SMEs in the global market

With the approaching accession date of our country to the European Union, the Malta Federation of Industry is keen to tackle the economic slow down currently being experiencing by local enterprise. The federation believes that this situation is not directly related to Malta's accession but rather has arisen as a result of various factors including government's financial problems; certain rigidities in the labour market coupled with the increasing labour costs that are not linked to productivity increases. There is also an undoubted link to pressures in the global market and the situation of various European markets.

In view of this the Malta Federation of Industry, with the kind support of the British High Commission and Bank of Valletta plc, has decided to focus its forthcoming full-day conference on the challenge of how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can re-position themselves in the global market, taking the various factors, including human resources, into the debate.

In fact, the FOI is pleased to announce that Sir John Egan, president of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), who will be addressing participants on how UK industry has experienced a comeback in the global market, and Bruce Warman, who will be presenting the CBI's views on the UK's industrial relations model in the last decade, have recently confirmed their participation to the conference.

The conference will be held on March 30.