10 years ago - The Times

Monday, November 17, 2008

PM ready to meet unions

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has voiced his willingness to meet trade union representatives to discuss the water and electricity rates as long as talks revolve around giving incentives to energy savers. “I want to listen to their suggestions for tariffs which incentivise those who are careful not to waste,” he said yesterday morning.

Contacted shortly after Dr Gonzi’s address at the PN club in Sliema, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech would not confirm whether the government is preparing any revision to the tariff plan announced in the past weeks and repeated the Prime Minister’s pledge to listen to the union’s proposals.

However, when pressed he said that while there is room for tweaking and reassessing how certain categories can be helped further, the government is not planning to “overhaul” the system as set out. When the tariffs package was announced by the Finance Minister and Investments Minister Austin Gatt on October 29, the latter stressed that the package was final. However, following increased pressure from the social partners and last Friday’s protest when 20 trade unions put up a common front for the first time, the government made known it was ready to consider adjustments. The unions have demanded that the government return to the negotiation table.

25 years ago - The Times

Wednesday, November 17, 1993

Mid-Med Bank inquiry: Three executives suspended

Three management staff of Mid-Med Bank have been suspended following the tabling in the House of Representatives of a board of inquiry report into irregularities in advances made before 1987. They are Francis R. Flynn, administration manager, Maurice Xuereb, deputy general manager for business development and overseas operations, and Mario Vella, advances manager’s assistant in Floriana.

A statement by the bank said the three have been given a copy of the board of inquiry report and four weeks to study it and prepare a defence for when their case is dealt with by the bank’s disciplinary board. All three are implicated in advances which, the board of inquiry found, were made in an unorthodox way to the Lay Lay Group of Companies.

At the time the advances were made – the Lay Lay Group owed Lm331,000 to Mid-Med Bank – Mr Flynn held the same position in the bank which he has now. Mr Xuereb was advances assistant general manager, and Mr Vella was advances manager at head office. Also named with them was the then bank chairman, Dr J.M. Buttigieg, a former Labour MP.

All four are named also in relation to, among others, irregularities in advances of Lm513,341 to Concrete Works Ltd and Tal-Barrani Ltd.

Half a century ago - Sunday Times of Malta

Sunday, November 17, 1968

Malta to host new Allied Air ‘spotter’ Med Command

A new Allied Maritime Air Command will come into operation on Thursday to coordinate the aircraft spotter capabilities of the British, American and Italian aircraft in the Mediterranean. The command, part of the Allied Naval Forces Southern Europe with its headquarters in Malta, is being set up to coordinate the independent activities of the air forces of the three countries.

‘Mini-village’ to be built overlooking St Thomas Bay

A new ‘mini-village’ is to be built in Malta in the next two years. Sited on the crest of the St Thomas Peninsula, it will comprise more than 100 houses, swimming pools and landscaped gardens. Covering six-and-a-half acres it will be the first of several similar projects being planned by Humphreys Homes (Malta) Ltd.

Clay head for museum

Fr Felix Sammut, OFM Conv, has donated a small clay head, slightly over two-and-a-half inches in height, to the National Museum. This was found some years ago at San Pawl Milqi.

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