Shares in Australian firm rise after AFM contract

Ray Cremona

Feb 22nd 2009, 13:00

Boats for Search and Rescue. My suggesstion is for the AFM to see whether it is more economical from resources point of view to have two more helicopetrs or planes. They would cover more areas faster and they need less personnel.

A. Mizzi

Feb 21st 2009, 07:50

I blame it on the management not the workers if a project falls behind, overruns included.

Same goes when Mater Dejn was built, Manwel Dimech Bridge, and the Gozo Terminal which has turned out to be another saga without end, like practically all big projects under Nationalist Administration. By Management I mean the administration who should be hands on or at least have FIRM HANDS .....and of course ACCOUNTABILITY and TRANSPARENCY.

B Agius

Feb 21st 2009, 01:20

I am sure a Maltese Shipbuilding company is capable of building such vessels. BUT noit the ones that exist in Malta now - with their antiquated management structures and skills. Yes Maltese are very capable but they also have to remain competitive and change and improve to remain in business. Austal ships did such restructuring years ago - they are now reaping the benefits. Malta cannot change its old elephants (Malta Shipyards) into leopards (a lean and mean organisation capable technologically and finacially to compete into todays world). The elephant has to die and a new enterprise built. Malta can and should do that.

L..Galea

Feb 20th 2009, 23:15

E.Magri
Workers work.
Management concludes contracts.
As for work, the Maltese workers are the best in the world as confirmed by all those who ordered or had their ships constructed or repaired in Malta.

Chris Park
The Russian ships fiasco was because of the dissolution of the USSR and not on anything due to the Maltese workers or the shipyards. This is apart from the continuously changing design required by the Russians. As for the patrol boats being used to ferry illegal immigrats, experience has shown that that is what they are being used for. Only this time they will afford a more comfortable journey for the illegal immigrats. Comfort for our soldiers yes. For the illegal immigrats no.

And as for the shipyards being privatized, it is simply to obey the diktat by the eu petty dictators because they could have been given much more work by EFApn and Gonezipn including these and other patrol boats and the building of the breakwater bridge, but then they would have been in a sound financial position and the eu would not have had an excuse for privatization.

laurence schembri

Feb 20th 2009, 19:52

Mater Dei hospital was built by a foreign firm at 300% over the initial price.

M Aquilina

Feb 20th 2009, 16:12

@ Magri...
I'm sure that we cannot blame the dock workers for Gozo Channel Ferries costing Lm60m more, they don't deal the contract. You better ask it to the management..... But we cannot complain that the job was not satisfactory.... and i'm sure that there was no need for foreigners to get the contracts.......

E.Magri

Feb 20th 2009, 12:47

@ M Aquilina
When Malta shipbuilding was awarded the Gozo Channel ships contract their bid was about LM6 million more then what it would have cost had the contract been awarded to foreigners.
Like you, I am sure that Maltese workers are capable to build these craft but at what cost and quality?

michael agius

Feb 20th 2009, 12:39

I just can't fathom the Malese governments audacity to award such a contract primarily funded by EU funds awarded to an Austtralian or any other non EU State.

JG Farrugia

Feb 20th 2009, 12:28

You're all missing the bigger picture. Here we are discussing an Australian firm, whose shares allegedly got a boost from a Maltese contract, or who would have been better in doing such a job. What we are in fact missing here, is the reason why this contract was signed in the first place, and what repercussions an additional four patrol boats may have on the influx of illegal immigrants on our golden grounds. No one has come up with a decent argument to back up this irresponsible agreement the governement approved. In this period of economic turmoil, here we are spending millions on something that will eventually create more and more expenses - might as well bridge the gap between Africa in Malta.

Well done government!

Peter Aquilina

Feb 20th 2009, 12:23

Were not the Malta-Gozo ferries built by Maltese shipbuilders ???
Even though that the building duration was perhaps longer than it would have taken in another country, I state that we do have excellent craftsmen at our docks and that they could still do excellent work !

Chris Park

Feb 20th 2009, 12:09

Many armchair critics here on this blog are quick to think and assume that the Malta Drydocks could easily build such vessels, not forgetting its capable Yachtyard at Manuel Island. Somebody aptly had to remind us of the russian bulk-carriers' fiasco, coupled with other skipped deadlines or trade-union strife.
What many are unappreciative of are the years of research and development with the technical expertise that goes into such projects' designs, when and where sales of such defense products rely on fielded experience of past customers, feedback from customers through after sales service, and so on.
Just purchasing proven designs to build them in Malta is expensive, when cosnidering the local yards are unable to back their work up with any of the above business operations (whilst on the verge of being privatised by the way!)
In a world when and where all security, boder-control and military operations rely on the leaner-and-meaner doctrines in their modus operandi, the age of the thick-hulled battleship and big guns is of a by-gone age.
For bloggers to hastily assume that these new vessels with help 'convey' migrants to Malta is wrong, as it shrugs the search-and-rescue facet and inshore security/broder-control/counter-contraband ops' side.

Charles Muscat

Feb 20th 2009, 10:51

Well done beautiful Malta you picked the right choice. Australia is a country to rely on.

julian falzon

Feb 20th 2009, 09:54

Yes I am sure that if we had built them here in Malta they would have been ready by 2025. Oh YES and we could have made them making a loss of at least 10 million. Oh sweet memories of a bygone era...

M Aquilina

Feb 20th 2009, 09:38

I'm sure maltese workers at the Malta Shipyard were capable of doing such job... but we always want foreigners works...

Anthony A. Mifsud

Feb 20th 2009, 09:37

Brilliant staff, nice to hear that the shares are climbing, my mind bugs me up at times
Why we shut down our plants ? so we give others the Gold Value?

Please explain. Toni

P Xuereb

Feb 20th 2009, 09:25

I would have loved to see the comments here had the PL suggested the company to the AFM.

leonardo vince

Feb 20th 2009, 08:56

Yes, after AFM contract,. but not because of it. Shares move for many reasons.