Edwin Vassallo meets FOI Council

At the June meeting of the FOI Council, president Anton Borg welcomed the Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and the Self Employed, Edwin Vassallo, to the FOI's premises. Mr Vassallo opened his address by highlighting his office's main priorities and targets for the next four years, and also listing the industry-related issues his office is currently aiming to tackle.

FOI Council members took this opportunity to advise Mr Vassallo on the numerous problems Malta-based industry was being confronted with, including lack of shipping possibilities at the Freeport; the termination of export credit insurance; and high levels of bureaucracy.

The FOI officials also highlighted the lack of proper and timely consultation with the private sector; the need for a government body to be responsible for drawing up regulatory impact assessments; the importance of market surveillance in view of price and quality dumping of products on the local market; the importance of private public partnerships; and the void that was felt because no Cabinet Minister post had been earmarked to take direct responsibility for manufacturing industry.