10 years ago - The Times
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Social partners issue warnings on proposed utility price hikes
Industry is reeling from the proposed energy tariffs, and social partners warned that hotels and businesses will be crushed, leading to significant job losses and a shock to the economy. After a day of silence following the government’s announcement, the reactions from the social partners poured in yesterday, all accusing the government of its failure to discuss the proposals.
The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) warned that hotels will have to shut down, leading to significant job losses. It is convinced the proposed measures will increase operational costs threefold. Its council will call an extraordinary general meeting on Tuesday to discuss the stand it will be taking. The MHRA felt the upward pressure on costs, at a time when the industry was bracing itself for a potential drop in demand due to the international economic crises, was going to lead to “very serious problems”.
The Federation of Industry’s warnings were just as dire and it predicted “a sudden economic shock”, which will directly affect investment expansion decisions and business confidence levels in the economy. “The proposed tariffs will threaten thousands of jobs; there will be an increase in inflation rates and a slowdown in the economy’s growth,” FOI deputy president Helga Ellul warned.
25 years ago - The Times
Monday, October 4, 1993
Gozitan hunters stage protest march
Gozitan hunters and trappers yesterday expressed outrage at new hunting regulations the government plans to introduce and called on the Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment to withdraw them.
The hunters were taking part in a protest march from St Augustine’s Square in Victoria chanting slogans along the way. One slogan was il-voti ma toħduhomx (you will not get the votes). Some of the regulations are understood to have been leaked out.
Speaking to the hunters after the march, the treasurer of the central committee of the Association for Hunters, Trappers and Conservationists, Lino Farrugia, said a motion on hunting in Malta, due to be debated in the European Parliament, was withdrawn as exaggerated figures about the number of birds caught in Malta had to be checked. Mr Farrugia said the government should also suspend the planned new regulations until the figures were checked. The association was not against the Bern Convention but it had its reservations about it.
A representative of the Gozo district committee, Teddy Busuttil, said that if natural reserves were set up in Gozo, they could say goodbye to their hobby. Mr Busuttil said 60 per cent of the Gozitan population were hunters.
Half a century ago - Times of Malta
Friday, October 4, 1968
Effort to rebuilding the Malta Drydocks’ image
Mr J.M. Calleja, sales and commercial manager, and Mr J. Farrugia, publicity officer of the Malta Drydocks Corporation, left yesterday for Berlin and Scandinavia. They will first go to Berlin to visit the Malta stand at the sixth import exhibition ‘Partners for Progress’. Both will also be visiting Norway, Sweden and Denmark to call on a substantial number of shipowners and industrialists with whom Malta Drydocks are in contact on a number of industrial and new building projects. Mr Calleja said the corporation was doing everything possible to rebuild the image of Malta Drydocks and “to obtain as much work as we can handle”.
Minister of Labour back from his ‘longest trip’
Dr V. Tabone, Minister of Labour, Employment and Welfare, returned from what he described “as the longest trip I’ve ever made since becoming Minister”. Dr Tabone left Malta on September 1, accompanied by Mr Joseph Rossignaud, secretary at the ministry, and Mr J. Vella Bonnici, director of Social Services, and visited the US, Canada and London.