New minister highlights government's manufacturing policy
Government manufacturing policy is for investment in high value-added products while ensuring existing manufacturing jobs remained secure, Industry Minister Chris Cardona said this morning.
Speaking during a tour of Toly Manufacturing in Bulebel, his first assignment as minister, Dr Cardona said the Government was committed to this "delicate balancing act" between modern and more traditional forms of manufacturing, increasing the number of jobs in the sector.
His visit to Toly was welcomed by company director and deputy CEO William Wait, who felt it was a "very strong message that manufacturing will be a priority under this Government" and assured Dr Cardona of the manufacturing sector's full cooperation. Mr Wait is also deputy president of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry.
Over 20,000 people work in manufacturing, and the sector contributes 13 per cent of Malta's GDP.
After his visit to Toly, the minister also paid visits to Playmobil and Farsons. He said he would try to visit every factory in Malta, regardless of its size, over the next months.
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36 Comments
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Frank Borg
Mar 14th, 19:36
Proset Dr.Cardona, ejja ha ntuhom risposta kif ghandu jigi mmexxi Ministeru!
Mr charles azzopardi
Mar 14th, 15:47
Welcome Dr Cardona ,
in 2008 Dr Gozi agreed to to reduce our wages .. and we are still suffering .. Any idea when we can start our Futur fis-Sod ?
Joe Cassar
Mar 14th, 15:04
Prosit Ministru, l-akbar fabriki li hawn Malta ghadhom hawn bis-sahha tal-politika ta' GonzoPN li tant gie ikkritikat mill-PL matul l-ahhr snin, nispera li din il-politika tkompli halli dawn il-fabriki jithalleh jahdmu fil-kwiet.
Frank Borg
Mar 14th, 19:25
Toly Products ilha minn zmien il-labour tal- 80's topera hawn Malta, tghid ma gabiex Gonzi! Gonzi gab imma kontijiet tad-dawl mghola s-sema!
Victor Pulis
Mar 14th, 14:18
I don't know if this sector falls under his remit but I woud like to bring to the attention of the new minister the deplorable state of ta' Qali's craft village. it is supposed to be a showcase of maltese craftsmanship and has been crying out for refurbishment for years. perhaps under this administration it will get the attention it deserves as one of malta's main tourist attractions.
Toni Cardona
Mar 14th, 14:06
Since 1971, when Toly Products started operating in Malta, as far as I know, all governments have helped in making Toly what it is today.
To all the administrations who spent our money wisely, I say Thank You.
http://www.toly.com/historical-timeline?l=1
Alfred Farrugia
Mar 14th, 13:55
This is a good start for the new Hon. Minister. He may wish to check whether the amalgamation of METCO and MDC into Malta Enterprise has produced the desirable results. A one stop shop may be good in theory, but in practice … ?
Is he certain that export promotion is given the necessary attention? What is the role of our embassies in this sector?
Paul Haul
Mar 14th, 13:04
The need is for new ventures in Malta that will also add value. The inward investments such as the €100+Million to be invested in the waste to biofuels project will reduce our Diesel and gasoline prices to €1-00 per litre, create 140 jobs, and avoid the €400 Million incinerator that the MRRA had proposed. This is the sort of work we now need to hear as it would reduce our borrowings.
cesco di luigi
Mar 14th, 19:01
Fantastic Mr Haul. Please ensure your message gets to the right people as soon as possible>
joseph hili
Mar 14th, 13:04
While I congratulate the newly appointed Minister , I hope that he will be aware that many so called manufacturers are importing goods from abroad and maybe also storing boats in winter .The Minister must make sure that if a building is rented for manufacturing IT WOULD ONLY BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE
Paul Meilak
Mar 14th, 12:49
Tajjeb illi wiehed ikun jaf illi l-akbar powerstation tal-gas fil-Germanja se taghlaq minhabba telf.. peress li energija tal-gas ma ghadhiex vijabbli. Jista jghidilna xi haga dwar dan il-Gvern ?
vincent Lia
Mar 14th, 15:22
Daqxejn tard issa li tistaqsi, jien qatt ma emmint li Power station bil gas naturali impurtat bhala LNG hu vajabli. Il gass hu ferm aktar gholi, regasification plant mhux viabli ghal quantita li nehtiegu u perikoluza immense go Marsaxlokk. Japan qed jixtri hafna gas ghax qed jaghlaq nuclear stations, gas naturali fl ewropa qed jonqos tant li jkollhom jixtru min pajjizi fil Pacific Ocean.
Nazzareno Cortis
Mar 14th, 16:01
@ Paul Mejlak
L-ewwel haga li ghedt int m'ghandu x'jaqsam xejn ma dan il ministeru!
It-tieni--stenna ftit---hu pacenzja---stenna sentejn ohra---jorhsu l-kontijiet tad-dawl u l-ilma ---u wara naraw jekk ghadekx ta l-istess fehema!!!
Pacenzja siehbi---ix-xoghol kbir li ghandu quddiemu dan il-gvern ghadu jibda!
Niggudikaw wara--mhux hekk habib??
Wally Vella-Zarb
Mar 14th, 16:29
Tajjeb ukoll li wiehed ikun jaf li fil-Germanja sejrin lura ghal power stations li jahdmu bil-faham ghax hu orhos mill-gass naturali. Ma jimpurthomx li mhux nadif u li jhammeg l'ambjent. Trid li naghmlu bhalhom Sur Meilak?
Tarcisio Bonello
Mar 14th, 12:40
Hon Minister... What is being done regarding the Actavis R&D closure situation please ?
Frank Borg
Mar 14th, 19:40
Tih cans lanqas ilu 24 siegha fil-kariga!
Ethelbert Schembri
Mar 14th, 12:24
This is the first thing a Minister must do, visiting all those involved in the industry to hear from them ALL and come up with the way forward according to the electoral program. That way the minister will understand the need of the sector and keep an open dialoge with everyone involved.
Well done Dr Cardona and wish you all the best!!
D. A . Agius
Mar 14th, 12:12
One needs really to take a hard look at what comes out of these visits. Visiting MPs don't help production, incentives, bureaucratic reductions, helping out where needed to improve business will.
These media stunts are little less than useless rhetoric unless they start dishing out freebies on their tours.
Franco Attard Trevisan
Mar 14th, 13:09
I would have agreed with you in the past, however, since this minister is "new" I think it's good for him to understand first hand what industry is all about... Obviously this is a small part of the learning curve.
Paul Meilak
Mar 14th, 11:28
Il-frott ta' Gvern Nazzjonalista.... ghogbok sur ministru ?
Saviour Aquilina
Mar 14th, 12:26
Jiddandam bir rix hadihor
carmen briffa
Mar 14th, 12:35
Sur meilak , in nazjonalisti forsi u namel emphasi forsi gabu jobs malta imma lil tal qalba ta ax minn ma kienx tal qalba taghhom tefghana il barra . kompli sejjer hekk ta , ahseb b'mod nazjonalist - mod fallut . ifhem sakemm inti mintix tal qalba ghalekk forsi qed titkellem hekk ax dejjem tawk
Paul Debono
Mar 14th, 13:02
Still in pain Mr. Meilak. Jekk jogboghok il frott li kiber taht il gvern nazjonalista, ghandi sigra mimlijja bil-lumi.
Jekk ghandek bzonn xi nofs tuzzana, thabbilx rasek ghidli u ntik.
Mr Alexander Azzopardi
Mar 14th, 13:14
nimagina li sab frott skadut u mnawar li wasal biex jintrema, biss LE ser jahdem biex anke is sigra tkun tajba u l frott ikun tajjeb u frisk!
Ethelbert Schembri
Mar 14th, 13:19
Il-frott ta' Gvern Nazzjonalista????? ... All manufacturing companies not only had to endure the international economic crisis but had to endure with great difficulty a Govt that was betting against them !!
Emanuela Moke
Mar 14th, 13:43
Dejjem ingergru jew naraw x ser nghidu negattiv. Kun dejjem pozittiv u zommha f mohhok!
Paul Micallef
Mar 14th, 13:45
Il- 'frott' li 'Aust' ghamel imhatra li mhux ha jibqa iktar fabbriki tal- manifattura iktar f' Malta. Hallina meilak u mur orqod!
Lawrence Attard
Mar 14th, 13:48
sur Meilaq it Toly bdiet Malta fiz zmien gvern Laburista, x'ghandu x'jaqsam GonziPN? @DA Agius dawn iz-zjarat issehu biex il-politikant jara u jisma u jesperjenza "first hand", dan jghinuh meta jkun qed ifassal il policy armat b'data li jigbor il gvern. Jekk mintiex prattiku ta kif isiru l affarijiet tizzattatx biex tharbex xi haga.
Noel ellul
Mar 14th, 14:05
Int biss serjita taf li toly ila miftuha mill 80
Victor Pulis
Mar 14th, 14:28
Sur meilak Jien mhinix Laburist imma ejja nirragunaw. Kull gvern gdid jiret kemm it tajjeb li hemm hafna u kemm il hazin li hemm hafna wkoll tal gvern ta'qablu.Issa sta ghall gvern il gdid li jnehhi l-hazin u jibni fuq it tajjeb. B'kummenti bhal tieghek mhintix taghmel gid lill partit nazzjonalista li issa jrid joqghod bilqeghda u janalizza t-telfa biex jerga jinbena ghall gid tal pajjiz.
Victor Pulis
Mar 14th, 14:35
U l-inkejja u tghajjir tal aburisti lis Sur meilaq mhumix jaghmlu gid lill partit laburista li rnexxilu jibni Joseph Muscat.Ity Toly fethet taht gvern laburista(Malta Rubber jekk niftakar sew) imma kompliet topera taht gvern nazzjonalista bhall Playmobil. kull gvern ta sehmu ghal malta.
A.M. Galea
Mar 14th, 14:37
Skuzi,It-Toly hija waħda mill-fabriki li giet fi zmien gvern Laburista fis-snin 70.
C BONDIN
Mar 14th, 15:01
Mr Victor Pulis you are a true gentle man mate. Very well done. Jahasra kieku kulhadd jitkellem bhalek inkunu hafna ahjar go dal pajjiz. Qisna qed nitkellmu fuq xi partita football, ghax taghna ghamlu hekk u taghhom ghamlu hekk. Pfff hekk qed taghmlu aktar hsara jahasra .
Frank Borg
Mar 14th, 19:33
@Paul Meilak u Saviour Aquilina: qabel tifthu halkhom biex taqaw ghan nej u l misjur, kunu ghafu li t-toly Products ilha mwaqqfa minn zmien MINTOFF u mhux frott Gonzi ta! Imma ma nlumkhomx, ghadkhom ma fejtux f'sensikhom wara t-tkaxkira kbira umiljanti ta'nhar is-Sibt!
Frank Borg
Mar 14th, 19:33
@Paul Meilak u Saviour Aquilina: qabel tifthu halkhom biex taqaw ghan nej u l misjur, kunu ghafu li t-toly Products ilha mwaqqfa minn zmien MINTOFF u mhux frott Gonzi ta! Imma ma nlumkhomx, ghadkhom ma fejtux f'sensikhom wara t-tkaxkira kbira umiljanti ta'nhar is-Sibt!
Denis Pace
Mar 14th, 20:55
well said.
Now we expect a living wage!
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