Following a meeting for business operators on June 23, the FOI held talks with officials from Sullivan Maritime Ltd, local representative of the Grimaldi Naples lines, and the Ministry for Investment, Industry and IT.
The talks were aimed at ensuring that the concerns of Malta-based industrialists and their respective freight forwarders would be duly addressed, should any changes in the current schedule of sea routes and services of Sea Malta be adopted following the proposed privatisation.
Following these talks, the federation advised all its members on the possibility of meetings with Sullivan Maritime and encouraged companies, even those who are not direct clients of Sea Malta, to take the opportunity to air their views and concerns on their required sea routes and schedule frequencies of shipments.
The FOI encouraged the Chamber of Commerce and the Association of Retailers and Traders (GRTU) to advise their members on the possibility. Although these meetings with Sullivan Maritime had to run until last Friday, any FOI member wishing to hold a late appointment should contact the FOI Secretariat as soon as possible on tel: 2123-4428 or 2122-2074.
The federation has been informed that about a dozen meetings covering the interests of more than 15 companies were held with Sullivan Maritime on the matter. This willingness to meet the local business community and discuss their main areas of concern is heartening.
The FOI is very interested in having the reassurance that the new private company that is taking over the national carrier will fulfil the public service obligations to their full extent and in the same manner that Sea Malta has done so far.
The federation hopes that the new company will be receptive to industry's particular requirements and committed to serving their needs, particularly when it comes to overcoming the inherent difficulties that a small island economy necessarily has to face.
The FOI stresses that it is Government's duty to make sure that proper monitoring of the company's activities should be exercised for the fulfilment of all obligations under its contract and that enterprise in Malta be adequately supported.