The Express Link - Issue 3 by The Dispatch Media

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Issue No 3 | October 2021

Reading time: 24 minutes

EXPRESS LINK IN THIS EDITION

EXPRESS TRAILERS SIGNS MOU WITH MALTA’S CUSTOMS Express Trailers signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Malta Customs. This agreement, a first with a Maltese logistics company, is an initiative that will seek to establish a stronger working relationship between the two parties, laying down better procedures to be followed in relation to specific circumstances to ensure the best possible, efficient, and effective cooperation and assistance.

EXPRESS TRAILERS EMPLOYEES GET OVER 300 HOURS OF TRAINING IN HEALTH & SAFETY

BASTJAN VELLA THE COMPANY’S MECHANIC

EXPRESS TRAILERS CONTINUES TO ENABLE BUSINESSES

The Vella brothers had an unwritten rule: each one of them had a specific role within the company. Who was responsible for paperwork at customs, who operated cranes and fork lifters, who did the pickups and deliveries and who minded the business.

Express Trailers continues to enable Malta’s businesses as they embark on new investments despite the ongoing challenges of the current pandemic.

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CEO’S MESSAGE Reading time: 3 minutes

As I pen this piece, I am preparing for my first Annual General Meeting as Group CEO under a new Chairman of the Board. I hand over the baton and welcome Mr Edmond Brincat as Group Chairman. Together we shall Link the Boards and the Executive team. I shall call this ‘The Link’.

It has been ten years since I was approached to Chair and lead the Group into a transformation mode towards a company and business model that is built to endure, that is future-ready and that remains an investment of choice for our owners and their heirs. The first initiatives centred around ‘Governance’. This was way ahead of the current trends towards what is coined the ESG obligation of corporations. It would have been easier today than back then, to introduce and give a true meaning to the word which is widely used but also abused generally. Businesses are as good as their people. People can be great assets but can simply walk out into a sunset never to return at sunrise. Family businesses worldwide seldom survive beyond the third generation principally because of ownership wrestling with leadership and stewardship. Businesses can be built to endure the future by attracting and retaining the best talent in the best interest of the owners. That was the Genesis of my journey with the Group. Governance. Today, I confidently and proudly say that the executive management and the 270 people in our folds here in Malta, in our Italian setup and those driving trucks on the continent, are all among the best around. All are fantastic colleagues and friends. Together we have built a respected leader both in logistics, and the business community. So, as I said, today there is a strong move in the corporate world towards ESG. E stands for Environmental obligations. S stands for Societal

obligations. G stands for good Governance. Even if this has been coined in recent years, the vision I had for the Group was, since those earlier years, already based on these principles. I used the acronym PPP, standing for Profits while respecting People and protecting the Planet. No business can thrive on a dead planet! Same principles as the now more explicit ESG. Incidentally a few days ago, a post spread virally on the social media. It was a prose of praise towards one of our drivers who stuck behind this cyclist for a stretch of road, keeping the distance and only overtaking when it was safe to do so. We are trained to do this. But this athlete was super impressed.

This is a conscious behaviour that resonates with the Orange culture. This was one of the initiatives we worked on incessantly and untiringly. Just one small example of how we contribute to our Societal obligations. I can go on with how we do things around here - equality, inclusion, promoting well-being through healthy road-sport, among so many more. I will soon announce an initiative that should help mitigate further our environmental deficit through fuel emissions, for which we feel helpless until truck manufacturers innovate further into environmentally friendly hardware. But till then, we have invested heavily in solar panels. The next move will be even more altruistic. This is The Express Link…

EXPRESS TRAILERS SIGNS MOU WITH MALTA’S CUSTOMS Reading time: 4 minutes

Express Trailers signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Malta Customs. This agreement, a first with a Maltese logistics company, is an initiative that will seek to establish a stronger working relationship between the two parties, laying down better procedures to be followed in relation to specific circumstances to ensure the best possible, efficient, and effective cooperation and assistance.

The MoU was signed between Franco Azzopardi, CEO of Express Group and Customs’ Director General Joseph A. Chetcuti during his visit at the company’s premises.

Azzopardi prior to the signing of this agreement. “This MoU not only shows the trust that Express Trailers enjoys with the highest authorities but also sends a clear and unequivocal message that our company will never compromise on its commitment towards good practice. Through this agreement with Malta’s Customs, we continue to set the bar in the industry while reaffirming our company’s high levels of control, transparency, and seriousness - qualities that have always defined Express Trailers,” added Franco Azzopardi.

“Criminal activity is becoming more sophisticated, and criminals increasingly look out for the weakest links. We simply do not want to be one of those weak links and therefore Express Trailers took the initiative to seek an MoU with Malta’s Customs Department,” said Franco

Customs’ Director General Joseph A. Chetcuti commended Express Trailers for pushing for this agreement, describing it as a fundamental step forward in bringing the transport and logistics industry and Malta’s Customs on the same front against abuse and crime.

Through this MoU, Express Trailers and Malta Customs will cooperate and share resources related to security, compliance exercises and newly introduced procedures to further facilitate business activity. The agreement will also bind both sides to undertake simultaneous training particularly on the identification and handling of risks.

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“Express Trailers, like all other logistics operators, has gone through its fair share of events, taken stock of what happened in the past and was determined to improve its standards. This is why at Customs, we had no hesitation to sign this MoU with Express Trailers because we are highly respectful of this company’s commitment to quality in its push for a safer logistics sector against the threat of criminality.” On its part, Express Trailers is binding itself to cooperate with Customs for further safeguarding the integrity of the supply chain, checking items that may need to be kept in ‘quarantine’, submitting a declaration of interest by employees and lists of any unclaimed goods left in temporary storage beyond the stipulated timeframe. Express Trailers will also allow the Department of Customs to inspect any goods prior to release whereas the Department of Customs is committing itself towards inspecting unclaimed intra-community goods that will remain in possession of Express Trailers, prior to their disposal. The Department will also provide training to the personnel of Express Trailers to be better prepared to prevent and detect any abuse in the transportation of goods.

This MoU not only shows the trust that Express Trailers enjoys with the highest authorities but also sends a clear and unequivocal message that our company will never compromise on its commitment towards good practice.

EXPRESS TRAILERS EMPLOYEES GET OVER 300 HOURS OF TRAINING IN HEALTH & SAFETY IN 2020 Reading time: 4 minutes

Notwithstanding the disruptive nature of the pandemic, Express Trailers’ Health & Safety Committee still managed to renew its focus on health and safety training amongst its employees. In fact employees clocked over 300 hours of training in health and safety throughout the past year and a half. “Our Health & Safety Committee is a team of very technical people who support us all throughout. It has been of great support to everyone across

the company, from us working in HR, to the whole management and the operations teams, assisting everyone with its insight on a holistic level,” explained Nicole Vella, Head of HR at Express Trailers. “Obviously, this increased focus on health & safety has reflected itself on our programme of training events which has centered mostly around technical training for our people working in the industrial sections, routine training related to the transport of dangerous or classified

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cargo and operational risk management training for those in the management of the company.” Nicole explained how whilst the Health & Safety Committee has managed to increase the number of risk assessments held over the past year, the fact that its members are also responsible for implementing any changes decided through risk assessments has brought about more awareness throughout the organisation.

“We have managed to nurture a strong belief that mitigating risks through awareness, education and adaptation through small changes, is indeed possible. Most changes which were previously thought as impossible, were made possible and people now appreciate that with the right attitude and a with perseverance, culture change is possible.”

Nicole also referred to how most training at Express Trailers has had to move online but that thanks to The Logic Training Centre, certain training that relies more on practical aspects, was still made possible as groups were divided for easier implementation of precautionary COVID measures. “People however are missing the traditional physical training because they miss the interaction and the socialisation aspects of training,” outlined Nicole Vella. “Online training has reduced the opportunity to discuss in smaller groups during coffee breaks, or with the lecturer after the session. It remains a fact that the natural socialisation and networking that is achieved through conventional training programmes will never be replicated online.” “When it comes to training for drivers and those who work in the industrial areas, wherever we can, we try and encourage interaction during the sessions by involving practicals whenever possible, so that the employees can better understand the relevance of their training to their jobs/lives. It is of utmost importance that the content is understood by all for training to be effective.” Express Trailers’ HR team is now planning to introduce an internal refresher programme for all industrials to continue building good Health & Safety practices and introducing new company policies and procedure updates.

BASTJAN VELLA THE COMPANY’S MECHANIC Reading time: 5 minutes

“Sometimes I joined my brothers with deliveries and driving, but my job was mainly in the garage, fixing and reconditioning equipment,” says Bastjan Vella, the second born in the family. His older brother Salvu remembers his father telling them about how he first started working with his father George, who was a port worker, clearing cargo from customs and delivering that cargo to his clients. “When the Second World War broke, my father had to enrol himself and was stationed at Delimara. I still remember him telling us about his daily cycling trips, having to cycle all the way from Qormi to Delimara. “When the war was over, the armed forces started disposing of a lot of heavy vehicles including transportation trucks. That was when a lot of horsedriven carts started making way for the many models that became available locally, namely American and Canadian vehicles.”

Bastjan sat for his secondary school exams and chose to pursue his studies at the technical school - a three-year City & Guilds course which led him to become a qualified mechanic. “My father knew a mechanic who used to service his truck and he made arrangements for me to start working for this mechanic during my summer holidays to get more practical experience. When I finished school, I kept working full-time with this mechanic for another four years. FIRST RULE – DO IT YOURSELF “Back then, whatever we could build ourselves, we built. When work started increasing and cargo was arriving on pallets, my father started renting a fork lifter to assist in the loading and unloading of merchandise. I remember my brother Żaren had spotted an old Coventry fork lifter with most parts missing. We bought it just the same and I managed to re-assemble it and started working with it. Eventually, I also built a cart for it which enabled us to transport it to where we needed to work.

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“When my father, eager to take the business to the next level, realised that we needed a bigger truck, we came across an old Leyland Hypo 8-wheeler which we bought. I fixed it and made it operational again and we built a platform for it so that we could load it with containers. A COMPANY ‘BY ACCIDENT’ “We soon started realising how fast the world of transport and logistics is and decided to sit down altogether to decide where we wanted to go. We all agreed that to grow, we needed to invest in proper vehicles. We decided to go for a new mechanical horse and a number of trailers, so I travelled with my brother Ġużi to the UK from where we bought a Scammell Trucker of 1968, a 40-foot trailer, a 25-foot trailer and a chassis cab. That was one adventure we will never forget. We grouped all the vehicles together and left at around midnight to make it to Dover where we would meet our agent to sort all the paperwork only to arrive in France and be told that the paperwork was only valid to leave the UK and not to enter France and be able to proceed to all the way to Malta. “We spent four days in Calais, trying to sort this problem out. We found an agent there who helped us get some paperwork sorted but we still needed to provide a guarantee till we got to Malta. After seeking legal advice, we were also told that paperwork would become easier if our activity was formalised. We had to provide a name for the new ‘company’, so we opted for the most straightforward one. This was when Emmanuel Vella & Sons was born! INTERNATIONALISATION “This was also the time when we started considering international transport on mainland Europe. As brothers, we decided to embark on this new business, and we formed Vella Brothers

Ltd to be able to fund and acquire our first truck and trailer for overseas transport.” “When Vella Brothers Ltd was formed, we invested in a piece of land which came with a half-built garage. The former owner had a quarry and we used to bring the stone from his quarry to complete this garage. We worked together during weekends till we finished it. We bought all the materials and built the roof ourselves too. “By then we had decided to buy a new truck for our international operations so with my brother Ġużi, we travelled to Holland to pick up a Ford Transcontinental and a York trailer. But this too turned out to be more of an adventure because on our way to the port, we realised that the power clutch was not functioning. “Having made it to the harbour, we got to Dover, called Ford and their people came to fix the faulty power clutch. From there, we drove up to London, where the York agents installed the fifth wheel and the mudguards, then we drove back down to London to load a lot of work for Malta. But we could not leave the UK because our vehicle was not registered to leave the country and we needed a guarantee, with which we eventually left. “Driving down to Italy to pick up more work we got stuck between Bologna and Florence due to very bad weather. We had nothing with us except a change of clothes and sleeping bags. It was cold and snowing and we had to buy chains to be able to drive. Eventually, we made it to Reggio with six inches of snow covering our truck and trailer. A month-long hassled adventure just to be able to start our international operations!”

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EXPRESS TRAILERS CONTINUES TO ENABLE BUSINESSES SUPPORTS LOGISTICS FOR DELICATA WINERY’S NEW INVESTMENT Reading time: 3 minutes

Express Trailers continues to enable Malta’s businesses as they embark on new investments despite the ongoing challenges of the current pandemic.

One of the latest projects our company has supported was the door-todoor transportation of new bottling machinery and equipment for Delicata Winery’s new bottling hall from the North of Italy. This latest quality improvement project by Delicata Winery consists of a multi-million euro investment for the washing, filling, and packaging of wine bottles which will operate best practice water conservation and energy saving, as well as top-notch cleaning-in-place systems and the latest technology to improve the livery of all brands. “Quality is the winery’s bedrock and the governing principle that spurs any investment in the vineyard and in the cellar. However, a quality project requires us to work with people who can guarantee a quality service, and this is why we have once again entrusted Express Trailers with the delivery of this

machinery,” said George Delicata, Managing Director of Delicata Winery. “We have always trusted Express Trailers with past projects. We did not hesitate to choose them again, this time to handle and transport the new bottling machinery and equipment. This was only the first phase of a year-long project and the team at Express Trailers did a marvellous job, handling every aspect with great professionalism,” added Mr Delicata. “Contributing to such a prestigious project for a brand like Delicata Winery is an honour for Express Trailers. We

We have always trusted Express Trailers with past projects. We did not hesitate to choose them again, this time to handle and transport the new bottling machinery and equipment.

understand that making great wines requires passion and perseverance, craftsmanship and of course, investment. We are delighted to have been given once again an opportunity to put our logistics experience and expertise into action, to enable this important investment by one of Malta’s established wineries,” said Franco Azzopardi, CEO of Express Trailers. “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we at Delicata Winery are looking at a bright future. We plan to invest more in viticulture, Malta’s farming community and incorporate sustainable winegrowing practices whenever possible.” concluded George Delicata.

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LOOK FURTHER, THINK BIGGER Our ORANGE is the blend of long years of acquired EXPERIENCE, obsessive EXCELLENCE, and proven EXPERTISE in delivering your cargo, whatever it is, from wherever, to anywhere and however. ROAD | RAIL | OCEAN | AIR

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SHIPLOWCOST’S SHIFT OF OPERATIONS TO ĦAL FAR Reading time: 4 minutes

Customs’ natural habitat has always been Domestic Operations and after a stint under General Management, this section has now been re-routed back to its habitat. CLINT AGIUS, Head of Domestic Operations is now responsible for Express Trailers’ Customs Section.

How long have you been working at Express Trailers and what were the various positions you have occupied within the company? I have been working at Express Trailers for over twenty years now and throughout my career, which to date, has been extremely rewarding, I have had the opportunity to occupy several positions within the Group. In fact, I had started off as an office clerk with Emmanuel Vella & Sons Ltd way back in January 2001, from where I then moved to a post of Accounts Executive, and subsequently the position of Finance Supervisor following the company’s merger with Express Trailers Ltd. At the beginning of 2012 I was also offered the opportunity to move on from administration to operations, where I held the position of Supervisor within the Domestic Operations. A year later, I was promoted to Manager and eventually to Head of the same department. What work falls under Domestic Operations? I like to think of Domestic Operations as the heart of who we are and what we do. In fact, most of the ongoing operations around the islands fall under Domestic Operations. These include the loading, unloading and haulage with import and export trailers, cold chain

distribution, haulage and unloading of containers, our ShipLowCost operation, managed warehousing including dispatching and collections, the hire of equipment, crane, forklift and lifting services, the removal and handling of heavy plant and machinery, the handling of breakbulk cargo and project cargo. Now that you are also responsible for the Customs Section, how will you be merging your two roles? Customs is not really an operation but a support service to all our local operations in general. Inbound and outbound cargo may be subject to customs formalities, and this is where this team steps in. So, my role now is to manage this team and make sure that all formalities are delivered complete, and in time for operations. This also means that I now manage a team of around 85 people which is no easy feat. But I also know that our people all share the same professional attitude, and we are all committed towards the same goal – that of achieving success for the company by giving the most efficient service possible. What challenges are you facing at this point when it comes to Customs procedures?

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This year has been particularly challenging due to the increase in Customs formalities related to Brexit. Since last January all cargo being imported or exported from and to the UK needs to be customs cleared, meaning that each shipment, irrelevant of whether it is a small package or a whole trailer, has to pass through a documentation process and cannot be delivered or released for export unless we receive the green light from Customs. This has caused a surge in data inputting for our Customs Documentation team and Customs Department alike. ShipLowCost is being moved from its current warehouse in Luqa to Ħal

Far. What is the reason for this and how will this impact / improve the overall service? The relocation of our SLC operations to Ħal Far will provide ample efficiencies because we will no longer be segregating and double-handling this cargo, but this will now be treated as regular groupage service, handled by the same team who is already trained at our sorting and distribution facility in Luqa. Rather than dispatching separate vans and trucks, thanks also to our newly adopted IT infrastructure, this consolidation will benefit from merging the routes of our delivery trucks with that of the regular groupage service. All in all, this move is expected to result in a more efficient and effective distribution service.

HONOURING TWO DRIVERS WHO ARE NO LONGER WITH US The loss of a family member is always the hardest pill to swallow. And last August, we experienced not one, but two such losses. Within a span of a few days, our Orange family lost two of its esteemed and respected drivers – James Mifsud and George Zammit.

James and George were not just drivers but two gentlemen and diligent flagbearing ambassadors for Express Trailers on the roads. Both were exemplary drivers in their own way and our Orange family will always be indebted to their hard work, their passion and their commitment. We were all left in shock, pondering the fragility of life and the pain of losing another two of us. From here, we would like to give tribute to these two brothers in our family and we assure their families that their memory will always live on amongst us. Rest in peace James and George.

George Zammit

James Mifsud

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NEW APPOINTMENTS CLINT AGIUS Reading time: 1 minute

Clint Agius, our Head of Domestic Operations has been recently appointed Head of Express Trailers’ Customs section.

Clint has been working at Express Trailers for over twenty years and has had the opportunity to occupy several positions within the group. From an office clerk with Emmanuel Vella & Sons Ltd way back in January 2001, he moved to a position of Accounts Executive, and subsequently the position of Finance Supervisor following the company’s merger with Express Trailers Ltd. In 2012, Clint moved from administration to operations where he held the position of Supervisor within

the Domestic Operations. A year later, he was promoted to Manager and eventually to Head of the same department. “My role now is to make sure all customs-related formalities are delivered complete, and in time for operations. Managing a team of around 85 people is not be easy but I also know that our people all share the same professional attitude, and we are all committed to achieving success for the company by giving the most efficient service possible,” said Clint.

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OUR PEOPLE MARTIN CILIA

Martin has been working at Express Trailers for the past 33 years. He has been married to Dorianne for the past 22 years and together, they have two children, Glen (21) and Leona (13). Martin’s brothers, Albert and Joseph, already worked at Express Trailers before Martin joined. So upon finishing school, Martin was approached by Bastjan Vella and was employed as a welder. From there, he progressed to working as an industrial heavy plant and machinery mechanic under the capable hands of Bastjan who kept instructing him in his everyday work. Eventually, Martin also had the opportunity to specialise and become certified by Hammar Maskin as a Solas installer and calibrator. “The biggest challenge is to keep abreast with the technological developments and the constant learning,” says Martin. “There is a lot to keep up with in order to be able to remain relevant in this fast-changing sector to diagnose and repair vehicles.” “However, my main satisfaction comes from delivering the best job and knowing that I tried my best to be as good as the manufacturer’s standard. I am also very satisfied when I think of the utmost respect we enjoy from the Company especially from the elderly brothers,” he added.

ANTOINE VELLA Head of International Operations Born in 1973, Antoine is married and has 2 teenage sons. From a young age, Antoine used to accompany his father everywhere, supervising loading and at the port watching trailers embarking and disembarking the ferries. “When I turned 17, I joined one of our international truckers to collect a new Volvo unit from the UK to bring it to Malta. That experience inspired me to become more passionate about our operations and appreciate the role of our truck drivers.” Antoine started assisting the front office, helping the export department and eventually taking over the UK and France operations. Today, Antoine is Director and Head of International Operations, overseeing international road operations including the dispatch office, drivers and fleet. “Watching our customers grow gives me a lot of satisfaction. The past 16 months due to COVID-19, our drivers faced unprecedented challenges. They were among the front-line responders to the pandemic, delivering medical supplies and equipment to hospitals and ensuring that store shelves across the country remained stocked with essential goods for consumers. From our end, we ensured that all our drivers made it safely and on time. Our role will leave an indelible mark on our industry for years to come!”

Express Trailers’ relationship with Hammar Maskin AB goes back thirtysix years when in 1985, Express Trailers ordered its first side-loader for its local operations. THE

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The relationship was kept alive by

JESMOND MIFSUD Noel Vella, one of the third-generation

Senior Sales Manager family directors, who kept being regularly contracted by Hammar to I have been married to Marthese for 24 years and we conduct modification and servicing have two daughters Shanley (22) and Ainsley (19). I joined works to existent side-loaders for Express Trailers in December of 1991, at the age of 18 just Maltese clients and for re-export. after having finished Sixth Form, so I’m about to celebrate 30 years working here! Eventually, Express Trailers was setall upthe as odd Express I started from scratchEngineering and went through Trailers’ new manufacturing jobs in the industry. This was crucial for my carrier,arm specifically to work knowledge on side-loaders as it was the key to evolve the necessary sentup tothe Malta by HAMMAR. to help me work my way ladder. I’ve handled

daily routine operations, mainly coordinating customs Today, Express Trailers’ busy team of clearance, deliveries, booking and executing import/ 25 at industrial workers are responsible export shipments by air Eyre Travel Ltd, a subsidiary of for all the rebuilding and upgrading Express Trailers Limited. Since the Group merger back in blasting, 2012, I joined the salesworks team including at Expressstructure Trailers as a sales the hydraulics, modification of manager. chassis, conversion of chassis to make it telescopic, braking electrical Today, my job entails assisting clients’ salesand requests, systems and other alterations as per keeping abreast of challenges within in the supply chain industry and providing clients the best mode of transport client specification. solutions suitable to their needs. I also enjoy mentoring and motivating our sales clients The colleagues team is alsotoinassist a position toas work best they can. and conduct modifications and improvements on crane structures In fact, making sure our clients get the bestvehicles serviceto be as well as converting possible is the thing that gives me most satisfaction radio-controlled and operated. in my job. “Our work for HAMMAR and the trust that this global brand has always TOMASZ WIOSNA bestowed upon our people and our Overseas Driver company has always been a source of pride. We commemorate this fifth Tomasz is married and is a father in ofthe twoknowledge children, a that anniversary girl and a boy. He started working driver with this has beenas yeta another important Express Trailers in May of 2006 and today, he covers milestone for our company that most routes across Europe. The biggest challenge confirmed once again the Express on his job is making sure he arrives always on Trailers brand as a strong time economic for pick up and collection of the cargo awaiting player,” commented Franco Azzopardi, him. “On the road, you never know what to expect CEO of Express Trailers. Express and many things can happen that can affect your Trailers’ logistics setup allows the delivery schedules. My responsibility is doing my best delivery of the rebuilt HAMMAR units in making sure I am always on time so that I do not to the client, anywhere in the world. disrupt the company’s plans,” says Tomasz. So far Express Trailers has rebuilt and upgraded side-loading trailers for HAMMAR and exported them to customers in the UK, Spain, Portugal, and the Caribbean amongst other countries.

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