Playmobil yesterday described 2012 as one of its most successful business years in Malta and announced a further €15 million investment in machinery and upgrading of facilities this year.
The new CEO, Mattias Fauser, repeated claims made by Playmobil two years ago about the high cost of energy and said Malta was among the most expensive in the world
But the company’s new CEO Mattias Fauser hit out at the high energy costs the company was paying and expressed the hope that the Government would address this problem.
During a tour by the Prime Minister of the company’s facilities in Ħal Far, specifically built to the company’s needs by Malta Enterprise, Mr Fauser said the company in Malta was moving from strength to strength. So much so it had decided to increase its investment by a further €4 million to €15 million. He said the company wanted to continue to expand its business on the island.
At the same time Mr Fauser repeated claims made by Playmobil two years ago about the high cost of energy and said Malta was among the most expensive in the world.
The company, which is the main manufacturing plant of the German multinational, has increased its employees by 180 in the past four years with a workforce now reaching 1,000. The company exports almost all its products manufactured in Malta around the world.
Dr Gonzi said Playmobil was a success story and the Government intended to continue helping the manufacturing industry on the island to grow through various incentives including those related to the cost of energy.
He said through the opening of the Malta College for Arts, Science and Technology, coupled with new courses at University, the local industry could find the best possible human resources.
On energy costs, Dr Gonzi said the Government had been addressing the problem through various tailor-made incentives, including those related to investments by the same industries in alternative energy sources.
Dr Gonzi said Malta had been facing an increase in the cost of energy production as a direct result of international prices and the Government would be doing its utmost to continue investing in this sector to make the island more competitive.