the members of the team at Evolve are scientists, and scientific knowledge and expertise is at the core of the company’s operations. When asked whether it is a feat finding the right people, especially as new niches like the medical cannabis industry emerge, Mr Busuttil Delbridge replies, “what you forgot to mention is that all the members of the team are positive people, and recruiting for character is, to us, the most important part of our updated process.”

“Yes, most have sound scientific knowledge because we put value into speaking our customers’ language. This makes it even harder to find the right person for the job. In fact, we have turned to a wide pool of people and now have five different nationalities represented at Evolve. That is, about 15 per cent of our workforce moved to Malta from overseas. I expect this ratio to grow,” he continues.

He is on record saying that legislation enacted two years ago in connection with the medical cannabis industry presented Evolve with “massive opportunities”.

He points out that Malta was the first EU country to legislate on medical cannabis as a pharmaceutical. This meant that the many companies attracted to Malta’s shores have to build or retrofit facilities for the processing and testing of this new pharmaceutical form.

Evolve, he continues, quickly positioned itself as the supplier of choice as an EPCM contractor (turnkey) or for any other part of the investment, be it cleanrooms, lab equipment and supplies or even purified water loops.

The medical cannabis market worldwide was booming for over a year when, towards 56

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“We have turned to a wide pool of people and now have five different nationalities represented at Evolve. That is, about 15 per cent of our workforce moved to Malta from overseas.”

the end of 2019, it hit a snag due to underfunding, bad press, and delayed release of clinical trials, Mr Busuttil Delbridge notes, adding that COVID-19 did not help. Yet, he is still hopeful. “Many opportunities still remain, and the market will flourish once more clinical trials are finalised.”

We can say the Maltese market moved in parallel, he asserts.

There is no doubt that Evolve is highly specialised in the pharmacology industry and the Managing Director points out that Malta has the first fully approved EU-GMP medical cannabis packaging and testing facility, which Evolve was responsible for. But there is more: annexed to the facility is a fully fledged testing laboratory for both analytical and microbiological testing, which Evolve also equipped and maintains.

“I am not at liberty to reveal commerciallysensitive information about this new facility

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but I can tell you that Evolve was responsible for the entire project, from structural alterations to all mechanical and electrical installations, cleanrooms, a security access system, air handling, fire detection, etc,” he says, adding that “it was a successful project done in record time and within budget. We even financed the project and smoothed out the payments as well as administrative workload for the customer.” Lessons were learnt along the way.

Mr Busuttil Delbridge admits that medical cannabis markets are very hard to predict right now, therefore, any customer would not be very sure of what to invest in and how much. This, he explains, means that upgradeability and modularity must be incorporated into the design without loading the capital outlay.

The lack of clear expectations also means that, throughout the project,

there are numerous changes and detailed documentation and sign offs if such changes become very important.

But Evolve has an international dimension too. The Managing Directors notes that, for the last three years, Evolve targeted SubSaharan Africa as its go-to market in terms of opportunities. Many visits have been made to the region, and turnkey projects were also secured. Among the projects is the first EUGMP standard pharma lab in West Africa – a huge milestone for the region and a very big achievement for any company operating in Evolve’s space, he remarks.

“These are exciting times to be part of our team and the vibe is palpable,” Mr Busuttil Delbridge exclaims. cc

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Driving innovation in the face of adversity For DHL Express, the COVID-19 pandemic was a test to its resilience as the world’s logistics leader. Charles Schiavone, Malta Manager of DHL Express, tells Martina Said how the company weathered the storm, protected its staff and clients, and now has its eye on innovating its operations to safeguard its future.

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ver the past few months, all businesses have had to adapt to new work practices in order to survive, and in some cases, thrive. So was the case for global logistics leader DHL and its Malta office, but while COVID-19 posed many challenges, none were too great for the worldwide courier to overcome.

Charles Schiavone, Malta Country Manager at DHL Express, says that when the pandemic broke out in Malta, the company initially focused on understanding the impact on its employees and business before implementing a strategic plan that would, as much as possible, not disrupt the services it offers to customers.

“It was of great satisfaction to see that even in these difficult times, DHL Express kept its promises to customers at all times.

COVID-19 impacted our day-to-day habits and traditional approach to customers, but we immediately found solutions to overcome all challenges. Social distancing didn’t mean customer distancing, and we kept contacting our customers even though we couldn’t visit them.”

Mr Schiavone adds that DHL Express maintained delivery services around the world, and given the dynamic situation businesses were facing, the courier too had to adjust to different business environments.

“In most countries, the restrictions applied by local governments did not apply to the transport of goods and documents. The DHL Express network was therefore operational for export and import shipments on these impacted lanes.”

More than ever before, logistics companies proved to be the lifeline for most countries around the world, but especially on an island like Malta, where air and sea connectivity are essential for the country’s survival. Mr Schiavone says that indeed, DHL kept doing what it does best throughout this time – and in some ways even more so than before.

“DHL is one of the few airlines that continued with its normal flight schedules through this period. We never stopped.

Across the globe, our fleet of more than 260 aircraft continued to transport millions of shipments. We ensured that our productivity and efficiency would not be affected,” says

“DHL is one of the few airlines that continued with its normal flight schedules through this period. We never stopped. Across the globe, our fleet of more than 260 aircraft continued to transport millions of shipments.”

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Mr Schiavone. “At our Malta office, we took social distancing measures very seriously and split our operations by sourcing four other premises to operate from, with the aim of avoiding staff meetings all together at one location every morning.”

DHL Malta also offered its support to local health authorities throughout the pandemic, providing transportation for 45 oxygen concentrators that were essential for Mater Dei Hospital patients, as well as transporting volumes of other protective equipment required by various businesses.

On a company level, DHL Express prioritised the well-being and safety of its employees, taking all necessary measures to safeguard its people while ensuring business continuity. “We changed the procedure on how a customer can sign when receiving documents or parcels, by signing on the label instead of the device, while the courier kept their distance,” he explains. “We also adopted smart working practices to keep the number of administrative employees working near each other to a minimum.”

Turning to the impact of the pandemic on the company’s bottom line, Mr Schiavone asserts that as a logistics service provider, business will always be directly affected by how other industries are impacted. “Over the past months, some industries have seen an increase in business while others have experienced the opposite. The main aim for DHL was to, first and foremost, protect its employees, and ensure business continuity.”

“DHL provides an essential service and we couldn’t risk not being able to provide that service to our customers,” he explains.

“From a global perspective, DHL had seen significant growth during the pandemic – in some countries, we had to find solutions to increase air capacity in order to continue moving goods between continents, knowing that the majority of airline carriers had stopped operating altogether.”

Among the many uncertainties this unprecedented time has brought about, it has also opened doors for new ways of doings things – people’s shopping patterns have changed, which in turn forced companies to upgrade the ways they offer their services to customers, which in turn sped up their digitalising process. This, in itself, could be considered a positive consequence of COVID-19.

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“This pandemic has brought new opportunities – because of the restrictions imposed by the authorities, businesses started looking into digital solutions as an alternative way to continue selling their products,” says Mr Schiavone. “Both international and domestic e-commerce have increased as a result, and more business owners nowadays are looking to invest in e-commerce solutions to sell their products online. In this respect, DHL offers different tools to assist customers with buying online, according to their needs.”

Past, current and future growth have pushed DHL Express to expand its operations locally, a move which will ensure a smoother and more efficient operation for the years to come. “Over the last years, DHL has grown year-on-year, both locally and globally. The company has invested millions to upgrade and build new facilities, to be able to provide quality service,” he explains.

“In Malta, we are also investing by expanding our airport facility to double its size, which will guarantee our capacity to handle larger volumes for the coming years.

The upgraded facility will include changes to our processes which will become automated.

This will make us more efficient and enable us to process material faster without compromising security for both import and export shipments.”

All business owners and operators will look back on the past months, and indeed

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“COVID-19 impacted our day-to-day habits and traditional approach to customers, but we immediately found solutions to overcome all challenges.” the whole of 2020, as a turning point for their company – for better or for worse.

Mr Schiavone says that the global health crisis has certainly brought about many challenges, with more likely to come, but it has also forced companies to adapt to new business environments and look for innovative solutions to continue to thrive.

“DHL’s Innovation Centre structurally invests in trend research and solution

development. To foster collaboration, the company brings together customers, research and academic institutions, industry partners, and logistics experts within the DHL business divisions. I personally believe that DHL has much more to offer in the future – it has always provided and will continue to provide innovative solutions in the best interest of its customers.” cc

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01. “We must emerge out of this fog more resilient and energized today, for a more competitive Malta tomorrow” “We are living one of the most exciting times of our lives, and as a Chamber, representing all economic sectors in Malta, we are privileged to be close to you, and assist you in every way possible, to make a success of this new norm,” said Perit David Xuereb, while opening an exclusive webinar for The Malta Chamber members on BOV-MDB COVID Assist in May. “Today marks an important step forward in our efforts to not only mitigate COVID but more importantly emerge strongly and successfully out of the unprecedented situation we find ourselves in. Today more businesses are opening their shutters and welcoming patrons for the first time in weeks. Let’s make sure that, with the right attitude and discipline, we take all necessary actions and precautions to safeguard each other and our clients, and make this another courageous, yet important step in the right direction,” Perit Xuereb said.

‘Question Time by The Malta Chamber’ organised in collaboration with Bank of Valletta and the Malta Development Bank, provided businesses with details about the recently launched BOVMDB COVID Assist, a financing scheme aimed at assisting local SMEs and Large Enterprises facing disruptions due to COVID. The webinar provided insight into the eligibility and loan criteria, interest rates and the required documentation.

02. Chamber Deputy President discusses re-opening of economy on Insights “Government should support companies that are ready to equip themselves for the new normal,” said Deputy President Marisa

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Xuereb, as she represented The Malta Chamber on TVM’s programme Insights on 26th May. “Rather than dish out blanket support to entire sectors, Government’s resources would be put to better use if they were focused at company level.”

Asked about her thoughts for a postCOVID scenario, Ms Xuereb noted that the Chamber did not wish to revert to the equilibrium of pre-COVID times as it was not perceived to be optimal. Even though the economy was doing well, the environment was paying the price, and the quality of life was not as good as it could be. “We must be the catalysts that take the country to a new equilibrium,” she said.

“It is in everyone’s better interest that we all follow the regulations issued by the Health Authorities. This has always been our position as a Chamber, and we have always appealed to each and every member to follow these regulations responsibly. Otherwise, everyone will suffer the consequences if we see another rise in COVID cases,” she added.

03. Embracing good governance – webinar provides Chamber members with insights on the importance of good governance “A country cannot expect to experience economic expansion and long-term economic stability without good governance, either on a national level or at the level of the boardroom,” said Perit David Xuereb, as he welcomed Chamber members to a webinar in May. “The Malta Chamber is very well aware of this and anyone who lived in Malta in the past months knows how vociferous we have been on the matter. The Malta Chamber has always given a great deal of importance to this subject as it sees it as an obvious basis for any kind of long-term growth,” he explained.

Perit Xuereb was delivering his welcome speech during ‘Embracing Good Governance’, a webinar organised by the Malta Chamber on the importance of good governance at every level of society.

The webinar was also addressed

by Terrence Norris, Principal Advisor at Get Governanz, David Sachs, CEO of Tomobox, and Dr Edward Zammit Lewis, Minister for Justice, Equality and Governance. The keynote speech was delivered by international expert on the subject L. Burke Files, President of the International Due Diligence Organisation.

04. Chamber of Commerce holds webinar on initiatives related to insolvency risk and support for directors “The Malta Chamber is well aware that these unprecedented times necessitate a multi-faceted effort to support members on a number of levels,” said Chamber President David Xuereb on 28th May, as he opened a webinar on the subject of initiatives related to insolvency issues and support for directors and businesses.

“Over the past weeks we have endeavoured to lobby Government at the highest levels on assistance for businesses to save jobs; we have helped businesses access support through Government agencies while we continue to be close to businesses while truly and professionally voice their concerns at this time. Our efforts however did not stop there, as we have also sought to support the business community directly during these times,” Perit Xuereb noted.

The Chamber President explained how on 1st April, the Chamber submitted a list of proposals to Government for supporting the business community, and for the protection of company directors during these times of extraordinary pressures.

Dr Kevan Azzopardi, Official Receiver, MBR, delivered a keynote speech on the recent amendments to the Companies Act to provide protection to directors in the face of the current uncertain business environment; and incentives for business facing insolvencies relating to the Company Recovery Procedure. The webinar was also addressed by Dr Louis Cassar Pullicino, Managing Partner, Ganado Advocates.

05. Chamber President discusses ‘new normal’ on Newsbook’s post-COVID webinar “I like to imagine what will be written in history books in the near future, where our kids will learn about 2020 and realise 65

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that the practices which will be considered normal at the time were all formed and created as a result of the pandemic,” said Malta Chamber President David Xuereb, as he addressed a webinar on ‘The Post-COVID World’ by Newsbook on 28th May. The webinar addressed main issues and questions arising from Malta’s economic re-development.

Perit Xuereb noted the importance of upholding a positive outlook on the circumstances we are facing and said that “while making strong improvements, any changes will bring about challenges.

We will need to be cautious in tackling these difficulties which the new normal may bring about, but we should also view them as an opportunity to create safer environments for our workplace, our homes, and the community in general.”

The webinar was also addressed by other prominent speakers, including Prime Minister Robert Abela, Leader of the Opposition Adrian Delia, Finance Minister Edward Scicluna, Opposition Spokesman Mario de Marco and the Archbishop of Malta Charles Scicluna.

06. Further relaxing of measures welcome The Malta Chamber welcomed the reopening of all businesses as of 5th June. This was seen as an important step in the right direction for the country to continue to achieve normality and the economy to function once again.

The Malta Chamber however noted the lack of detail in the Prime Minister’s press

05. conference. Businesses and investors needed clarity which could only be derived from guidance and operational principles in order to operate properly.

The Chamber stated that “it is important for the necessary information to be issued without delay, in order for businesses to be in a position to enact and put in place the necessary protocols and procedures for the expected changes.”

“The whole of Maltese society has made great efforts to keep this pandemic under control by respecting the measures in place.

We trust that this controlled and disciplined approach will continue in the weeks and months ahead,” the statement concluded.

07. Chamber updates President on its work in favour of Malta’s businesses A delegation from The Malta Chamber met with H.E. the President of the Republic George Vella in June. During the meeting, Perit Xuereb updated the President of the Republic with the latest

developments in the endeavours of The Malta Chamber in the past weeks.

Perit Xuereb described the business sentiment which the Chamber kept a close eye on through its regular surveys with its vast membership which represented all sectors of the Maltese economy, and how since mid-March, the organisation was proposing recommendations to Government to support businesses through the challenging times of COVID. President Vella was particularly interested in the Chamber’s views and new, proactive initiatives in the area of supporting businesses in ensuring their present survival and resilience/viability in the realities of a new normal. The President expressed interest in meeting the Chamber on a more regular basis.

08. 71 per cent of respondents say COVID-related stress disrupted productivity 71 per cent of attendants to a webinar organised by The Malta Chamber on 3rd

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June said that COVID had, to a certain extent, increased stress levels within their business, to the detriment of productivity.

The respondents were answering a poll which was carried out ahead of ‘Question Time – Managing Stress at Work’, a webinar about mental health issues at the workplace.

19 per cent of those taking the poll went further and said that this disruption happened to a large extent, while only 10 per cent claimed that COVID did not affect their operation in terms of stress.

The Malta Chamber organised the webinar to raise awareness on matters of mental health at the workplace during COVID-19.

Welcoming guests to the webinar, Malta Chamber President Perit David Xuereb said that the during the COVID crisis, it was evident that the disruption of all normality had a large impact on businesses and their employees.

In his address during the webinar, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Chris Fearne said that he looked forward to collaborating closely with The Malta Chamber in developing a programme for mental health awareness and prevention at the workplace.

The webinar was also addressed by Clinical Chair, Department of Psychiatry Dr Anton Grech, and CEO for Mental Health Services Dr Stephanie Xuereb.

09. Let’s make a success of the future Addressing members of the press at the end of a walkabout in Republic Street, JULY/AUGUST 2020

Valletta, in June, the President of The Malta Chamber David Xuereb said that the reopening of all remaining retails outlets across Malta marked a very important step towards a brighter and successful future. Perit Xuereb met with shop owners in Valletta to discuss the challenges and uncertainties they were facing.

President Xuereb noted that based on the feedback received by The Malta Chamber, businesses operating in the retail sector still found a number of difficulties to return to their full operation, even though they were allowed to. “A number of operators in fashion retail, for example, are opting to keep their dressing rooms closed, as opening them would be unfeasible,” Perit Xuereb noted. “This is testament to a serious business sector which is giving priority to hygiene and customer confidence,” he said.

Perit Xuereb was accompanied by the Chair of the Importers Economic Group Marcel K. Mifsud, the Director General of the Malta Chamber Kevin J. Borg and Business Development Manager Stefan Bajada.

10. Special budget widely reflects proposals made by the Malta Chamber The Malta Chamber welcomed the measures announced during the special budget which were based on the three principles outlined by The Malta Chamber in its document ‘Making a Success of the New Norm’.

The Chamber was particularly satisfied that Government accepted and announced

measures it had itself proposed, such as the retention of the wage subsidy on a selective and tapered basis, support for business operating costs particularly in terms of rental expenses and fuel costs, and direct support to help businesses re-engineer their business plans to consider new opportunities.

“As Malta’s foremost business representative body, we welcome the measures announced tonight, as they widely reflect the sentiments of The Malta Chamber. Several of the incentives are expected to help businesses turn the COVID crisis into an opportunity of growth through a re-engineered economy,” said Perit David Xuereb, President of the Malta Chamber.

11. Chamber holds webinar on support measures Welcoming attendees to ‘Question Time’ on 10th June, a webinar dedicated to the measures announced by Government in the special COVID budget, The Malta Chamber President David Xuereb said that the Chamber was pleased that the pillars on which the budget was built were in line with the priorities outlined by The Malta Chamber in its proposals for the same.

“The Malta Chamber presented Government with a number of proposals that needed to be introduced to help businesses get through and look ahead of the COVID-19 crisis,” said Perit Xuereb.

“The budget mirrored our document ‘Making a Success of the New Norm’ extensively, as it provided a reduction in operational costs for enterprises, 69

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that “the partnership with the Chamber of Commerce highlights our maturity on the B2B scenario – we are proud and confident of our abilities and technological insight.”

15. Good governance should take centre stage

11. helped kick-start aggregate demand by stimulating domestic consumption, as well as ambitiously incentivising the futureproofing of the economy by supporting companies to obtain professional assistance to re-engineer their business models.”

In his key note speech, Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Businesses Silvio Schembri remarked that the effects brought about by the pandemic were challenged from a position of strength in view of the fact that that the Maltese economy was experiencing substantial economic growth, consequently surpassing other European peers in terms of performance.

Kurt Farrugia, CEO of Malta Enterprise provided a detailed presentation on how businesses were to benefit from the measures announced during the budget. The well-attended webinar was led by The Malta Chamber Head of Policy André Fenech.

12. New Care Homes Operators Business Section within the Malta Chamber established A new business section dedicated to the ever-growing sector of Care Homes Operators was set up within the Malta Chamber, with the election for the Executive Committee taking place in May. The Chamber believes that with the setting up of this Business Section, the Chamber is once again being proactive in representing an underserved sector, especially during these unprecedented times posed by COVID-19.

The six-member Executive Committee is made up of Nathalie Briffa Farrugia as Chairperson (Care Malta), Sarah Cassar as Deputy Chairperson (Casa Antonia), Charmaine Attard (AX Care), Dr Marie Eleanor Farrugia (Prime Care), Angelle Falzon (Caring First Ltd) and Fleur Balzan (Age Concern Company Ltd).

13. The Malta Chamber endorses spirit of Kamra talPeriti’s proposed reforms The Malta Chamber, through its Built Environment Committee, endorsed the 70

spirit and intentions of Kamra tal-Periti’s proposals aimed at reforming the Building and Construction Industry on 12th June.

“The Industry has not gone through any substantial changes in the last 100 years. Therefore, Kamra tal-Periti’s document titled ‘A Modern Building and Construction Regulation Framework’ has several of the ingredients necessary to strengthen the industry,” said Benjamin Tabone Grech, Chair of the recently launched Built Environment Committee.

The Malta Chamber understands the need for a reform in the industry and has highlighted the need for a change in its Economic Vision for Malta published earlier this year that included a list of recommendations within the industry.

Moreover, the Malta Chamber has created a Thematic Committee, made up of different elites within their field, dedicated to discussing the issues prevalent in the industry with the aim of fostering a resilient building industry. The Malta Chamber commends the work done by Kamra tal-Periti and looks forward to collaborating further in the future.

14. Chamber equipped with latest tech tools through Klikk In June, The Malta Chamber concluded a number of partnership agreements aimed at sustaining and strengthening the operations of the Chamber in a number of theme-focused areas of specialisation and beyond. These collaborations, which came into effect in March 2020, were all especially designed to enhance the Chamber’s services and expert representation in prioritised areas of interest.

Through a Bronze Partner Support Agreement, Klikk Ltd shall support the Malta Chamber to be better equipped with the latest tools in order to provide its members with the best service possible.

This adds to the ongoing modernisation efforts that have been carried out by the Chamber throughout the past year.

Commenting to maltachamber.org.mt on the partnership agreement, Head of Corporate of Klikk Ltd. Gilbert Schembri said

On 16th June, The Malta Chamber stated that it believes that now is again the time to prioritise the national debate and engagement on good governance actions. The Chamber is of the opinion that businesses cannot operate fairly, ethically and successfully without the proper checks and balances. It has made its opinions amply known to the country and society at large, in a regular and consistent manner, not least by publishing a good governance manifesto last January with over 60 tangible recommendations.

Malta faces a stern test by the Council of Europe’s Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering measures, better known as Moneyval. Our country cannot risk failing this test since it does not deserve to be in the company of the so-called ‘grey-list jurisdictions’. This would heavily impact the viability of the Maltese financial sector, trading, tourism and general services, especially as the country’s plight with correspondent banks is expected to intensify further.

In addition, the country should not risk compromising the economic recovery measures currently being taken to combat COVID-19. Good governance is a very important economic value and no stone should be left unturned to champion honest business and the highest ethical standards at a national level.

16. The Malta Chamber – The Voice of Business The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry has rebranded its identity to reflect its restless drive to be Malta’s foremost business representative body.

Addressing members at the Annual General Meeting, which was held digitally on 18th June, President David Xuereb remarked how the organisation had been the leading voice of Malta’s business community for over 170 years.

“An ethos of innovation drives the Chamber, as it embarks on a process of transformation to ensure ongoing relevance for the future in an everchanging reality. To complement this new way of thinking, we have seen fit to update our brand identity, to project a progressive and forward-looking JULY/AUGUST 2020

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16. organisation able to take bold steps and modernise its vision,” said Perit Xuereb.

The rebranded identity of The Malta Chamber was produced

by BPC International.

17. Engel & Völkers collaborating with Malta Chamber on building and construction industry reform In his comments to maltachamber.org.mt on this Gold Partnership Agreement, Engel & Völkers CEO Benjamin Tabone Grech said that the organisation entered into this agreement in its efforts to contribute towards the built environment, ensure sustainability and quality, and complement this to reflect the country’s rich culture, tranquil quality of life and innovation.

“We are very proud of our islands and we would like to see supportive measures achieved through the Chamber’s economic visions within a setup timeframe. The way the Chamber started to implement changes to its structure and become more involved and enjoy a horizontal representation approach of the professionals across all industries, will no doubt be one of the key reasons to help in making Malta great once again,” he added.

The Malta Chamber’s Thematic Committee which is being supported by Engel & Völkers, is made up of different elites within their field, and is dedicated to discussing the issues prevalent in the industry with the aim of fostering a resilient building industry. This adds to the vociferous statements made by the Malta Chamber in the past months in this regard.

of the business community for their work during the COVID-19 crisis.

Dr Abela was addressing members of The Malta Chamber during its Annual General Meeting which was held digitally on 18th June.

The Prime Minister noted how the ideas and feedback of The Malta Chamber were key in the development of Government’s policies during the COVID-19 crisis.

“The economic regeneration plan, ‘A Better Tomorrow’, has benefitted greatly from the proposals of the Chamber,” the Prime Minister said. Referring to the scheme, whereby Malta Enterprise will afford assistance to businesses to help them re-engineer their business plans, Dr Abela said, “this scheme is inspired directly by discussions with your Council”.

19. Question Time – A webinar by the Malta Chamber on trade finance Addressing ‘Question Time by The Malta Chamber’ on 24th June, Perit David Xuereb said that in light of the recent COVID-19 crisis, businesses,

now more than ever, were aware of the importance of understanding all the tools they had at their disposal. ‘Trade Finance: Navigating COVID-19’ provided members with a detailed account of how Bank of Valletta can assist businesses in their trade financing needs.

“In the wake of one of the toughest times we ever had to experience, it is of utmost importance that we make our decisions based on sound financial principles and an ethos of good governance,” Perit Xuereb said.

Joseph Rodgers, Trade Finance Executive at Bank of Valletta and the main speaker of this webinar, explained the obligations and responsibilities of parties in commercial contracts, the importance of choosing the right trade finance products to overcome cash flow challenges and phantom transactions.

‘Trade Finance: Navigating COVID-19’ was part of the ‘Question Time by The Malta Chamber’ webinar series and was open exclusively to members of The Malta Chamber and produced in collaboration with Bank of Valletta.

18. The Malta Chamber was key to the development of Government policies Prime Minister Robert Abela thanked The Malta Chamber and members JULY/AUGUST 2020

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20. The Malta Chamber welcomes the lifting of the travel ban for yachts calling to Malta with only crew on board The Health Authorities advised that as from 1st July, crew changes to and from Malta would be permitted with respect to persons (including crew members) travelling from the list of countries as listed in the Travel Ban (Extension to all Countries) (Amendment) Order 2020 (Legal Notice 244 of 2020). These countries include France (with the exception of Ile-de-France), Italy (with the exception of Emilia Romagna, Lombardy and Piemonte), Greece, Croatia and Spain.

This is applicable to people who had been in that particular country for a minimum of two weeks. Therefore, crew changes could also be considered when the persons involved are not residents of the specific countries listed in the Legal Notice. Crew changes involving such persons may be planned and the necessary travel arrangements made accordingly.

The chairperson of the Yachting Services Business Section, Dr Alison Vassallo said, “the Yachting Services Business Section has been in close contact with 74

the authorities throughout the pandemic with a view to finding workable solutions to rekindle the Malta yacht industry and allow it to re-start its activity just in time for the summer months.”

21. No stone should be left unturned to avoid greylisting – David Xuereb The likelihood of Malta failing this year’s Moneyval exam on money laundering and financial crime is becoming increasingly likely, according to reports based on comments by American officials based in Malta. Such failure, following the reprimand issued last year, would mean that Malta would end up as the first EU member state on the so-called grey-list, that is a nation which poses a high risk of financial crime.

Speaking during Newsbook Hour, the Malta Chamber President David Xuereb said that the risk of Malta’s greylisting is unfortunately very real.

President Xuereb expressed his concern about the possible negative outcomes and said that everyone needs to act in this direction. To achieve this, everyone needs to realise the risk and act accordingly. He said that the country needs to send the

right signals that it is acting on all levels to ensure the timely investigations in every possible case, irrespective of the role and function in the economic ecosystem.

President Xuereb said that the country needs the peace of mind that we have a jurisdiction which is credible.

22. Malta Chamber forges Gold Partnership with EY The Malta Chamber has signed a Gold Partnership Agreement with EY, intended to enhance collaboration between the Big 4 firm and the Chamber in the future. Through the agreement, EY Malta will support The Malta Chamber in the formation of an Economic and Financial Matters Committee.

The Economic and Financial Matters Committee is a new horizontal policy committee being set up within The Malta Chamber, to develop its policy in key areas of macroeconomics, economic governance, structural reform, taxation, monetary policy and financial regulation.

The Economic and Financial Matters Committee shall have an advisory role to the Council of The Malta Chamber.

“EY and The Malta Chamber go back a long way,” Perit Xuereb said. “As a JULY/AUGUST 2020

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would include family size, location, size and finishing standards of the property.

01. The Malta Chamber, MBB congratulate John A. Huber on election to Eurochambres Board of Directors

Chamber, every year we are honoured to strongly support and open the EY Malta Attractiveness Conference, which saw its fledgling beginnings in the main hall of The Malta Chamber a few short years back. We are only too pleased to be part of this journey. Moreover, we are energised to collaborate closer than ever, and take our relationship to the next level, in order to provide The Malta Chamber members and the country with more value through this partnership.”

The agreement was signed by President David Xuereb and Deputy President Marisa Xuereb on behalf of the Malta Chamber, and Ronald Attard, Country Managing Partner on behalf of EY Malta.

23. Yachting Services Business Section Executive Committee meets Prof. Charmaine Gauci On Wednesday 1st July, the Yachting Services Business Section Executive Committee met with Superintendent of Health Prof. Charmaine Gauci and the Director at the Environmental Health Directorate, Dr Clive Tonna.

The Executive Committee called this meeting to discuss the several issues that arose during the pandemic within the yachting industry and debated the different scenarios that stakeholders were currently experiencing.

Prof. Gauci clarified various measures that have come to effect in recent weeks and explained the mitigating steps that were in place. Discussions also ensued with regard to the practical handling of requests for the entry and transiting of yachts in Malta going forward.

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Vassallo, Peter Fiorini Lowell, Matthew Gusman and Niki Travers Tauss.

24. The Malta Chamber welcomes improvements to the IIP scheme The Malta Chamber welcomed the changes proposed to the Individual Investor Programme (IIP) by Government in Parliament on 3rd July. The Malta Chamber has been very active in this area too, and following a very wide consultation with key stakeholders in this field and its membership, presented its detailed and extensive submissions and recommendations on the Individual Investors Programme in April of this year.

Most of the changes proposed by Government were included in The Malta Chamber’s recommendations, and the Chamber applauded the inclusion of these proposals such as the 100 per cent increase in minimum value of property purchased by the applicant, the mandatory philanthropic donation and the quota limitation to 1,500 applications.

The Chamber also notes with satisfaction that the new programme will also include a residency requirement prior to the applicant applying for citizenship. This will ensure a stronger link between the applicant and the Maltese jurisdiction.

One missed opportunity in the previous programme was the fact that the country did not fully tap into the wider opportunities which most of these applicants could have brought in terms of potential investment or expertise to the local economy and social wealth. Instead, the Chamber had suggested removing the minimum rental value and replacing it with a requirement for a property which is adequate and suitable for the IIP applicant and his/her dependants. These

During the General Assembly held on 9th June, John A. Huber was elected to the Board of Directors of Eurochambres, of which The Malta Chamber is member.

Established in 1958, Eurochambres represents over 20 million businesses in Europe employing over 120 million people, 93 per cent of which are SMEs. The organisation has 46 members made of national associations of chambers of commerce and industry and transnational chamber organisations. It also has a European network of 1,700 regional and local chambers.

“Being active at senior levels of panEuropean business networks is of utmost importance for a small country like Malta.

It provides a platform to network with and convey our priorities to high-level EU officials and business leaders,” Mr Huber said after his election. “I look forward to continue promoting the entrepreneurial spirit of Maltese enterprise at European level and put forward our position on EU policy issues of priority to us,” he added.

John A. Huber is the Managing Consultant at John Huber and Associates, a Maltese advisory firm that caters for tax services with special focus on tax issues related to relocating to Malta. He worked in the field of tax for more than 30 years.

Since July 2019, Mr Huber is Vice President of the Malta Business Bureau, of which he previously also served as President between 2010 and 2012.

The Malta Chamber and Malta Business Bureau congratulate Mr Huber on his election and wish him a successful mandate. cc

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COVID-19 and directors’ obligations COVID-19 has created chaos across the board. Everyone has had to learn how to adapt in the circumstances, and this has presented a number of challenges. Apart from the daily life disruption, the pandemic has increased the stress on a number of businesses. Very few have sailed by unaffected, and even those which faced a minimal or negligible impact have had to ensure that they are on the lookout for any changes that have to be integrated.

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irectors of companies are a sphere of business that have had to adapt to the changes being made by the pandemic.

The adaptation has had to take place not only in relation to the business operation of a company but also to the legal obligations that the directors have towards the company and third parties.

The immediate concern of any company director, upon the spread of the pandemic, was the viability of the business itself. This was obviously determined by the area in which the business operated. After assessing the situation, the board of directors should have taken decisions in the best interests of the company but with particular attention to the company’s obligations in relation to creditors and other third parties.

Despite the difficult scenario companies might be facing, the board of directors must ensure that its obligations are being satisfied in full, as this might lead to personal liability, apart from liability for the company itself.

This is important to underline as many companies, when faced with a stressful period, tend to focus on the cash aspect of the operations and put on the back burner any other obligations that the directors or the company may have.

Understandably, in a crisis the focus is firefighting, however there may be other problems looming which the directors may not be seeing. For this purpose, it is recommendable that the board of directors always has the proper support mechanisms to ensure that, when adverse situations do occur, the run-of-the-mill obligations are fulfilled by the company. For example, the directors should ensure that the company has a good finance department or an accountant in place to continue taking care of the periodical fiscal commitment of the company such as VAT returns, submission of monthly tax and social security declarations, etc. This will protect the directors from being exposed to administrative penalties and other serious consequences that the directors may be faced with.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has also shown us that a board of directors should also have some foresight when taking decisions.

Living for the day is never recommendable in today’s business world and companies should ensure that they have enough reserves to pull them through a reasonable stretch of turmoil. Some family businesses, as an example, tend to milk the cow completely at every possible opportunity. These businesses have now realised that the retention of reserves helps in the longevity of the company. This is particularly relevant in the light of greedy shareholders who simply look at what they may derive from their shares without looking at the sustainability of the company. These types of shareholder tend to put pressure on the directors to liquidate all possible profits from the company in their favour. The pandemic has now shed light on such situations and directors should take heed of this experience by standing their ground with inconsiderate shareholders.

Any director should be guided by the principles of integrity and honesty, and should always ask themselves: ‘how will the company benefit from their decisions?’

Decisions taken in favour of the company will not necessarily translate immediately into benefits for the shareholders. This nevertheless should not block the directors from taking certain difficult decisions.

In the event of the insolvency of companies, creditors will scrutinise in detail the actions of the directors and the concepts of fraudulent and wrongful trading, as provided for by the Companies Act, may come into play. Directors will want to avoid being accused of taking on commitments that the company knew it was not able to fulfil. Furthermore, in situations that could lead to insolvency, the directors should steer away from giving particular attention to a particular creditor rather than to the general pool of creditors. All decisions must be assessed on what a court of law would deem to be a reasonable action by the director. If in doubt, the board of the directors should seek

professional legal assistance on determining the test required by law when taking such decisions. Once the decisions are made, it is difficult to undo their consequence if the company becomes insolvent. Therefore, utmost due care should be exercised.

The challenges of the pandemic have also created difficulties for the physical meeting of the board of directors. Whilst technology is a great help for virtual board meetings, one must keep in mind that for the purposes of control and management of the company, it is always highly recommended that physical meetings continue to take place.

The impossibility of meeting due to travel restrictions has made its reasonable to have virtual meetings for company decisions to be taken far from the jurisdiction in which it operates. However, once travel resumes, the board must keep in mind the elements of what constitute the control and management of a company and must ensure that decisions keep being taken from within the jurisdiction where the company retains its fiscal residency.

Where in doubt, seek professional help.

The board of directors of a company may not be equipped with all the knowledge required to solve every single issue that crops up. It will however be expected to tackle challenges and difficulties when faced with them rather than bury one’s head in the sand. Therefore, assistance should be sought whenever required. cc Cedric Mifsud - Partner Mifsud & Mifsud Advocates M: 99591572; T: 2123 7172 E: cmifsud@mifsudadvocates.com.mt Cedric Mifsud is a Partner of Mifsud & Mifsud Advocates and Head of the Commercial Law Department of the firm.

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The three pillars of smart working The COVID-19 pandemic has proved to be a strong reason for businesses to adapt and digitally evolve.

The sudden shift in priority has left several businesses reeling, not anticipating that such a strong push for digital transformation would be needed so urgently.

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n the other hand, many other organisations are already feeling the benefits of implementing technology within their business processes. Due to this, it has become crucial, now more than ever, for business leaders to identify the true key pillars of achieving smart working.

Flexibility Flexibility is one of the prime factors that make up a truly smart workplace.

Implementing an effective collaborative platform will allow managers to easily track the productivity of each employee, eliminating the need for micromanagement and insistence on time spent at the office. For instance, EY Ireland recently reported that 70 per cent of businesses found a significant increase in productivity when shifting to rewarding employees based on contribution and productivity rather than hours worked.

The shift from hours to contribution has certainly paid dividends for various businesses. A reason for the surge of productivity stems from various factors, such as employees facing fewer interruptions.

This makes it possible for them to focus on their work and make more calls themselves, thereby increasing autonomy. The reduced stress caused by traffic or of arriving on time at the office are also significant factors. All these benefits have a positive impact on the quality of work and productivity, which benefit the company in terms of earnings in the long run.

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Workflows Another noticeable pillar is that of workflows. In the modern workplace, employees often have less time for traditionally repetitive tasks. Increasingly, human resources are becoming the most important resource. However, over 40 per cent of employees’ current tasks can be automated by today’s technology, meaning that most workplaces may be preventing their staff from working on more important tasks and allowing them to do their best work. Through Business Process Automation, employees’ time can finally be freed up for more important tasks, through intelligent workflows that take care of administrative tasks.

The smart nature of Workflow Automation is not only efficient in boosting employee productivity, but it may also help deliver projects on time with fewer opportunities for error or miscommunication. As AI grows increasingly intelligent, so too does the ability to receive useful predictions and insights that use existing performance data to improve on existing tasks.

Mobility Lastly, mobility is yet another vital pillar in achieving a smart workplace. Allowing most of an employee’s key tasks to be done anytime, anywhere and on any device is a significant benefit.

As more and more of the workforce becomes occupied by millennials, a

generation known for their familiarity with various devices, it is the ideal time for businesses to utilise multi-device platforms, which grant the user the ability to complete tasks, irrespective of their surroundings. This not only achieves a flexible flow of operation but also gives employees a greater sense of freedom to work with whichever device they feel most comfortable.

The tools to achieve smart working have never been as accessible as they are today, from centralised ERP solutions to smart collaborative tools that help move the flow of work from one department to another.

However, success can only truly be achieved if your organisation is ready to adopt them.

Keeping these pillars in mind is crucial for achieving a truly smart workplace.

At Exigy, we bridge the gap between business and technology. We are proud to help digitally transform our clients’ business processes through the expertise of our consultants and our knowledge of industry best practices.

Contact us to find out how our solutions can help increase your business resilience and take your business to the next level. cc T: 2011 2000; E: sales@exigy.com; www.exigy.com

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successfully started and is sorting mixed dry grey bag recyclables. This was announced by the Minister during a visit to the plant, where he joined the workers on the line sorting recyclables. Owing to this upgrade, Malta will be increasing its recycling performance significantly.

New Natura 2000 sites

2020 so far: Environment and planning

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ith everything that has been going on in Malta and the world, the areas of environment and planning remained high on everyone’s radar. COVID-19 has brought about a degree of awareness and closeness to our natural environment, and the importance of a country’s resilience has become clearer than ever. We have a look at what Malta has been doing in the area of environment and planning in 2020.

ECOHIVE State-of-the-art waste management facilities will drive the country towards a circular economy, with all waste streams being re-utilised to their full potential, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning Aaron Farrugia said as he announced the largest-ever investment in the waste management sector – the ECOHIVE project. The investment includes a waste-to-energy plant which will significantly limit our landfilling volumes, a new plant for the management of dry recyclables, a plant to treat organic waste to extract energy and produce compost for use in agriculture, as well as the replacement of the clinical and abattoir waste incinerator.

a proposed fuel station and vulnerable receptors.

A forward-looking rural policy to be published for public consultation The proposal for a new rural policy has been approved for public consultation. “The objectives of the new policy are threefold, with the overarching objective of keeping development to a minimum: to ascertain that the genuine farmer will be protected and helped to continue providing food; providing clarity and addressing interpretation issues which could have led to abuses in the past; and address the issue of sprouting agricultural stores in fields across Malta and Gozo,” the minister said.

A new rudimentary line for recycling is up and running Ahead of schedule, a new rudimentary line within the Sant’ Antnin complex has been

New areas to form part of the European Union’s Natura 2000 network have been designated to further complete the network for Malta. “Nature and biodiversity are not just a nice-to-have – they are essential. Essential because the quality of our air and our food, as well as the state of our economy and health, depends on it. To protect this, we need to also provide adequate protection and care to sites of ecological importance,” the Minister said. The new Natura 2000 sites are Tal-Wej, Ħas-Saptan, and Wied il-Mielaħ, which have also been designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs).

Vision for the NSE and the revision for the SPED launched “This is the moment for us to understand who we are, what we believe in, and where we want to take our country,” the Minister said as he launched the vision for the National Strategy for the Environment (NSE) and the process for the Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development (SPED) revision. He said that Government has come to place the environment and quality of life at the top of the country’s priorities, with a vision until 2050. To this end, the economy, social wellbeing, and the environment will be placed on the same level in every decision that is taken. cc

New fuel stations policy with strict restrictions on ODZ Following consultations with various stakeholders and experts, and after taking into consideration various economic, social and environmental factors, the Fuel Station Policy has been revised. Key changes include the capping in the overall number of fuel stations; extensions of existing fuel stations located partially or fully in ODZ areas will not be accepted and ODZ sites on agricultural, isolated and sporadic land will not be considered; the height of any new fuel station cannot exceed seven metres and a buffer zone is being reintroduced between JULY/AUGUST 2020

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Transforming finance operations with disruptive technology Disruptive technology: The future of finance Disruptive technologies undeniably top the list of those driving unprecedented changes in business today. Whilst bots have matured in their accuracy as well as their interactions with humans, the combination of machine learning, connected sensors and massive data gathering is shaking up industries like never before. All business intricacies are affected in some way or another, and finance is no exception.

Indeed, the finance sector is expected to get an all-new operating model created by extreme automation. The term extreme automation is a unification of multiple technologies including automation, advanced analytics, cloud applications, Blockchain, machine learning and more. With the help of such disruptive technologies, finance will be empowered to not only deliver more value with less effort, but also to respond rapidly to the ever-changing needs of business. This will lead finance departments to shift from traditional processing to strategic partnering.

Consequently, the finance organisation of the future, rather than providing reactive answers to unforeseen problems, will be able to deliver predictive insights to drive growth.

A deeper look into disruptive technologies: How can emerging technologies enhance finance departments?

Emerging technologies have the potential to improve finance departments distinctively.

Blockchain is revolutionary as it has the potential to increase data security, shorten transaction cycles, and eliminate the need for reconciliations. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) can automate repetitive rule-based activities that have historically been executed by humans, making it 84

well suited for finance activities such as closing and reconciling subsidiary ledgers, processing journal entries, creating purchase orders, as well as preparing and distributing management reports. These labour-intensive processes can be completely automated.

Machine Learning offers several opportunities to handle processes and decisions that involve an element of judgement. Processes such as management of payment exceptions, supplier and contract management, preparation of statutory filings and shareholder reports can potentially be automated. Machine Learning also allows for handling large amounts of textual data that was previously only discerned by humans. Natural language processing can assist finance professionals in automatically structuring their data, by for example automatically reading scanned copies or pdfs of invoices and transferring the data into computer systems.

Implementing cloud technologies will help standardise processes and improve efficiency in areas such as budgeting and planning, management reporting and payroll processing.

Beyond all this are cognitive technologies, considered electronic brains that will challenge finance opinion and provide even deeper analytics. Cognitive technologies can carry out financial close analysis, forecast performance, manage customer contracts, and develop strategic plans by bringing together large amounts of data from across the business.

Moving from one-off solutions to the integration of disruptive technologies Whilst such technologies do have potential individually, the future of finance is really and truly in extreme automation – meaning

the integration of multiple disruptive technologies, simultaneously and across all processes.

Finance will achieve quick, powerful insights and improved business partnering if its data management is restructured. The integration and governance of data, as well as the mining of untapped data sources will provide predictive and prescriptive insights.

What finance leaders should expect Apart from automating key finance and accounting processes and minimising labour requirements by up to 70 percent, technology will allow finance to control the data inside those processes and become a strategic interpreter, providing advanced insights relating to pricing strategies, market expansion opportunities and more.

In essence, it will help organisations make better informed business decisions resulting in enhanced confidence in decision-making.

Thus, while most organisations today are starting to implement disruptive technologies for one-off solutions, in the coming years, efforts must be made to embed technology into daily business operations. The leaders in finance will be those who reimagine their operating model and develop a long-term digital transformational strategy for their finance organisations, that is aligned with their enterprise vision. Successful CFOs will take a holistic view, considering the impact on services, systems, processes and people.

This is the future of finance and CFOs must start creating it now, before more nimble competitors get there first. cc Marco Vassallo Partner, Digital Solutions +356 2563 1140 marcovassallo@kpmg.com.mt

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Tech Trends

GADGETS

05. Smart speakers

With much of the world working from home, spending more time with their families and taking up indoor activities, it’s no wonder that the latest tech trends offer a kaleidoscope of entertainment and professional possibilities which can be enjoyed within those four walls.

Rebecca Anastasi has the rundown.

01. The Apple Magic Keyboard Apple products always seem to land on the market with much fanfare. And indeed, their new Magic Keyboard has gotten everyone talking. An addendum to the new iPad Pro, this tablet cover not only offers protection but seamlessly incorporates backlit keys and a trackpad.

02. Slimline watches We may have more time than we’ve ever had before, but that doesn’t mean this handy accessory is obsolete. Rather, measure your minutes and hours in style by donning a skinny mechanical timepiece which takes up precious little real estate, but gets you working and playing as efficiently as ever.

Work stress out of your muscles and limbs by moving to the music with smart speakers. Google’s Nest Mini are the new kids on the block: made using recycled plastic, these touch-sensitive sound junkies have truly got all your bas(s)es covered – and for a reasonable price too.

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06. High-tech skipping rope After weeks of staying at home, we need to get our bodies moving again. But, with all the uncertainty surrounding the regulations on gym re-openings, we must make do with alternatives. Kick-start your new exercise regime with the Tangram skipping rope, boasting LEDs and magnetic sensors to track your progress, monitor your vitals, and communicate how many calories you’re burning. cc

02.

Apple

03.

Piaget

03. Noise-cancelling headphones Are you trying to work while your kids are playing in the living room? Does music calm your frayed nerves and help you focus better? The benefits of noise-cancelling headphones have never been needed more than in these unprecedented times, when Zoom calls have replaced normal face-to-face interactions. And there are plenty of options to choose from – look at Bose and Sony for top-of-the-range.

Sony

06.

Tangram

04. 4K TV With cinemas closed, let the theatrical experience come to you in the form of a 4K TV. Cutting-edge technology, the sharpest of images and an immersive experience are all on offer through the innovations supplied by technology powerhouses Samsung and LG. These screens not only deliver the goods but look great in your living room too.

Samsung

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05.

Google

04.

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STYLE

REVIEW

Style Review 01.

As temperatures rise, it’s impossible to resist the call of loose, comfortable clothes, and luckily, this year’s summer trends offer exactly that. Martina Said picks her favourites for the hottest months ahead.

01. Linen A summer stalwart, linen is the fabric of choice for casual and smart wear in the sweltering months, but high-street brands and designers have widened their linen offering beyond wide-legged trousers and skirts, to include stylish jumpsuits, dresses and high-waisted tie trousers.

02. Baby doll dresses Phase Eight

02.

The ever-classic baby doll dress has been given a 2020 twist with a puffed yet relaxed silhouette. Voluminous sleeves are paired with wide and loose tiered skirts in a minidress style that embrace the laid-back look we crave in summer, often found in breezy pastel colours and prints.

03.

03. Sandals Sandals for men remain a divisive trend, but this season, classic men’s sandals got a contemporary upgrade. Designers the likes of Prada released double strap sandals in brown and black leather, while footwear specialists Church’s gave a modern twist to the traditional fisherman’s sandals.

04. Low-slung tailoring If you’re looking for a work wardrobe upgrade, this is it. Low-slung and baggy trousers have trumped high-waisted designs in collections for 2020, where waistlines are loose and legs are wide, and comfort is simply key without compromising on style.

05. Pinstripes The popularity of the pinstripe comes in waves, but for the man with classic sartorial choices and a love for sharp suits, this design remains a wardrobe staple. Consider a double-breasted cut or wraparound pinstripe suit if you really dare to be different.

06. Bermuda shorts It’s hard not to love Bermuda shorts in summer – they’re long enough to skim the knee making them a smart option for work or evening wear, and a fresher option to full-length trousers. Paired with a loose-fitting blouse or slouchy camisole, we’d say you’ve got a winning outfit. cc

Maryam Nassir Zadeh

da Pra

Charles Jeffrey Loverboy

American Eagle

06.

04.

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& Other Stories

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Meet the people behind the Young Chamber Network Last year, the Malta Chamber launched the Young Chamber Network (YCN), a subsidiary of the organisation aimed at inducting young businesspeople into its folds. In this series of interviews, The Commercial Courier introduces its readers to YCN members. In this issue, Sarah Micallef meets Rebecca Barbaro Sant, Creative Partner at The Authentic Brief, and Justin John Camilleri, Business Development Manager at Lewis Press Limited.

Rebecca Barbaro Sant Creative Partner, The Authentic Brief “I relish the role of a creative ‘partner’ in that I work directly with the client for the project, from inception to execution, based on first-hand knowledge of its operations,” explains Rebecca Barbaro Sant. This process, she affirms, provides the creative with the necessary tools to merge clients’ fundamental business strategies with a tailor-made concept – be it in the fields of branding, concepts for events, stands and company development or consultancy.

As a creative entrepreneur, Rebecca reveals that she takes her inspiration from the world at large. Looking back on her time studying in the UK, she recalls how she loved collaborating with people from different courses, while a subsequent move to New York had her working on strategy.

“This gave me the opportunity to work with people from all over the world to generate ideas that create specific outcomes – be that awareness, sales or brand building,” she maintains, asserting that The Authentic Brief’s core values are based upon her personal ones: positivity, honesty and adaptability.

“The latter is based on my experience that to succeed, you must be a little flexible and move with the times – constructive feedback is how we all grow. I tend to look at the whole creative picture, with special emphasis on how all brand touchpoints influence the bigger picture. It’s never just about a billboard, but about the entire identity. My forte is sitting down with a client, getting to know them and understanding where they want to take their business. I thrive on research and analysing trends to see what will achieve the best results in branding. Creativity isn’t just the ‘idea’, it’s the homework behind it – the knowledge that it will work successfully,” she says.

Speaking of her involvement with the Young Chamber Network, Rebecca explains that it was largely the opportunity to network and get to know people that attracted her to it. “I really think that the YCN can be the perfect opportunity for one to grow and network. It has given me the

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“We can all help one another – if not now, it could be later.

Collaboration is what keeps the economy growing.” — Rebecca Barbaro Sant, Creative Partner, The Authentic Brief opportunity to generate contacts abroad.

The Malta Chamber is very helpful,” she adds.

As for how the YCN can be beneficial to young businesspeople, Rebecca believes that ultimately, that is down to the individual.

“Go in with an open mind and don't be afraid to ask around. As I mentioned, The Malta Chamber only wants to help.”

In terms of what she’d like to see from the network moving forward, given the changing face of the local economy in the wake of

COVID-19, the creative partner highlights positive growth and making connections.

“We can all help one another – if not now, it could be later. Collaboration is what keeps the economy growing, and there has been a shift in mindset. Four years ago, people could never understand what I’m up to, but today, they not only believe in it but are doing it themselves. Don't be afraid to trust others and grow. YCN is the perfect opportunity for that.”

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Justin John Camilleri Business Development Manager, Lewis Press Limited Justin John Camilleri joined Lewis Press – a leader in the printing and packaging material industry – in early 2019, as Business Development Manager reporting to the Board of Directors. His main roles include helping to develop the company’s business with a focus on internationalisation while providing support as the company develops into a mediumsized enterprise, as well as facilitating the third generation of the family’s transition into the management structure.

“The company’s ambition is to grow further while maintaining a position of leadership and excellence, nowadays having become one of the few international companies which can offer a comprehensive packaging material solution to pharmaceutical companies,” Justin John explains, adding that over the past two years, Lewis Press began a process of regeneration, undergoing a rebrand and further investment in machinery to increase its capabilities and capacities.

“Following these changes, the need to grow is being felt more than ever. This is leading the company to adapt and change on different levels of the organisation, so as to strengthen our operations holistically along with our human resources,” he maintains.

Justin John started his career as an operator in the manufacturing industry over 14 years ago, gradually climbing the corporate ladder via different positions within the manufacturing, FMCG, retail and service industries. “To support the knowledge gained from my experiences, I continued to invest in my studies, and today hold an Executive MBA issued by Henley Business School at University of Reading, amongst other certifications,” he affirms.

Moving on to his involvement with the Young Chamber Network, Justin John maintains that he has come to recognise the importance and benefits of The Malta Chamber for local businesses, with the YCN continuing to build on this. “I am reaping the benefits of the YCN on both a personal and a business level, by meeting other likeminded individuals and discussing similar challenges, threats and opportunities while learning from each other,” he asserts, adding that the network allows young businesspeople such as himself to have a voice when it comes to the business and economic vision of the country.

“The YCN is becoming the place to be for young businesspeople, not only for networking and business insights, but it JULY/AUGUST 2020

“The YCN is becoming the place to be for young businesspeople, not only for networking and business insights, but it also comes with a sense of support which gives us more confidence in embarking on our most ambitious entrepreneurial journeys.” — Justin John Camilleri, Business Development Manager, Lewis Press Limited also comes with a sense of support which gives us more confidence in embarking on our most ambitious entrepreneurial journeys,” he adds, noting that with Malta being a small island with limited resources, the YCN helps in creating and strengthening networks and relationships, “allowing us to strategically work together with other companies and maximize our resources to bridge the gap in economies of scale, putting us in a better position to compete.”

Speaking of the network’s experience in relation to COVID-19, Justin John reveals that the YCN was quick to react to the pandemic, organising online sessions

between members, allowing them to share experiences and solutions. “This showed us that we can use different approaches which allow us to be more efficient and enable us to create more opportunities to focus on personal and business growth while cooperating with other members and businesses,” he explains, affirming that it is more of this that he would like to see continue to come out of the YCN, “to initiate the required changes in the country’s business landscape and the inspiration to work hand-in-hand with other companies to strengthen our business community while exploring new opportunities.” cc 93

CC BUSINESS

Solutions that ensure a clean bill of health An entrepreneurial baker had the foresight to realise that machinery can do much more than produce better bread. Nadette Bugeja, Marketing Director at Baketech Machinery, explains to Ray Bugeja how the company also introduced cleaning equipment that is proving to be crucial in battling the COVID-19 virus.

D

etermined to upgrade the baking industry in Malta, Joseph Portelli set up Baketech Machinery in 2000.

Owning a bakery himself, the founder is well aware of the industry’s requirements, and he introduced mechanised equipment that facilitated the production process, yielding good results both in terms of product quality and business efficiency.

Baketech Machinery gave its founder the opportunity to share his gained knowledge with other bakers, and this resulted in many traditional bakeries installing new machinery, which helped them become more efficient and productive whilst also offering a better product.

Along the years, the company also started supplying other products related to the catering and manufacturing industry and, today, it provides packaging lines too. In fact, Baketech Machinery is a supplier of all types of packaging systems, ranging from those handling individual items to bulk. This type of packaging is suitable for all industries as it can even be used for pharmaceutical products, foodstuffs, animal feed, magazine wrap and other items.

About two years ago, Baketech Machinery realised that a niche for cleaning equipment existed, and decided to move into this new area of operation, working with Baketech subsidiary i-Clean Solutions Ltd. It could, thus, introduce new products and systems from i-team Global, Tersano, MotorScrubber, Maxima and others.

Baketech Machinery’s aim was to bring to Malta innovative cleaning equipment that ensures better and cleaner results which are, at the same time, also ecological and sustainable, Ms Bugeja explains.

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Powerful and efficient cleaning machines make less use of detergents that are harmful to the environment, she notes. They also produce less waste because the disposal of unnecessary plastic bottles is eliminated.

Making use of the cleaning solutions promoted by Baketech Machinery also means that businesses are contributing towards their corporate social responsibility because they are more ecological. In fact, ecological considerations were what initially motivated the company to introduce such products in Malta.

The COVID-19 onslaught turned the world upside down. Cleaning protocols were suddenly pushed to the forefront as every business, organisation, office, clinic, school, etc, had to ensure public places are cleaned and sanitised appropriately to ensure everybody’s safety, including that of clients and employees, the Marketing Director says.

This, in turn, necessitates having and using the right equipment and solutions to ensure the best results are achieved.

As the COVID-19 virus wreaked havoc, iClean Solutions kept a sharp lookout and searched for solutions that are now increasingly becoming useful in the way forward to ensure all are safe. The need to resort to sanitisation, Ms Bugeja notes, was not widespread until a few months ago and, in certain areas, it was unheard of, yet today it has become an essential part of the cleaning process. iClean Solutions came up with an innovative system, putting together the STORM Disinfectant Backpack with Wand, designed and manufactured in Britain, and Tersano’s SAO sanitisation dispenser, she adds. The STORM wand was designed and developed to specifically kill the COVID-19 virus, ensuring that a whole area is covered in a very fine layer of sanitiser. SAO, a Canadian solution, uses cold tap water infused with ozone to create a safe, highperforming stabilised aqueous ozone (SAO) with a cleaning power stronger than bleach.

SAO is also an efficient sanitiser.

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Used with the STORM wand, the two products give the best possible sanitising result, because the SAO is an effective sanitiser that kills bacteria and viruses, including COVID-19, within 60 seconds of contact time, without leaving any stains or residue. STORM ensures the solution is spread evenly and efficiently to cover all areas and touch points.

“The marvel of SAO is that it converts back to tap water and oxygen, leaving no toxic waste,” the Marketing Director insists.

She also lists the “endless” advantages and benefits of SAO. It eliminates germs, odours, stains, mould and mildew. It quickly kills viruses and bacteria, including E. coli, Salmonella, MRSA, and destroys 99.999 per cent of Escherichia Coli and Staphylococcus Aureus within a 60-second contact time.

The system is both safe and effective as it contains no toxins, carcinogens, or chemical residue. Also, SAO can substitute the cleaning products used on a daily basis. To do this, Ms Bugeja explains, one would need to install a unit close to the water supply and ideally on top of a sink, so SAO water can be used to fill buckets, hand-held sprayers, scrubbers, sanitising equipment and suchlike.

Clinton National Airport, in Arkansas, USA, conducted a three-month trial of SAO in specific areas of the airport to show that the system can ensure a level of cleaning on par with, if not better than, the traditional chemical-based cleaning, while also simplifying the process of maintaining the sprawling airport. Custodial Services Supervisor Brandi Smith said that SAO blew traditional chemical cleaners out of the water, and surfaces are cleaner, processes

easier, and costs were down 65 per cent when compared to when chemicals were used.

Ms Bugeja says that airport employees initially resisted the switch because SAO is colourless and contains no scent. However, according to Smith, once trained everybody now loves it and the bosses love it best of all.

When the impacts of the system were studied, it was established that SAO reverts back to water and oxygen, and can be disposed down of the drain without negatively causing problems to waterways.

Clinton National Airport has also been able to reduce chemical usage by over 70 per cent, and SAO use led to programme and process simplicity. The airport reported it did not need to sacrifice any cleaning performance by switching from chemicals to SAO. “We are proud to be introducing this product in Malta because this can change the way we clean and make us more sustainable. SAO can also be used domestically, via the product i-Clean Mini, which employs the same technology in a hand-held dispenser,” Ms Bugeja asserts.

She refers to another innovative product: an i-mop developed by i-Team Global. This is a powerful motor washer, scrubber and dryer that combines the traditional mop and scrubber into one, and makes a compact powerful hand-operated machine.

The advantages of using the i-mop, especially in the current situation, is that it avoids cross contamination while cleaning, apart from also cleaning very efficiently, she points out. cc

“We are proud to be introducing this product in Malta because this can change the way we clean and make us more sustainable.”

For more information please visit www.i-cleansolutions.com; T: 2144 6908; E: info@i-cleansolutions.com; info@baketechmachinery.com www.baketech.com.mt JULY/AUGUST 2020

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True grit: raising the bar on health and safety When Edward Magro slipped on his terrace one day, soon after having bought his property, little did he know that he would glide into a new career. Now the Founder and Director of Anti-Slip Solutions – a one-stop-shop focused on delivering quality health and safety solutions to prevent falls and slides – he tells Rebecca Anastasi about the importance of improving surface safety.

“T

he Maltese are a bit of a tough cookie,” smiles Edward Magro, Founder and Director of Anti-Slip Solutions. “They know their floors can be slippery, yet they don’t seem to do anything about it – until something happens, that is.”

And Mr Magro speaks from experience: one day, around six years ago, he emerged onto his penthouse terrace, only to fall and land on his back.

“I had bought the tiles on my terrace myself and had made sure they were antislip. But that day they were wet, I went outside, and I ended up looking up at the sky!

Luckily, I didn’t break anything, but my back hurt for some time afterwards, and I didn’t want it to happen again,” he continues.

And, as a living example that necessity is indeed the mother of invention, Mr Magro started to look into easy-to-implement solutions to ensure his outdoor tiles were slip resistant – and cost-effective.

“I didn’t want to have to rip my tiles off and start from scratch with new ones. So, I looked into a spray-on fix, and I came across this company – a leader in the health and safety field – which had been supplying products, Safe Grip and Safe Kleen, for around 30 years. I then realised that this

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was an international problem and that there was a whole industry dedicated to ensuring surface safety,” he explains.

This knowledge empowered Mr Magro to develop a fully-fledged business idea, applying what he had learnt to the Maltese context, and using his understanding of risk – gleaned through years working in the tourism sector – to find quality solutions to local contexts.

“I spent 20 years in tourism, starting out as a busboy in the kitchen and working my way up into management, later taking on a role as a holiday rep. One of my tasks in the later stages of my career was to check on any of our guests who had been admitted to hospital after an accident or illness. I realised that many of those who were injured had slipped, and perhaps were lucky to just end up bruised or with a broken bone, though concussions and deaths are also possible,” he asserts.

The issue on the island, he continues, is the lack of building standards and codes, which means that, while in Europe, architects and floor designers delve into the qualities of the flooring – with an eye towards risk – here in Malta, key questions are not asked.

Instead, there’s a focus on the colour and style of the tiling, almost to the exclusion of H&S considerations.

“It’s important to check what type of foot traffic a floor is likely to see; how many times it will be contaminated; what it could be contaminated with; whether the surface is inside or outdoors and what sort of footwear users will be wearing. Usually, abroad, when all these factors are examined, an R-rating is chosen – measuring the ramp value, that is the degree of slip resistance – and then factors such as colour and size are taken into consideration,” he outlines.

However, in Malta, a lot of investment in made in “nice-looking tiles”, he continues, which may not prove effective in preventing falls. “Businesses invest in fire prevention systems, security set-ups and so on. But anti-slip flooring also goes hand-in-hand with H&S. Slips can be fatal and, if a slip occurs at work, the employer can face having to give an employee compensation,” he states, adding that this could reach high sums if permanent disabilities are caused.

“Slips can be fatal and, if a slip occurs at work, the employer can face having to give an employee compensation.”

Anti-Slip Solutions aims to mitigate against these risks, Mr Magro says, protecting “the general public from slip accidents” and protecting “the business owners from heavy lawsuits.” Fall accidents, he continues, are the most common type of premises liability, and any pay-out is predicated on the property owner’s duty to care for the building – or real estate – in question.

Indeed, outdoor public spaces are also vulnerable to slip-risks, and he mentions the hard landscaping – using red paving bricks – frequently found in many Maltese towns and villages as being particularly hazardous. “I’ve actually talked with various local councils about this and there are some – such as that of Gzira – which have adopted some of the solutions and found them useful.”

And today, his company offers a spate of fixes to prevent against falls. “When I first started out, I just offered Safe Grip and Safe Kleen – which are utilised together, with the first applied onto tiles to increase the coefficient of friction, while the latter is a

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“My intention is to continue serving as a one-stop-shop mitigating any slip hazards, and making walking surfaces safe for the general public, homes and businesses.”

cleaning product which ensures the effect does not wear off. I then started to increase the product offering as I encountered new problems and attempted to solve them for my clients. My aim, to put it succinctly, is to alleviate my clients’ concerns in this area with the best solution I can find,” Mr Magro insists.

These first two anti-slip liquid treatments remain the firm’s most popular product, also because “the client can even apply it themselves, in some cases”, and it provides “the cheapest solution to restaurant kitchens, home owners with pools, hotel pool areas, farmhouses or anywhere featuring tiles which become slippery when wet,” he explains. And the products, he underlines, can be used on many different types of flooring, from marble to ceramic and even parquet, whether it’s laminate, vinyl or wood.

Another top seller, he continues, is Crosscote, “a coating that is applied over a variety of substrates such as concrete

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garage ramps to stop cars from slipping and sliding or from wheelspins with no traction when going up slopes.” This has been taken up by many local councils that apply it on pavements like corners or wheelchair ramps to eliminate risk in highly trafficked pedestrian areas, Mr Magro specifies.

The firm also supplies PVC tiling, made from recycled and virgin plastic, demand for which is increasing. “This is flexible, so it does not crack or break like normal tiles, yet strong enough for fork lifters, cars or trucks.

It also reduces fatigue, reduces noise at work, has good anti-slip properties, is easy to clean and is very simple to maintain,” the Director outlines. Moreover, a range of anti-slip tapes – for every type of scenario – are also on hand should an even-lower cost solution be needed.

“While my industry is very niche here in Malta, I think companies and businesses are starting to understand that they all need to do something about this potential ticking time bomb, for it is like playing

Russian roulette with slippery flooring,” Mr Magro says, adding that “the proof is in the pudding” and he’s seeing more clients come round to his way of thinking.

“The company has, in fact, grown over the years through referrals, word of mouth and the constant contact we have with our customers. When products are applied, people can really tell the difference and, normally, the area we’ve applied the product to is an advert in and of itself,” the Director continues. Indeed, the “micro-business” – as Mr Magro describes his firm – has grown over the years and now boasts an office space, a warehouse and showroom located in St Paul’s Bay. Looking ahead, Mr Magro says he aims to keep raising the bar in the field and spreading the message that floor safety must be an integral part of any company’s H&S risks assessment. “My intention is to continue serving as a one-stop shop mitigating any slip hazards, and making walking surfaces safe for the general public, homes and businesses,” he says.

To this end, Mr Magro is in the process of creating a “more knowledge-based website” which will help people choose their tiles and increase awareness on how floors can be improved. “This is just the tip of the iceberg and Malta will eventually have to come in line with international standards. But education is key, and Anti-Slip Solutions aims to keep on providing practical help,” Mr Magro insists. cc

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Food Trends

From the rise of gummies to the fall of alcohol, Sarah Micallef takes a look at the food trends that are tickling taste buds worldwide.

01. Alcohol free Reducing alcohol is emerging as a trend in the food industry, thanks to alcohol free cocktails, fermented drinks and low-alcohol wine. This year will see more mocktails reaching restaurant and bar menus, while makers of craft beers, spirits and wines will aim for lower alcohol levels than we’re traditionally used to.

02. Meal kits Meal kits and meal deliveries have been on the rise for some time, but with global lockdowns due to COVID-19 forcing many to stay indoors, the trend has experienced a real uptick. Satisfying the growing demand for healthier meals while making it easy to prepare a professional-style meal at home, meal kits look to be here to stay.

03. Gummies While you may associate gummies with childhood treats, they’re now crossing over to the adult realm, becoming an interesting vehicle for several nutrients, vitamins and supplements. The latest supplement to make waves is apple cider vinegar gummies, which

is being hailed as one of the hottest new food products, boosting gummies’ popularity.

04. Low sugar chocolate With more awareness of the importance of a healthy diet than ever before, it’s no surprise that our favourite snack is also getting a healthy makeover. With dark chocolate sales increasing, big brands like Nestlé and Cadbury are bringing reduced sugar versions of their popular chocolates to the market, making it a prime area for innovation and development.

FOOD&WINE 01.

05. Small plates and bar bites Another trend that’s making waves is small plates, with many favouring a taste of different foods over one large plate.

This also means that bar snacks and bites are experiencing an upgrade, with different varieties and elevated dishes like crispy smoked potatoes and lamb fritters taking the place of chips and peanuts.

02.

Business Insider

06. Pea milk While the name may induce a cheeky smile from the kids, pea milk is tipped as the next big plant milk. Made of yellow split peas, the process leaves a remarkably low environmental footprint, ticking a lot of boxes for this relatively new product. cc

03.

04.

05.

06.

Nutramilk

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OFFICE

Office Trends

The rise of new trends is often a response to circumstances, events and needs that evolve and change over time, and office design trends are no different.

Martina Said highlights those we’re likely to see more of in the months to come.

The use of colour in workspaces has taken commercial design by storm in recent years, and is set to reach new heights through monochromatic colour schemes. These creative colour palettes use a vast spectrum of shades of the same colour, ranging from soft tones to strong hues, achieving a unique and distinct theme that can also be used to elevate the identity of a brand.

01. Design for the experience economy

05. Height-adjustable desks

Especially among the new generation of employees – or millennials – the notion that experiences, rather than things, drive people forward and bring happiness is giving rise to the so-called experience economy, and office design is responding through the creation of zones inspired by the hospitality and leisure industries, which encourage staff members to concentrate, connect and build communities within the workplace.

02. AI at work Technology in the workplace is evolving at lightning speed, and now, companies are gravitating towards Artificial Intelligence and advanced digital tools to keep the office organised and provide enhanced experiences for their employees – such as a digital assistant that automatically books a meeting room the moment you walk into it, or cancels your slot if you don’t turn up.

03. Flexible workspaces Before COVID-19 became a global pandemic and the world ground to a halt, the need for flexible workspaces was on the rise, and is more so now than ever. In a time of rapid change and progress, being flexible means being prepared for anything, which includes giving staff the freedom to work from different areas in the office and remotely too, thus freeing up floor space in the office and laying the foundation for a fluid headcount.

TRENDS

04. Monochromatic design

We had the fixed seated desk and the standing desk, which are both making way for a more popular kind of desk: the moving desk, also known as the height-adjustable desk. Since both sitting and standing for long hours are known to be detrimental to human health, the height-adjustable desk allows employees to tailor the height of their workstation according to their daily needs.

01.

Ambius

02.

06. Strengthening company culture As teamwork and collaboration are increasingly crucial factors to keeping workforces together, companies are working hard to imbue a community feel into the office environment, both in the form of physical workspaces that encourage people to come together, as well as by incorporating their branding into the office design for a daily dose of co-working inspiration. cc

Dezeen

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Ambius

Fiverr

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Digitaltrends

Officelovin

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CC DESIGN TRENDS

A refined luxury by the water’s edge The recently opened day-to-night beach bar and restaurant Beefbar is a stunning summer destination which is as attractive for its food as it is for its enviable shoreline location and chic, stylish aesthetic. Sarah Micallef discovers what went into its design with Lesley-Ann Mintoff of Edwin Mintoff Architects, the architects and civil engineers who spearheaded the project from concept to completion.

Photos by Ales&Ales

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D

iscussing what went into the impressive Beefbar project in St Paul’s Bay, architect Lesley-Ann Mintoff reveals that the project was a veritable group effort. Spearheaded by Edwin Mintoff Architects, who were the architects and civil engineers; the interior design was entrusted to French interior design stars Humbert & Poyet, while design development and site management was taken care of by Peralta Design.

“Our office’s main aim was to completely transform the existing commercial outlet, which was dilapidated and outdated, so as to accommodate the internationally renowned Beefbar franchise,” Perit Mintoff explains, pointing out that this is the Beefbar’s first beach club concept. “We wanted to ensure

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a new space whereby the high standards of service and cuisine could be provided, in line with the international concept and philosophy, which centres on the fact that luxury should be felt and enjoyed more than it is shown,” she says.

From the architects’ initial concept development, the project was divided into two main levels. On top, an open-air pizzeria at promenade level frames the view of the bay and St Paul’s islands, while at the lower pool deck, closest to the shoreline, the main restaurant and lounge area overlook the pool and the view. “Our brief was to ensure that the views of the bay are preserved as much as possible for passers-by. In addition to this, through our design, it was imperative that both commercial operations, at the two

“Warm soft colours complement the architecture, providing a luxurious but relaxed environment.”

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different levels, were serviced by efficient back of houses,” Perit Mintoff asserts.

Looking back on the design stage, the architect attests that at a conceptual level, EM Architects’ aim was to ensure that the views across the bay remain unencumbered and that the development would frame these views. “Our concept revolved around the idea of having two seemingly floating planes, which offer shade, frame the views and house the required functions within,” she says, adding that the space and the interiors had to reflect local characteristics, as no two Beefbar establishments around the world are the same, with each taking into account its surrounding environment.

“In our site, the surrounding marine environment was clearly a part of the inspiration, and in fact, even the colours of the interiors are inspired by the sea, with elements on site which echo Malta’s natural stone and traditional crafts,” Perit Mintoff continues.

Prior to commencement of works, the architect reveals that the previous structure had been abandoned, and over the years, vandalism had led to numerous structural issues and danger of collapse. The process of transforming the space into the refined

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“Our concept revolved around the idea of having two seemingly floating planes, which offer shade, frame the views and house the required functions within.”

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CC DESIGN TRENDS

“The linear façade has done much to improve the overall urban design of the promenade area itself, and I believe it is fair to say that the project has truly improved and uplifted its surrounding areas.”

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Beefbar took the team well over three years to complete, from start to finish.

“This included meetings with the clients, site visits, concept development, development of detailed plans and renders as well as the submission of planning applications along with the building’s structural design and supervision,” she explains, affirming that numerous design layouts were studied to ensure maximum efficiency for operation of both commercial establishments and functional back-of-house spaces. Post approval of permit, work shifted to construction and coordination, ensuring that the overall vision was implemented.

From an external point of view, the main materials consist of concrete and steel, together with white plastering – a reduced palette intended to frame and allow the view to be the main focus point within the project, the architect reveals, adding that the proximity to the sea was also an important consideration and thus the materials chosen needed to be durable and practical for a commercial entity.

Asked about the design style achieved, Perit Mintoff maintains that rather than a style, Edwin Mintoff Architects’ overall design focuses on the experience of the user. From the moment guests enter the lift and throughout their stay, the focus is the view, she says, explaining that from a design perspective, “our aim was to facilitate this

interaction, through the use of inside/outside spaces and large spans wherever possible to ensure maximum views. Warm soft colours complement the architecture, providing a luxurious but relaxed environment.”

Looking back on the challenges faced throughout the process, the architect admits that structurally, the project was particularly complex due to the level of the seawater, and a considerable effort was required to tank the structure to prevent water ingress. “We also faced structural challenges in achieving the linearity we required to achieve our aesthetic design,” she reveals – and achieve it they did, to stunning effect.

Pressed to identify which part of the project the team is most proud of, Perit Mintoff points to the project as seen from the pool and deck area as their favourite part.

“This shows the project in its entirety and within its surrounding area. The linear façade has done much to improve the overall urban design of the promenade area itself, and I believe it is fair to say that the project has truly improved and uplifted its surrounding areas,” she maintains.

And from a wider perspective, she concludes, Edwin Mintoff Architects are proud that such a prestigious international franchise chose to invest in the Maltese Islands, and took a chance to create a truly unique space. cc

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CC MAKE THE HEADLINES

Still paying by cheque?

Check the BOV Payment Solutions for Businesses The payments landscape has gone through a significant transformation in recent years, with technological innovation and higher stakeholder expectations driving changes for easier, faster and more convenient payment methods both on a local and a global scale.

Bank of Valletta’s suite of payment solutions are available for businesses, regardless of their size of operation, wanting to move from the costlier cash or cheque-

Chasing chemicals Chemicals form an integral part of our lives, manufacturing processes and end user products, but they are often misunderstood and underestimated. The handling and usage of chemicals must be carried out with the necessary knowledge and duty of care.

Chemicals are segmented into different hazard classes, and it is important that whoever handles them during manufacturing, packaging, transportation, storage, use and eventual disposal has the necessary information in hand. This

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based payments into more efficient and faster digital payments. The suite includes options for both B2B payments and payments to and from other parties such as employees and customers.

Through the BOV Batch-Payment system, supplier payments and salaries are batched into one file by the company issuing payments and uploaded as a single file on BOV Internet Banking. BOV to BOV payments are instant, whereas payments to beneficiaries whose account is held by other banks are carried out within 24 hours.

The way businesses process payments matters. Fast and reliable methods are a must to ensure both liquidity in the business and reduction in payment collection challenges. The advantages of using batchpayment systems are endless, payment turnaround is much faster and allows less room for errors and disgruntlement by suppliers and employees alike. Additional savings from cheque charges and all other costs associated with cheque or cash payments such as longer waiting times for effective payment, time wastage, storage space requirements, manual recording, filing

information allows the user to handle them safely and ensure minimum impact on human health and environmental damage.

Important information about the properties of chemicals that can have an impact on health and safety, during its product cycle, can be obtained from the Safety Data Sheet (SDS). It is still surprising how many are not aware that the SDS must accompany any chemical during its lifecycle from manufacture to disposal, to ensure that each person coming in contact with it knows what they are dealing with.

Labels give a lot of information, in a concise and pictorial form, with regards to the major hazards presented by a chemical, and the principal precautionary measures that need to be taken to mitigate risk of health and safety issues, as well as safeguarding the environment.

The REACH directive enacted throughout the EU has served to effectively rationalise and harmonize the way by which chemicals are registered, assessed, and controlled.

Further initiatives such as the Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation, based on the UN Global Harmonized System, further provided tools to help ensure best practices and greater safety in the handling of chemicals.

and reconciliation of accounts and security risks, provide an advantage to companies that adopt e-commerce and digital payment solutions.

COVID-19 has shown us the necessity for businesses to shift their business model towards a more digital one. At Bank of Valletta fast, secure and easier payment solutions come at highly reduced charges to encourage businesses to take the plunge. It is just a matter of figuring out which digital method best fits your company. cc Businesses targeting a digital payment strategy can get in touch with the BOV Payments specialists on paymentsbusiness@bov.com or call on 2131 2020. Businesses can also apply through this online application: www.bov.com/content/salaries-and-batchpayments-main. Further information can be found on www.bov.com/Business.

Issued by Bank of Valletta p.l.c., 58, Triq San Zakkarija, Il-Belt Valletta VLT 1130. Bank of Valletta p.l.c. is a public limited company regulated by the MFSA and is licensed to carry out the business of banking in terms of the Banking Act (Cap. 371 of the Laws of Malta).

The fact remains, however, that there are still serious knowledge gaps in the market, with regards to the practical approach to safe handling, as well as compliance with legislation. Arete Ltd, a major distributor of laboratory chemicals, has, through its sister company Specto Ltd, come up with its CHASER suite of services, that assists its clients to better understand and deal with the best practices in chemical handling.

Services include: • Interpretation of Safety Data Sheets • Advice on health and safety Issues • Selection of right personal protective equipment for handling chemicals • Risk assessments on chemical storage, use, transportation, and waste management • Disposal options for chemical waste • Procurement of chemicals • Transportation advice (DGSA) • Support on legal compliance • Advice on operational control measures, spill control and containment programs. cc Contact Arete Ltd and Specto Ltd on 2144 7577 for more information on the services offered.

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CC MAKE THE HEADLINES

What is AML transaction monitoring?

There’s a pretty good chance that you’ve at least heard – or read – about Anti-Money Laundering (AML). It refers to a set of laws, regulations, and procedures intended to prevent criminals from disguising illegally obtained funds as legitimate income. Even though AML laws cover a relatively limited range of transactions and criminal behaviours, their implications are far-reaching and nearly impossible to detect without the right AML transaction monitoring software.

AML transaction monitoring software helps businesses automatically monitor their customers’ financial transactions so that suspicious activity can be identified in real-time. A proper automated system will achieve the following: • Minimise false positives by applying a riskbased approach and adapting scenarios to customer and/or transaction risk levels.

• Spot patterns and outliers by monitoring behaviours alongside historical transaction data and other contextual profile data.

• Check each customer transaction against their individual profile to identify any

Glory: a pioneer in cash technology solutions Across the financial, retail, gaming and CIT industries, Glory helps businesses automate their cash processes to increase efficiency, enhance security and release staff to focus on the experience they deliver.

Understanding each customer’s specific challenges allows them to design custom solutions that deliver real improvements in business performance.

Operating for over 100 years, Glory has built and maintained its reputation as a world leader in cash automation, investing seven per cent of its annual $2Billion+ revenue in research and development. Glory aims to extend its global leadership position in cash technology and to extend its capabilities to track and manage cash through its complete life cycle.

Looking to the future, Glory aims to extend its solution portfolio beyond cash technologies for the processing and settlement of electronic payments and digital currencies. Through ongoing programs in research and development, Glory is working to apply and develop its accumulated 110

transaction that does not meet their historical behavioural patterns.

• Compute running values and statistics to define complex scenarios that need to consider past activity.

main benefits of AML transaction monitoring software are as follows: • Comply with global regulations • Protect your reputation • Instill a positive customer experience • Minimise risk exposure • Avoid potential fines

How AML transaction monitoring software works AML transaction monitoring software looks at everything from deposits and withdrawals to international wire transfers, currency exchanges, credit extensions or any kind of payments in or out of accounts. By identifying patterns over time, the system learns to predict your customer’s actions, detect any unusual (potentially suspicious) behaviour, and send out immediate alerts to your compliance team for further investigation.

Companies big and small use this technology to fight against all kinds of fraud and money laundering, including structuring, double invoicing, and round-tripping – but that’s not all it does. A sophisticated transaction monitoring solution also plays a central role in sniffing out terrorism financing and any customers who might be trying to avoid international sanctions. The

ComplyRadar – It pays to comply ComplyRadar utilises a full risk-based approach to eliminate disruption to genuine customers, detect potential criminal behaviour, and demonstrate full ongoing compliance. It sends you notifications on the transactions that matter and enables you to automatically apply a full-pattern analysis to instantly see suspicious transactions in real time. You can then manage flagged transactions through a comprehensive investigation process leading to the filing of a SAR when required. For more information on how ComplyRadar can help you avoid reputational risk and potential fines, visit www.comply-radar.com or email info@computimesoftware.com. cc

REDUCE START AND END OF DAY CASH RECONCILIATION TIME Stores no longer need to prepare Savings of 30 mins and count cashier floats per manager per day — — Savings of 15 to 25 mins Minimise errors / discrepancies, per cashier per day reduce recounts

START REAPING THE BENEFITS OF POINT OF SALE CASH RECYCLING TODAY

INCREASE STAFF PRODUCTIVITY ENHANCE IN-STORE SECURITY Cash stored securely as soon as payment made — Reduced risk of robbery / burglary — Create a safer work environment for your staff

5 REASONS

REDUCE CASH LOSSES

Faster payment transactions, reduced queues — Faster, easier staff training reducing on-boarding time by up to

TO INSTALL GLORY’S POINT OF SALE CASH RECYCLING SOLUTIONS

percent

AUTOMATICALLY IDENTIFY COUNTERFEIT NOTES

Eliminate errors in change provision — Reduce risk of cash shrinkage by up to

Eliminate counterfeit acceptance by up to

percent

percent

technological resources in the core fields of security, focusing closely on biometrics.

Joseph Cachia & Son Ltd is proud to present Glory solutions to the Maltese Islands, having worked with Glory for many years, principally to supply the financial sector with technology solutions. More recently, Glory has developed specific solutions for the retail sector, understanding that the retail cash cycle was insecure, errorprone and time-consuming for businesses.

Joseph Cachia & Son Ltd are working with local businesses to integrate this

world-leading technology to boost retailers’ business performance. It is a significant step forward for this sector, giving businesses the ability to secure its cash revenue and drive down costs in a competitive marketplace. cc Joseph Cachia & Son Limited, 103, ‘Demajo House’, Archbishop Street, Valletta, VLT1446. T: 2552 9000; E: info@jcs.com.mt; www.jcs.com.mt

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CC TECH

Melita invests in Maltese tech company HandsOn Systems

Melita investment will enable HandsOn to extend its product portfolio and to pursue international expansion.

Melita Limited has recently announced that it is investing in Maltese technology company HandsOn Systems. The investment will enable HandsOn to extend its product portfolio and to pursue international expansion.

HandsOn Systems specialises in Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and provides three key products; Fleet management, Asset tracking through RFID, and an innovative Usage-Based Insurance solution.

The company offers its services primarily in Malta but already has customers in Italy, Africa and Middle East.

Through its melita.io brand, Melita adopts a digital-first approach, acting as an IoT connectivity platform to local as well as European technology companies, connecting people and machines with the most technologically advanced telecommunication services around, combining the most powerful internet network in Europe with the most advanced mobile network to enable IoT capabilities.

European connectivity is covered by default base plans via multiple operators, with options to extend to over 100 countries globally.

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Geoffrey Farrugia, CEO at HandsOn Systems, said: “This investment will assist our growth plans, particularly internationally where there are clear synergies between our solutions and Melita’s connectivity. The unique customer portal which melita.io provides for their IoT customers is easy to use, and very effective, enabling us to manage multiple clients’ projects both locally and internationally.”

With more than 25 years’ experience in Telecommunications, Melita launched melita. io in 2019 to provide IoT services to local and

international clients. A notable feature of the melita.io offering is the flexibility around pricing. All melita.io packages include data and SMS bundles that are shared across all SIMs which reduces costs for clients as they don’t pay for excess data or SMS. Such packages are the same whether the client is using 3G, LTE or NB-IoT. Developers are also offered trial packages for 90 days to allow them to test their projects. Moreover, the client has complete visibility and control through the dedicated portal.

Data and SMS usage is easily visible through the Melita.io portal which clients can securely access to check the status of their entire SIM inventory, or zoom into an individual SIM for detailed information, including data and SIM usage over a selected period. Clients can manage large volumes of SIM cards and packages across multiple projects with a high degree of control, safety and transparency. Melita.io also provides APIs enabling clients to manage their SIM cards through their own systems or integrate actions in their own CRMs. The management portal has been designed by Melita from the ground up with simplicity and transparency in mind, with carefully selected features to manage users’ IoT business without adding the complexity of larger proprietary systems.

Whilst using international networks to deliver its IoT services beyond Malta, local clients have the additional benefits provided

by Melita’s nationwide narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) network. NB-IoT offers several benefits to businesses which need to connect equipment across their operations: extremely low power consumption, the range of the signal and its ability to reach far below ground or sea level. These characteristics present a far greater range of options for IoT solutions – such as parking sensors and connected rat traps in the lowest levels of underground car parks.

Among the areas in which melita.io delivers connectivity are car-pooling and smart garbage collection. In the case of

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CC TECH

the former, traffic and traffic management is one of the key areas where IoT is seen as a fundamental tool. The opportunities offered in this space are endless, but one industry that has managed to leverage these capabilities in a sound financial way is that of shared transportation. In this field, melita.io has assisted multiple clients in defining the best solution according to the monitoring required. Amongst the possible uses; clients can opt for simply monitoring the location

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of a vehicle, all the way to offering internet service access to end customers.

In the area of smart garbage collection, connectivity was required for enabling smart garbage cans that would allow communication back to a centralised platform advising load status. The solution is not only intended to ensure clean and available garbage cans but also make the collection more efficient, directing garbage trucks and staff to bins that

need to be emptied as opposed to a fixed regular routine. Melita.io provided NB-IoT connectivity that enable the sensors to send regular status updates and alarms.

The design also allowed the client to to send configuration settings both via data or SMS, enabling remote management.

Harald Roesch, Melita CEO said: “We believe that IoT will be a key enabler of Malta’s future growth, which is why we have invested significantly in IoT infrastructure in Malta, deploying a nationwide NB-IoT network combined with a dedicated IoT connectivity platform. Melita’s focus is on its connectivity expertise which we use to enable companies like HandsOn to provide end-to-end solutions to end customers. We view this investment in HandsOn Systems as another way in which we can support the development of Malta and its technology talent” cc Further information on IoT connectivity services from Melita is available at www.melita.io For more information about HandsOn Systems solutions visit www.handsonsystems.com

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Choosing Soap Café for your business

Aromatherapy products for spas, hotels and public areas At Soap Café, we create various products with therapeutic oils and herbs for spas and salons, including scrubs, massage oils and masks. From hotel lobbies to childcare centers and public spaces, the use of therapeutic oils will deliver a sense of wellbeing and a way of making the experience memorable. We can supply essential oils in bulk or create a signature scent that resonates with your company.

Custom products as corporate gifts For spa and salon owners, hotels and resorts, as well as large corporations, developing the best marketing methods means going beyond straightforward newspaper announcements, social media campaigns and flyers. While these avenues are an effective means of getting the word to the masses, building loyalty and brand awareness must go beyond. At Soap Cafe, we can create beautiful handcrafted gift sets with a personalised touch.

Make a lasting impression with a promotional gift basket filled with bath and body products, or even promotional hand

sanitizers. They make a fantastic employee gift or incentive, and recipients will never feel better. When you want them to remember your brand, event or cause, these home spa products will get the job done.

Introducing White Label by Soap Cafe Enjoy the benefits of high-quality products and put your name on them! It saves you time and money whilst proliferating your brand name without being obnoxious, increasing the public’s awareness of your brand.

Why Choose Soap Cafe?

Apart from delivering a unique twist to your corporate gifts, we can create beauty products for various events and occasions.

Everybody loves being pampered, so why not do it with natural and cruelty-free bath and beauty products which are made with sustainable ingredients and are eco-friendly to boot? We can also refill! cc 65, Triq San Duminku, Sliema Mobile: +356 9988 3675 www.soapcafemalta.com

Evolve builds first ever EUGMP certified medical cannabis processing facility in Malta In 2018, Malta was the first EU member state to provide a complete regulatory framework for medical cannabis, and since then, it has become a centre of excellence for this industry.

Evolve has been actively supporting the industry from the outset, including all the local trade shows in this sector. In 2019, Evolve was entrusted to design and build the first ever EU-GMP compliant medical cannabis facility in the country. Cleanrooms, civil works, utilities, access control, fire safety, analytical and microbiological labs and equipment as well as necessary product handling equipment were brought in by the team for a smooth installation which was on time and within budget.

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This did not come without its challenges, since medical cannabis markets are currently very hard to predict, therefore, customers would not be sure of what to invest in and how much. This meant that upgradeability and modularity had to be incorporated into the design without loading the capital outlay. Experience in designing scientific projects for decades gave Evolve the necessary tools to consult on the best choices and propose bespoke solutions.

The multi-skilled professionals at Evolve provide cost-effective solutions for the design and equipping of medical cannabis processing plants. Evolve has recently entered into a number of strategic alliances to provide complete end-to-end solutions for national and international projects.

At present there are multiple local projects, and others in Switzerland, Romania, Greece, Portugal and Ghana for which Evolve’s services have been requested. The future is promising! cc JULY/AUGUST 2020

CC MAKE THE HEADLINES

Helping businesses build resilience in times of uncertainty

By Joyce Grech, Head of Commercial Banking at HSBC Bank Malta p.l.c.

Amid the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 situation, many of HSBC Malta’s business customers have been facing supply chain disruption, including delays in receiving both goods and payments, as well as experiencing other challenges, such as having to confirm orders overnight.

Our Global Trade and Receivables Finance (GTRF) team is actively supporting our customers during these challenging times, including tailoring solutions that extend trade finance to our clients in a more structured manner. We are remaining close to our customers in sectors that are experiencing increased working capital challenges, ensuring that they can benefit from our extensive international network.

We are proactively contacting customers doing business in countries and sectors that are significantly impacted by COVID-19 to help them navigate trade with new or existing counterparties. As a bank, we deliver international connectivity and solutions to our local customers in Malta, by leveraging

the wider HSBC Group network. As the situation continues to evolve, HSBC Malta will continue to adapt to support the business community in these uncertain times.

Initiatives launched by HSBC Malta to support businesses affected by COVID-19 include: capital and interest repayment holidays; fee-free temporary short-term working capital funding; faster turnaround on the issuance of shipping guarantees; waiver of related urgency fees; waiver of amendment fees on letters of credit impacted by delays; extensions of trade loans and extensions to receivables finance funding periods. These support measures are assessed on a case-by-case basis.

GTRF is also leveraging the new digital capabilities of HSBC Group, making international trade and trade finance simpler, safer and faster for all customers. This has a significant positive environmental impact by reducing the use of paper and avoiding unnecessary journeys. Additionally, our customers benefit from webinars concerning the ‘new norms’ and emerging trade trends.

In a volatile and uncertain external environment, businesses need to be

flexible in their response. Companies can, however, set themselves apart by viewing external disruptions as opportunities to create efficiency and resilience. Through the measures outlined above, HSBC Malta continues to support the business community in building this resilience for a sustainable future. cc

Joyce Grech, Head of Commercial Banking at HSBC Bank Malta p.l.c.

Air for Life Air for Life is a health technology company that specialises in the manufacture of ionisers and air purifiers which safely and effectively kill bacteria, mould, viruses, neutralise VOCs, odours and many other contaminants. Air for Life purifiers use patent pending technology to effectively reduce indoor air pollution. AFL products are suitable for commercial and domestic use, to prevent disease in, for example, hospitals, airports, gymnasiums, offices, shopping malls, cars and homes.

Air pollution is on the increase each year globally, and estimates suggest that it is the cause of 1.6 million premature deaths each year in China alone. Recent research by the Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine in the UK found that normal face masks on the market today had between a 7-68 per cent leakage rate so, although masks meet local and international standards, they may not be as effective in filtering out harmful pollution particles such as cancer-causing PM2.5, and therefore do not provide adequate protection to the public.

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Most air purifiers rely on HEPA filters that can only filter particles up to 0.3 microns.

“As 99 per cent of the particles we breathe are under one micron, they will simply pass through,” said Jay Vitale, Founder and CEO of Air for Life. “AFL sanifiers are filterless ionisers that benefit from a NASA Developed Technology. They begin their real work at 0.1 microns and will work up to 0.001 microns, therefore destroying up to 99.997 per cent of all harmful viruses, bacteria, fungi, VOCs and contaminants.

The AFL CAR Sanifier’s state-of-theart automotive engineered design blends perfectly into any car. Providing NASA Developed AFLPCO Technology and AFL Plasma Ionisation Technology, it cleans and sanitises the car interior as well as protecting passengers from inhaling toxic pollutants from traffic exhaust fumes. Simply plug and play into the car’s 12V cigarette lighter adapter socket.

The Mini Sanifier® 2 is a filterless germicidal purifier and ioniser containing the same AFL NASA Developed nano technology

that fights germs by cleaning and sanitizing the air in rooms up to 320 square foot in size. It has an air quality indicator light and night mode that make it ideal for nurseries, bedrooms, pet rooms and playrooms.

It protects rooms from germs, viruses, aeroallergens, and harmful pollutants in the air and on surfaces.

Ergonomically designed, the AFL Anti-Pollution Mask contains a unique four-stage antibacterial nano silver ion filtration technology, including an electric fan for a continuous flow of fresh air and one-touch control offering two fan speeds.

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CC MEET THE ARTIST

Exploring the language of art Artist and experimentalist Kane Cali is pushing his own limits, and those of Malta’s contemporary arts scene, one body of work at a time. He chats with Martina Said about his journey from 3D character animation to contemporary art, his family legacy, and applying his fascination with new technology into works of art that will stand the test of time.

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ontemporary artist Kane Cali’s work is complex to define, but less hard to recognise. Deconstructed busts cast in concrete and glass that are layered with meaning, sculptural glass works that unveil a painstaking attention to detail, and of course, Malta’s ‘cheap and cheerful’ beloved snack, pastizzi, turned into desirable pieces of art. His multi-disciplinary approach to his art makes his works as extraordinary as the processes he employs to create them, placing Kane in a distinctive league of his own.

I catch up with the artist at a time when a lot is uncertain – Malta is in post-pandemic recovery mode, and life is gradually returning to a new kind of normal, with a lot left hanging in the balance, particularly for artists. But every trial is an opportunity for Kane to explore – the lockdown period alone proved to be an introspective yet productive

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time for him, during which he created a small body of work using a growth simulator designed to grow virtual plants – but more on that later.

“Life and the process of living it, feeds into all my work,” says Kane, moulded by the perspectives, tools and people he met along the way, all of which shaped his unique skillset. As the great-great grandson of venerated artist Giuseppe Cali, art is an inherent part of him and his family. “From a young age, learning that my great-great grandfather, and many other members of the family, had an artistic side to them and an artistic career – beyond Giuseppe Cali, there were also his uncles, namely Romero Cali, who had quite a journey in their own right – shaped my sense of identity.”

Early on after finishing secondary school, Kane pursued what interested him, and spent

two years studying at MCAST, which had just opened its doors, to explore his curiosities.

“At that time, I started looking at courses abroad as I wanted to pursue more focused studies, and that was quite a leap,” he states.

“We had just entered the EU so college fees were more affordable, and it seemed like a viable option, in a naïve kind of way,” he laughs. “I don’t think I’d take the plunge now as I did back then, but I have no regrets – mistakes were made along the way, but they were necessary.”

Kane enrolled for a degree in 3D character animation in the UK, which gave him the backbone and confidence with computer software and 3D packages – crucial skills for his work later on. After two years, craving a tangible element to his creativity beyond a keyboard, he changed course and attended the University for the Creative Arts for JULY/AUGUST 2020

CC MEET THE ARTIST a degree in 3-Dimensional design glass, followed by a Master of Arts in ceramics and glass at the prestigious Royal College of Art in London.

“Attending the RCA was quite a milestone.

There were a few hundred Chinese and Korean students, and one Maltese,” he says.

Kane gained work experience in London, producing works for exhibitions and private commissions, before being offered to work with art dealer and collector Adrian Sassoon, who deals in antiquities and contemporary ceramics and glass.

“I was offered to represent the London office, but at that time I was also thinking of moving back. I was battling with the ‘what do I want with my life’ dilemma – do I represent artists or become the artist? That’s when I decided to return to Malta and work from here,” says Kane. By moving away from the 3D and virtual world towards specialising in the use of materials, Kane successfully found a middle ground between the two.

“That is when I understood my identity as an individual and what I found joy in. It took experiencing too much of one thing to understand the lack of the other,” he explains.

Learning 3D character building and the science behind it has, in fact, been central to several of the artist’s recent works. Kane uses data obtained from 3D scans to build a picture, “as you would with pigment to paper.

I’ve been using life models in most of my more recent work and often invite individuals to the studio to get 3D scanned.”

Photo by Ester Segarra

“From a young age, learning that my greatgreat grandfather, and many other members of the family, had an artistic side to them and an artistic career, shaped my sense of identity.”

Photo by TEMPLE

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“Because I’m working with identity, humans are what you continue to return to. There is also a historic reference to our obsession with busts, portraiture and self-reflection.” says he has a long-standing love for glass, but space constraints at his Valletta studio forced him to shift his focus, for now. “Glass is a very difficult material to work with – it’s greedy, you need the right conditions to make sure it works from start to finish, and you need space for equipment, but I love it for its weight, its colour retention, colour spectrum and refractive elements,” he maintains.

For one of his recent solo exhibitions in Malta, called Human_Construct, held at Blitz in Valletta in 2017, Kane drew inspiration from his love for glass and experimenting with new materials, as well as his fascination with exploring identity through artistic and technological processes.

“Conceptually, Human_Construct stemmed from a reflection on identity within our times through the construction of ephemeral data and how we represent ourselves both online and offline,” he asserts.

He went on to interpret this in various ways – through marble, concrete and holographic works, solid glass pieces as well as life-sized busts created with white concrete and cast bits of crystal.

Photo by Alexandra Pace

The data, he explains, is used as a point from which to manipulate. “I use a device, the mechanical eye, which collects information from the live models I work with as points in space. The work is centred around identity – I ask the models to sit, and they usually ask me what to do, but I just need them to be present, without smiling, frowning or adding emotion,” he shares.

Capable of collecting any kind of data, from architecture to inanimate objects, I ask Kane why he focuses on people. “Because I’m working with identity, humans are what you continue to return to. There is also a historic reference to our obsession with busts, portraiture and self-reflection, as well as representation through material, such as marble,” says Kane.

Not one to limit the application of his skills, Kane has produced works in glass, concrete, stone, marble, and paper, among others.

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“Materiality has always been a curiosity of mine – exploring ways to give rise to and control volumes that in turn create works is essential to the way I wish to communicate.

Different mediums each speak their own language. I like to work with materials that say something and associate thematically most of the time.”

Materials also reference history, and the artist asserts, “if you want to say something, you can say a little bit more with the choice of material. Marble, for instance, comes with a lot of historical baggage.” Currently, Kane is experimenting with yet another material, spurred by his reaction to the global antiracist Black Lives Matter movement. “I’m using volcanic ash in the mix of materials and working with models of colour to extend my body of work in a way that reflects the current realities we’re facing.”

Pressed to pick a favourite material, Kane JULY/AUGUST 2020

CC MEET THE ARTIST

For the latter, he conducted 3D scans of individuals, and cleaned the scans using digital brushes and applying modifications if necessary and requested by the models.

“Rather than displaying a whole human bust, I wanted to remove the emotional element and break up a bust into blocks, to reiterate the idea of a construction.”

The model was 3D printed in individual parts and a rubber mould was made of each part. The forms were then cast in white Portland concrete, while a few were reserved to be cast in glass. “They were built in around 40 odd parts and, with the help of a fellow artist friend, we assembled the pieces together.”

“I got into meditation during lockdown and what I took out of those sessions translated into a small body of work, called Breathe, which also allowed me to satisfy my curiosities with simulation software.”

Most recently, while under lockdown at home, Kane delved into a new medium, a growth simulator, which served as a form of meditation during a restless time. “I got into meditation during lockdown and what I took out of those sessions translated into a small body of work, called Breathe, which also allowed me to satisfy my curiosities with simulation software,” he explains. “All four works are growth sequences of what eventually became self-portraits.” The artist has created an edition of prints for these pieces, but also intends to curate them as animated video works in the future.

New curiosities are what continue to influence and inspire Kane to push his own boundaries. The artist reflects how he is “instinctively attracted to the cutting edge and the unknown”, and that new technologies are always on his radar, ranging from biomechanics and engineering to AI and quantum computing.

Looking back at the greatest highlights of his journey so far, Kane believes that getting hold of his Valletta studio was one of the great challenges, which turned out to be a real victory. “Let’s just say it took a good year of negotiating to get hold of the space and I had to completely gut it once I got the keys.

The previous tenant is an art restorer who is now my neighbour, and seeing the studio go from dungeon to glory was satisfying to say the least.”

While the artist’s plans for 2020 have been largely upended, there’s still much to look forward to. “I’m currently collaborating with ZfinMalta for a production set to be staged this October, called ‘21 Dances for the 21st 122

Century’, for which I’ll be designing elements of the set. I’ll also be working on private commissions. Next year, I’ll be representing Malta at an international glass biennale in Bornholm, while focusing on building a body of work.”

Kane’s work with ZfinMalta is one of many rewarding cross-collaborations – he designed and 3D printed the Arts Council awards for the Premju Ghall-Arti using 3D printed metal and resin; designed a range of head

pieces that formed part of a collection by fashion designer Luke Azzopardi; and has also designed a collection of jewellery, which he hopes to expand through collaborations with other jewellery designers. “Historically artists have always been multi-disciplinary.

It’s more recently that they started to be categorised as sculptors or painters,” says Kane. “Ultimately, art is a creative language that translates into anything.” cc

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