EU Commissioner says shipyard privatisation plans unacceptable, awaits new plan

K Bonello

Sep 13th 2008, 12:03

Is this EU Commissioner monitoring the Alitalia negotiations?? Or do these commissioners only show up in the small EU states??

M Micallef

Sep 12th 2008, 20:07

Well Malta for a long time had ignored the European birds directive and the EU verdict on the controversial departure tax just to mention a few. It should do the same on this occasion.

Or could it be that it was known all along that this was going to be the case?

Jeremy J Camilleri

Sep 12th 2008, 18:42

Tonio Bugeja...so you agree that the Government should hold an independent enqury to see who was responsible for leaching away all that money?

Tonio Bugea

Sep 12th 2008, 17:24

Mr Xuereb,
The best people already left the drydocks and found a good job elsewhere.
The majority left are those who are useless elsewhere. So what will whoever buys the problem
do withe the useless lot? That will be a red hot piece of coal. Wait for it! then the union will step in to protect them.

Tonio Bugea

Sep 12th 2008, 17:18

Neelie Kroes should have a look at the agreement forged with the GWU by the Government!
Why do parastatal employees get hefty handouts when their employment winds down and others get a rubber dummy? Is`nt that not DISCRIMINATION? EU PLease note if you are looking!!

After the Drydocks BLACKHOLE swallowed up so much of our hard earned taxes, they want it also on a silver platter. Courtesy of the Maltese public. Now, we do not care if it is sold, dismantled, written off or sent to hell. Don`t tell me if everybody is sent packing, they will get a nice retirement bonus and early retirement all compliments of the Maltese Public.

We are very very tired with these manouveres!!! How much is this retirement package going to send the deficit off? and what if everybody is sent off? Drydocks my foot. It is our blood which has been dried up for sure!!!

This sets a bad example to those who have worked hard to build a buisness and succeed!
while others have leached the maltese public.

Antoine Vella

Sep 12th 2008, 16:48

The door of the EU Commission's office is much harder to break down than that of Castille.

K Xuereb

Sep 12th 2008, 15:11

I am glad we joined the EU.

If anything, it's making us as a country grab the bull by the horns after so many decades of hand-wringing and ineffective 'reforms', not to mention it being hijacked into a mega 'kazin politiku'. No private owner would ever allow that.

Whether by privatisation or by liquidation, it looks like it's going to be a rough ride but the end is in sight as far as the taxpayer is concerned.

Naturally, the hope is that the dockyard is successfully privatised and the best people are retained.

Chris Ciantar

Sep 12th 2008, 14:59

P Zammit
the tax will be removed from 1st November...

P Zammit

Sep 12th 2008, 13:00

I don't think that we should take any notice of the EU, till they remove our illegal discriminatory Departure Tax I shall continue to regard them as just a fictitious institution!

Charles Busuttil

Sep 12th 2008, 10:32

Do you remember when during the campaign to join the EU, government was accused of not even having read the whole set of rules? These amounted to thousands of pages. So there.
Il-qattusa ghaggelija, frieh ghomja taghmel.

Joe Galea

Sep 12th 2008, 10:17

This is hilarious. How come all EU PN experts didn't get it right? They are paid hefty salaries to brainwash us that EU is heaven.

I think this article should be titled..OOPS, Gonzi did it again!!

You have voted to become an EU's colony. Now we all have to vow for what they say.
Tell Becky (the lasy who admires EFA) she will surely find a good solution to this problem as she always does in her series..lol!!

Sensiela ohra minn Dejjem tieghek...Lawrence!!

D. Camilleri

Sep 12th 2008, 09:52

Well done EU !
It seems the EU is doing more to help us with our deficit problem than the government !
It is also saying what is obvious from a business point of view : businesses which are not viable should be liquidated !

I. M. Dingli

Sep 12th 2008, 09:35

Oh dear Mr. Antoine Vella, the cynical part of your character has no limits, correct?

Michael Cutajar

Sep 12th 2008, 08:15

@ philip micallef

No dear friend. Lets not blame this qassata on the anti EU lobby. The Government ( the PAR IDEJN SODI GonziPN) lead the negotiations single handedly. Joseph Muscat and all other parties and civil society representatives urged him to seek help and involve all stakeholders.
I am sure that both Gonzi and Tonio Fenech will blunder on, meeting every problem with an open mouth
It has come to a pretty pass when everyone is telling the Prime Minister to get a grip on his party. So far the country was lead by an automatic pilot.
Government is in a hole. No cavalry can save GonziPN now. The least that Mr know-it-all Tonio Fenech can do now is apoligise for this blunder.

frank demajo

Sep 12th 2008, 07:33

prosit sur ministru

issa qed nifhem ghalfejn ghamiltu billboard bil qassata , ghax qassata wara ohra qed timlew it turtiera . Ilkom ghoxrin sena fil gvern u fl ahhar qed tiehdu dak li zrajtu . Pajjiz fallejtuh u issa anke min barra qed jindunaw . Dawn mhux il poplu ta tbelalhom li triedu . U fejn mar il par idejn sodi ? Dak li jsolvi il problemi kollha ta malta ? tiskanta ghax kif ikun hawn problema jistahba bhal tal linja u mbaghad jitfacca kif jghaddi kollox . DAK KAP TA PAJJIZ .

Mark Camilleri

Sep 12th 2008, 07:22

My question to the big brother EU is this - Are we in a different EU, why are we being treated in a different way from the Italians and the English. Every one remembers northern Rock and lately Alitalia.

Is this the same Eu that we were so much bombarded with prior 2004? Aren't we all the same under the EU? I believe not and the Government has a lot to answer now

jimmy magro

Sep 12th 2008, 07:09

@ Arnold Galea.
Now I understand why your comment included some free space at the end. I think you intended to write the epilogue which goes like this:

The poor continue to become poorer and the rich continue to become richer. Please note that under free market conditions there is no social conscience. The End.

Robert Cassar

Sep 12th 2008, 05:39

If this is not acceptable then the currant additional taxes we pay for cars we buy from other EU countries should not be acceptable also. Is this really a free market? I think as I see here it’s more a question of TWO WAYS & TWO MEASURES being adopted at Maltese people cost!

Charles J Buttigieg

Sep 12th 2008, 00:45

Just go back and read again the comments made by Antoine Vella and D.Galea and see for yourselves the pitiful state the situation has become.

Tonio Fenech, Minister of Finance

Sep 12th 2008, 00:17

Having read the Times on line article, I catagorially deny that the Commissioner at any point said that the shipyard privatisation plans were unacceptable to the EU or under EU rules, what the Commissioner clearly said in public and in the meetings held throughout the day was simply that the privatisation process cannot lead to direct or indirect aid being given to the new operators, on a number of occasions it clearly stated that it is not the Commission's competence to decide on whether the privatisation process was the way to resolve country's shipyards challenge, but its role was to ensure that this is done within the EU body of regulations, and that clearly from 1st January 2008 no further subsidies will be allowed beyond that date. Also, the Commission stand on the losses incurred by the shipyards beyond the approved subsidies under Malta's accession negotiations, is a Governments decision to cover these losses may be in breach of state aid rules. At no point did the Commission make a statement that it disagreed with privatisation, the commission's position is clear that is there is no viability for the shipyards (whether public or private ownership) the shipyards should be closed.

James Sultana

Sep 11th 2008, 23:46

WAKE UP DEAR RICHIE !!!!!!!!! ARE YOU STILL THERE ?? Or are we paying you to waste more time than what the Drydock workers are being accused of, and caused more financial losses through your "DAR MALTA" brainwave (supported by the Take-it-all-Maltese-Tycoon who said he would be ready to buy it back at that price and then got rewarded for it)!!!

So now we get to know that this plan is not in line with the EU regulations?? And so we ask "WHERE WAS OUR "PERMANENT" REPRESENTATIVE IN BRUSSELS ?? ... the same guy who was the chief "negotiator" ? What is he being paid for ?? Couldn`t and SHOULDN`T he had checked these issues ?

Or we are paying him to be there , but instead he was most of the time here in Malta pulling the strings and directing the orchestra of spin-doctors to make sure that his chosen one, Dr. Gonzi, will be re-elected again ... AND ALL THIS WHILE BEING PAID FROM PUBLIC FUNDS TO BE IN BRUSSELS ? Paid by the country to pull the strings for the party !
Oh..maybe he was trying to lease some spare-space at Dar Malta!!

Joseph R Aquilina

Sep 11th 2008, 22:37

Unacceptable? Amazing! Then let us do an Alitalia. Float "Newco" with whatever works, and leave the old company with all its debts to go bankrupt. If that does not breach EU Rules in Italy, it should not breach EU rules in Malta. Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.

Arnold Galea

Sep 11th 2008, 22:17

The EU's aim is of creating a single market (free market).

In reality there is no market in the world which is totally free, however, that is the way things are developing nowadays.

In order for a market to become "free" many barriers to trade have to be abolished, for example monopolies have to go. The single currency is there to facilitate further the opening up of the European markets.

The EU is simply applying it's policy on it's members as agreed in the treaties. Many commentators seem to miss the main point here, namely that this is an Economic issue and not just political.

The politicians have ruined everything becuase instead of basing there arguments on facts and realistic issues they simply generalise, brainwash, ridicule opponents etc etc............

The free market system to date is the best way to create wealth, however, it brings with it several disadvantages such as the problem at the Dockyard.

The name of the game for workers and businesses alike is to become as flexible as possible in order to be able to change from declining Industries to the emerging ones.

Adrian Pace

Sep 11th 2008, 22:05

Who was going to finance the retirement scheme proposed by the Governemet and where was the money coming from? Taxpayer's money obviously. Which is why our self-employed have been subjected to endless years of fiscal persecution, to pay off the Dockworkers.

And who gets a golden handshake when he/she looses their job through redundancies? Is this what the govermment promised us 'before the last election, more squandering of taxpayer'smoney? And what about the other Trade Unions...why have they been so silent about this sacrilidge. We have been promised more accountability not more suqndering of public resources. Resources which I might add are the fruit of taxation purges and fiscal investigations.

The drydocks is unsustainable, it has been flecing us dry for decades, living on subsidies because spinless legislations were unable to take a decision and now it takesan EU commissoner to tell us that this farce is unacceptable.

Strog with the weak...and weak with the strong!

Antoine Vella

Sep 11th 2008, 21:54

Heqq, there's nothing to be done now. The Dockyard will have to be closed, the end of an era.

All is not lost though' Fortunately the Govt. set up the ETC to retrain the workers and help them find useful productive jobs, for a change.

I'm sure the older ones could find jobs in the demolitions industry, some of them (the elite) have plenty of experience.

P Agius

Sep 11th 2008, 21:48

This is great news!!!! This means that the Malta Shipyards is now technically insolvent and thus can file for bankruptcy without paying all those money to the employees. At least the EU is saving some of our taxes from going down this bottomless cesspit !!!!

Chris Borg

Sep 11th 2008, 21:40

L-aqwa li ghandna l-bravi imexxuna ha ha ha....nowwww, who was it that made those famous, delicious qassatat? It seems that those who showed us qassatat on their billbaords in the last electoral campaign were just telling us how the future would look! It was an omen!!!! ha ha ha

Philip Micallef

Sep 11th 2008, 21:30

Lets just wait and see before jumping to conclusions. The anti-EU-lobby seems to be having a field day. Every cloud has a silver lining.

Charles J Buttigieg

Sep 11th 2008, 21:15

If our financial wizards had a plan to sell for say 200 Million Euro they will now try to swing it for 100 Million and the new owners will take care of the overdraft and the government may give them a letter of comfort to gain some momentum. However Big Brother in Brussels will smell a rat and would tell us to pull the other leg. I am not an EU expert but I think that finally our financial wizards will be left with no other option than to file bankruptcy. You wait.

Joe Borg

Sep 11th 2008, 21:15

I am sure the goverment already has plans how to turn the blame on the GWU and their uncompetitive members.

As a quick refresh course ministers will now be directed to peruse SeaMalta privitization handbook.

D.Galea

Sep 11th 2008, 21:09

I stand amused at those who are awed by this, not because I want to belittle anyone but because I find it ironic that so few have been doing (or better not wanting to do anything) to adapt themselves as European union citizens since our accession in 2004. Such issues are not just about Malta anymore but the European union, it's finally time to move ahead even if we had to do so on our knees! If you didn't see this coming well tough luck, I'm sorry. Remember, the issue pro or against E.U. was declared over on the result of the election which sealed the referendum which approved it...There is no going back! Personally I couldn't care less about being pro or against E.U, I feel free to criticize or praise it because I have freedom of speech but in the end I'm an E.U/Maltese citizen...patriotism is not the point, it's about learning to be a Maltese citizen in the "new" (about time!) E.U paradrigm, maybe at last it will start sinking in!

Paul Barrett

Sep 11th 2008, 21:04

What we do not get from this article is what part of the privatisation is breaking which EU rule - all of it?
Did not hear any screams from the EU regarding Northern Rock being supported by the British Government.

Rita Spiteri

Sep 11th 2008, 20:55

so what if the workers are laid off, they can always get another job I heard there are plenty of jobs going round

Charles J Buttigieg

Sep 11th 2008, 20:44

@ John Azzopardi
You wrote “Very interesting! So most bloggers are still happy to dig even deeper in their pockets to bail out the MDD! Most people can't see past their noses. I totally agree that government should not use taxpayer’s money to write off the debts. Taxpayers have pumped enough millions into the MDD. Pointless throwing good money after bad.” John since you think that you can see past your nose perhaps you may tell us who in your opinion should offset the huge overdraft. I’d like to be there to see the expression on your face when you realise that whichever way it goes the money will always come out from our taxes.

L Galea

Sep 11th 2008, 20:41

Now that everyone is realizing what the EU means let's get together and reclaim our independence and freedom from the EU dictatorship.

charles zammit

Sep 11th 2008, 20:36

how about the gwu and their allies pay for the involved sum. After all they have been millions after millions of maltese liri (not euro), year after year -- and they never managed to produce -- not under --not under Sant -- not under Mifsud Bonnici -- not under Mintoff etc.etc. etc.
I Think all Government did their best, but after all these years has this enterprise improved????

Gerard Cassar

Sep 11th 2008, 20:32

On the 21 September we will celebrate to remember that Dr. G. Borg Olivier fought tooth and nail to gain independence for Malta.
DR.E.Fenech Adami who supplanted him fought tooth and nail to hand Malta Independence to Brussels and sent its minion to oversee it.
We are again under the rule of another sort of colonial regime with civil servants red or blue pencil in hand approving or striking out this or that Malta Government plan.
Dr. Paris P.N. Minister of education was right when he said that for the P.N. Independence for Malta is an utopia.
The P.N. Government did know what it was/is doing. It knows the rules of the E.U. It knew everything but kept it under wrap.
The privatisation of the D'Yard will not take place.
Only closure was in P.N. Government mind. How to arrive at it was planned in advance.
So don't blame the E.U. Blame the P.N. Government who tricked the people. Those blogs writers saying that the D'Yard must be closed and still insisting were and are the tools of the P.N. policies.

Zerafa J

Sep 11th 2008, 20:20

INDIPENDENT? FREE? What's that? Oh yes we were before 1st may 2004. Now we have to obey our new modern colony ie: EU. Our goverment managed to brain wash a sufficient number of voters that the EU is a high quality union, and that Malta cannot survive on its own. Now everbody is finding out that our goverment is not even able to follow the EU regulation that he agreed about. This time it is Malta shipyards. A few weeks ago public transport, hunters and in the next few days IT COULD BE YOU that you suffer from the EU.
The GWU is asking for a fair public investigation why the 100 euro has arisen in the yard. Unfortunetly the goverment is afraid to do so, as he knows that he will be found GUILTY for these losses.

A Daley

Sep 11th 2008, 20:18

Oh dear!

Oh dear!

Another bodged job by Gonzi par idejn sodi!

What did PN sign for?

The chickens are coming home to roost!

Lies and deceit!

Iz-zejt tiela f'wicc l-ilma!

Sandro Pace

Sep 11th 2008, 20:15

So if I understood correctly, whoever is interested to buy the Dockyard must also buy the debt, or repay the debt to the government. This will discourage buyers, and is detrimental to the workers. Writing off such a debt is no joke, but it is not the worse option neither if a viable lasting privatisation is found.

If the workers are laid off, we will still have to pay for them, in other forms. The State cannot let any unemployed Maltese person and his family starve. Would it not be better some debt written off, but the workers productive under private ownership?

The EU has never been practical in anything, but only good at imposing deadlines. Perhaps our 'only-good-for-business-breakfasts' leaders should show some non-smiling teeth and make deadlines to the EU where our national interest is at stake.

Thats what we are going to get when those taking decisions are not those effected by them.
The EU commission and the Maltese common good so far are not in sync.

Clint E Taliana

Sep 11th 2008, 20:05

At least someone is thinking about the honest tax payer.... HAD enough of paying out the country's infefficiency.

Dr Tonio Fenech don;t come with the scary tactic and saying that noone will want to buy Shipyards out.... put your mouth where your money is get a DECENT business plan.

s.bugeja

Sep 11th 2008, 20:00

Does this mean it's back to the drawing board? incredible!!!!!!

Mark Fleri

Sep 11th 2008, 19:45

Malta you gained your independence on September 21st 1964 and you lost what you fought so hard for to get on the 1st of May 2004 when you joined the EU. You are no longer Maltese you are Europeans, get used to it. EU controls our government, Gonzi is a goldfish in the ocean.

Patrick FArrugia

Sep 11th 2008, 19:13

"Il- Hmar tieghi u nirkeb wara".

Good. So what the country internally decides to do isn't acceptable in the Big Daddy EU's agendas. How come shielding us from thousands of illegal immigrants entering our country is? How come those who made Big Daddy EU their God didn' t forsee this? Or maybe it was intentionally planned so then no one can blame them?

Moses Mula

Sep 11th 2008, 19:12

Most of you should really take a course in how the E.U. works and what it involves to be a member, that you have to abide by the rules that all the other members, including the big guys like Germany and France, rules which are there to ensure that the E.U. will be safeguarded. Some of you did not realise yet that we are the E.U. And one more thing, it is tahanks to all the susidies that are paid to Malta by the richer countries, like Sweden where I live, that you do not pay higher taxes.

P.Scicluna

Sep 11th 2008, 19:06

So.........are we saying that the Gov. did not know the rules of the game before he started working on privatisation and before he negotiateded with the GWU ? Where are our experts in Brussels, MEP's, Goverment consultants? This is very humilated for the PM and his Goverment. I cannot understand that nobody checked with this EU Commissioner if we were on the right track for privitasation. Tad Dahq......................... A village band club is run more up to standard.

John Azzopardi

Sep 11th 2008, 19:02

Very interesting! So most bloggers are still happy to dig even deeper in their pockets to bail out the MDD! Most people can't see past their noses. I totally agree that government should not use taxpayers money to write off the debts. Taxpayers have pumped enough millions into the MDD. Pointless throwing good money after bad.

D Vella

Sep 11th 2008, 18:59

I am continually surprised at the sort of question that people like Mr Magro and Mr Gauchi C ask. I would have thought that before voting for membership in the EU they would have informed themselves of the disadvantages as well as the advantages. Where you not told? did you ask? or did you all vote blindly?

A. Attard

Sep 11th 2008, 18:58

Prosit Dr. Gonzi, you are so european that you dont know the EU rules?? Make way for Dr. Muscat - he knows better!

Joanne Micallef

Sep 11th 2008, 18:41

So now you know why it is a farce to celebrate Independence Day in this country. Please note that onve the Lisbon Treaty comes into force our Goverment will have no say in much more crucial affairs. why do you think the Irish voted NO in their referendum?? Why do you think the EU lobbied so hard for all the member states to ratify the treaty without a referendum?

Gregory Ellul

Sep 11th 2008, 18:18

If I'm not mistaken what was stated today by the commissioner was already stated by Alternattiva Demokratika some weeks ago. The difference was that at that time Minister Fenech instead of trying to understand the issues concerned came out attacking AD (as usual) and blaming it for any future failures to the plans. Now Dear Minister Fenech should just apologise for trying to deceive the Maltese public and admit he treated maltese like fools. Did he really expect the EU to turn a blind eye just because it's Malta. And all that is happening is just the start of the opening of the EU pandora box. I swear before the end of this legislature the PN would be publicly denouncing the EU!!!!!

Give us more EU. I simply adore you!!

M Bruno

Sep 11th 2008, 18:10

i think that the maltese goverment will be very happy to pass all dues to eu comm. she will pay it instead..whos next!

jimmy magro

Sep 11th 2008, 18:08

How come all government plans have to be approved by some eu commissioner. Does this mean that Malta has lost its sovreignty? It seems that besides having our national Government, we have a super Government with veto powers over whatever is decided on the Island. What will happen next if the defecit exceeds the euro-zone criteria?

It is wise to reflect on these issues and to understand that EU membership requires a complete new set of rules of engagement. It is a pity that our great civil service continues to lack the required vision to face the challenges of a difficult and modern world. Malta not only requires a pair of good hands but it also requires that everyone is roped in to make Malta competitive. As things stands now, there are many able persons that are left aside because most executive posts are hand picked - mostly double barrel surnamed - that have served the party in government.

martin saliba

Sep 11th 2008, 17:53

@ I M Dingli.
You can be sure that the Gov. knows what its doing. Get the " populin " to think that Gov. sat down and made an agreement with the union and then put the blame on EU if the plan is not accepted when they allready know that is is unacceptable. And whose fault is that? Its the fault of all of you who voted to join the EU. I'm glad to say that i had nothing to do with that desicion. Good isn;t it. You own a property and are told what to do with it by someone else.

J Zammit

Sep 11th 2008, 17:36

Good point, Mr Dingli!

I've never understood how Alitalia has managed to receive so much subsidy for so long anyway, especially since Italy is not a newcomer to the EU like us. I''ve read that this airline loses 2 or 3 million euros a day!

Due pesi e due misure?

Albert Gauci Cunningham

Sep 11th 2008, 17:26

So this commissioner is expecting the state (ie the government) with the backing of the Union to sell this enterprise with 100 million Euros debt?? And who, may I ask, is going to be this idiot?? The other option is to Liquidate the MDD and declare it bankrupt but as everyone and his brother knows this will be the worst case scenario for the workers who will be given absolutely no guarantees of work and apart from that the New company will not be bound to re-enter into the Shipbuilding business.............and we thought we could say amen to the Shipyard Saga!!

Alfred Grima

Sep 11th 2008, 17:21

Big Daddy (the E.U off course) did not give his go ahead. Thanks to all those who saw only till their noise.

mario borg

Sep 11th 2008, 17:11

things are getting interesting!...may be the gov should have consulted with Simon Busuttil (ex. head of MIC and now MEP) first...he always sounded like an expert in such things....

Stephen Forster

Sep 11th 2008, 17:08

"fliemkien kollox possibli" anyone?

Just let them go with NOTHING....and sell the land to developers. They milked the Maltese for long enough!

joe borg

Sep 11th 2008, 17:00

kemm qeghdin sew!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gareth Buttigieg

Sep 11th 2008, 16:58

How much money was pumped to waste on this blessed drydocks. from one point I have to agree that writing off 100 million of hard earned tax payers money is unacceptable. On the other hand there is the lively hood of a few hundred families at stake. I think that we as a collective malta government opposition and union people should be ashamed of themselves that not enough was done to solve this throughout these decades of financial losses playing political football with the whole issue while johnny tax payer always gets it.

Franco Sciberras

Sep 11th 2008, 16:56

Well said !!

Jeremy J Camilleri

Sep 11th 2008, 16:51

The main question arises...what are our EU experts doing?

Do they have no idea how the EU works?

The hunting saga, the license saga, now this?

L Galea

Sep 11th 2008, 16:35

And one wonders why EU unelected leaders are called dictators!

Does anyone have any doubt that we have again become a colony of the EU foreigners when we are ordered around by its unelected dictators?

Dictator Neelie, why don't you stop poking your nose and meddling in our internal affairs?

I. M. Dingli

Sep 11th 2008, 16:28

Very encouraging!! Now that both the GWU and Government have agreed upon a privatization plan, it seems we will not get the go-ahead from the EU. I hope Ms Kroes will look into the Alitalia saga too while she’s at it.