Chamber of Commerce president David Curmi. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

Chamber of Commerce president David Curmi has expressed his “deep concern” about what his organisation perceives to be the creation of an un-even playing field arising from abuse of import regulations by Sicilian entrepreneurs.

Mr Curmi voiced his fears when he led a delegation to yesterday’s sitting of the Parliamentary Committee for Economic and Financial Affairs, which discussed the abuse of free movement of goods. He said the chamber had no wish for any protectionist initiatives.

In a presentation to the committee members, the chamber said while there was the perception that the market was an even playing field and self-regulating, the reality was there were operators who were suffering from unfair competition such as non-payment of duty and no after-sales service.

These problems, particularly noticeable but not restricted to the furniture industry, were resulting in inferior service to the Maltese customer.

The chamber lamented the lack of fair and effective market surveillance particularly since abuses centred mainly around the issue of fiscal evasion creating an unfair playing field, particularly from Sicily.

The chamber proposed a critical analysis of importation laws and procedures with the aim of weeding out the superfluous and retaining and enforcing a credible corps of regulation.

It also suggested the setting up of a market surveillance authority to provide a multi-departmental approach to information gathering and dissemination.

Mr Curmi said that counter forays into the Sicilian market did not work and the Maltese entrepreneur was at a net disadvantage. In the restaurant sector, while the number of establishments had increased, sales decreased and operators in the field said that it was more viable to open warehouses in Sicily.

He alleged that wine was a particular problem with illicit imports coming in every week.

Tonio Fenech (PN) said the issue of wine needed to be studied more deeply since the matter might need a structural solution rather than an enforcement or fiscal remedy. Former minister Karmenu Vella said the problem was that Malta had no product which would be cheaper for the Sicilians if bought in Malta. He said the rules needed to be enforced.

Joe Bugeja, for the chamber, said the main problem was that what came off the catamaran from Sicily was not adequately inspected and submitted tocustoms intelligence.

He said that in a time and motion study carried out by the chamber, any cargo vessel leaving the catamaran was off the boat and on the road in six minutes.

Carmelo Abela (PL) said that while the laws appeared to be in place the issue seemed to be one of enforcement and the exemption of the catamaran from the regulations since it is a high-speed craft.

He proposed that the relevant departments should be invited to the committee to give their views on the workings, shortcomings and proposals for better operations.

Committee chairman Silvio Schembri said members would be requiring experts to study the issue in consultation with the departments concerned and propose a way forward.