The Malta Federation of Industry and its associate, the Federation of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors, has welcomed the new regime on work permits.

The two organisations stressed that jobs and job creation should continue to be aimed first and foremost at the Maltese worker and that business and industry should opt for foreign labour only in those areas where it is impossible to find Maltese willing and able to do the job.

Both the FOI and the FOBC urged all economic operators to avail themselves of these new regulations and bring themselves fully in line with the new conditions, especially as the government has now rightly declared its intention to be extremely strict on all abuse.

Under the new rules, contractors will be blacklisted from any government contract for a period if they employ foreigners without a work permit. There are also new procedures for work permit applications.