MCESD

Wednesday December 18 marked another step forward in the consultation and decision-making process of the MCESD. For the first time ever NCW's Civil Society Committee was invited to participate at an MCESD meeting to review the 2003 Budget and to identify areas that need to be studied in the coming year.

The meeting was addressed by representatives of Government, employers, trade unions and representatives of civil society, including the Alliance of Pensioners' Organisations, the Malta Federation of Professional Associations, the Commission for the Advancement of Women and the National Council of Women.

Participants expressed opinions on the positive measures and incentives of the Budget, and the inclusion of the most salient proposals that had been made during the consultation stages, a number of which were common to all organisations. There was a general agreement that the MCESD played a crucial role during the different stages of budget consultation on which consensus was reached through dialogue.

Areas that require particular attention in the forthcoming months include government expenditure control, local freight and port handling charges, measures to ensure that the manufacturing industry remains competitive, tax incentives for restaurants, pension reform, increasing womenís participation in the labour market, research and rent laws among others. Attention was drawn to the need for more frequent and focused meetings of the MCESD.

Civil Society representatives thanked the chairman for the invitation to this meeting, with the wish that such meetings should take place more often, so that issues can be truly addressed from the perspective of all sectors of society.