The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association is working with authorities to create a ‘one stop shop’ to address minor permit issues for restaurant owners.
Speaking to The Sunday Times of Malta, after the newspaper exposed several illegal farmhouse restaurants still in business despite enforcement notices by the planning authority, MHRA catering spokesman Matthew Pace said it is important to look at the nature of the illegalities.
“Is the restaurant illegal because the process is difficult or because the owner is just being a cowboy?”
He admitted illegal restaurants are creating an unlevel playing field because they were not subject to the same standards as licensed establishments. But he said these are mostly restricted to countryside establishments. Still, these illegal catering establishments do not pay tax and were not subjected to the same health and safety regulations as licensed caterers, he said.
Why should we stop commerce because the layout permitted at the moment is insufficient?
Yet, he acknowledged there is a demand for these establishments that cannot be ignored and maintained it is important to question why the restaurant is illegal.
Efforts to minimise the administrative burdens placed on small and medium-sized enterprises would go a long way to minimising these problems, according to Mr Pace.
He cited the example of restaurants requiring permits for tables and chairs outdoors, saying the owner would need to apply for permits with four different authorities that sometimes have conflicting requirements.
A restaurant owner has to get the go-ahead from the Malta Tourism Authority, the Land Department, the planning authority and Transport Malta to lay out tables and chairs outside a restaurant.
For this reason, the MHRA has started discussions with authorities on the establishment of a ‘one stop shop’ where restaurants can acquire permits from one entity.
The idea is that this would first be applied to permits that can be fast-tracked, such as outdoor tables and chairs, with the possibility of being extended to other matters if the idea works. Canopies, for example, are another contentious issue for restaurant owners, Mr Pace said. At present, restaurant owners are only permitted to use umbrellas and chairs that can be stacked away at night.
“Why should we stop commerce because the layout permitted at the moment is insufficient? We have staff employed and we need to make the most out of each day. Do we send them home because the weather suddenly changed, when a canopy can address the problem?” Mr Pace said.
The point MHRA is making is that the solution is to streamline the process, to set standards and simplify procedures.
The association has already raised the issue with authorities and said discussions are ongoing based on the good relationship established with the MTA and relevant ministries.