FOI discusses industry with Prime Minister

Federation of Industry President Anton Borg and other FOI officials met recently with Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami to discuss a number of important issues Malta’s industrial sector faces.
Topics included the importance of changing the basis on which wage increases are negotiated, with the FOI advocating the linking of wage increases to rises in productivity - taking the country’s competitiveness levels into account. The FOI also urged government to conclude negotiations that would allow the Maltese food and beverages sector to acquire free market access to EU markets before membership. The FOI also raised the allocation of pre- and post-accession funding; social security reforms; the high costs of releasing cargo at the Malta ports; mandatory cost-of-living adjustments; and the importance for Malta to get involved in the EU’s Lisbon strategy.
The FOI delegation also pointed out that given the vast amounts of legislation adopted by Malta, the authorities should have more of an educational and guidance role rather than just to enforce the law, especially for SMEs.