Kaizenlog

 

DOI DIRECT MAILING SERVICES

DIARY OF EVENTS

Published by the Department of Information

 

APRIL 2007

 

 

Important Note: Dates hereunder do not denote the actual dates on which the respective events occur, but refer to the dates on which they are reported in the local print media, which is normally on the morrow.

 

 

• 1 April 2007 The annual official celebrations of Freedom Day, marking the 28th anniversary of the closure of the British military base, were held in Vittoriosa. President Eddie Fenech Adami, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and AFM commander Brigadier Carmel Vassallo received a salute by the army as they arrived near the monument. The President inspected the guard of honour before placing flowers on the monument, accompanied by Dr Gonzi.

• 1 April 2007 Ground-breaking work published last week in the ‘Proceedings of the Royal Society A’ by an academic from the Faculty of Science of the University of Malta and his research team is making headlines in the international scientific press. So much so, that it is being reported as breaking news by New Scientist.com, the Website of New Scientist, which is cited as the world’s No. 1 science and technology news service.

• 1 April 2007 Cospicua and Marsa were the joint winners of the Open Shield in the traditional Freedom Day regatta – the first time ever the honours were shared. Both teams obtained 40 points each and representatives of each took it in turns to go up for the shield, which they will be keeping for six months each. Cospicua, having obtained better placings in more races, will keep the shield for the first six months.

• 1 April 2007 Collaboration between the European Union and the Arab League was discussed extensively at an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Bremen, Germany. Foreign Minister Michael Frendo said the talks showed growing support for Malta’s initiative to develop a stronger structured dialogue between the two organisations. He said that, as part of the European Neighbourhood Policy, it was time to strengthen a structured dialogue with the member states of the Arab League on issues such as reform, the politics of moderation, development, energy security and climate change.

• 1 April 2007 More than 10 per cent of business establishments, which were awarded FAIR certificates after committing themselves to display correct pricing in both Maltese lira and euro, are in Gozo. Victoria has surpassed even Valletta as the town with the greatest number of establishments having been awarded FAIR. In fact, 90 shops in the Gozitan capital have joined the scheme that ensures euro conversion fairness. With 85 establishments, Valletta is five behind.

• 1 April 2007 European Union citizens are twice as generous as citizens of the United States in terms of committing government finance to poor countries, according to EuropeAid, the European Commission’s department tasked with implementing external assistance and development aid. Figures released in Brussels last Wednesday week show that last year the Commission, through EuropeAid, committed a record €7.6 billion and disbursed €6.5 billion, 55 per cent and 58 per cent respectively since the 2001 reforms in aid policy. More projects and programmes were implemented than ever before.

• 2 April 2007 This past winter has been the warmest since the Meteorological Office started keeping records in 1922. The Met Office released temperatures for March, closing the figures for the winter season and revealing that at an average of 14.8ºC, winter was the warmest in the past 85 years.

• 2 April 2007 Malta has proposed conducting intense maritime border patrols with the Greek navy to combat illegal immigration this summer. The proposal, known as Nautilus 2, has been submitted to the EU border control agency Frontex, and a decision is expected soon.

• 2 April 2007 Seventy-four per cent of those who have used the internet for e-commerce have shopped online, a survey commissioned by the Malta Communications Authority has found. Four in 10 of the people who have bought things over the net were aged 18 to 29.

• 2 April 2007 The Maltese embassy in Lisbon, led by Ambassador Salv Stellini, is inviting those having relatives or friends living in Portugal to inform them they can voluntarily register at the embassy their presence in that country. They are also to be informed they can seek the services of the embassy in case of need.

 

• 2 April 2007 A conference on shared memories among Malta, France and Tunisia was organised by Vicki Ann Cremona, the Maltese Ambassador to France, together with the French-Maltese Society Société Maltaise de France in Paris.

 

• 2 April 2007 St Dorothy’s Senior School in Zebbug is cultivating mathematical whiz kids – they recently placed 12th in World Math Day after pitting their wits against thousands of schools from nearly 100 countries.

• 2 April 2007 A basic course in IT has been launched by the Employment and Training Corporation with the cooperation of Microsoft Malta. The aim behind the course is to train persons with little or no experience in using computers.

• 3 April 2007 The Malta Stock Exchange is to be restructured in order to pave the way for its eventual partial privatisation. According to a detailed roadmap, the Stock Exchange will be made into a more flexible organisation by segregating its key activities.

• 3 April 2007 Over 360,000 euro coins starter kits have been ordered by the Central Bank to ensure businesses and the public have small change in hand when the country switches to the euro. A spokesman for the National Euro Changeover Committee said 330,000 starter kits for the public and a further 33,000 for retailers have been ordered from France’s Monnaie de Paris, which won the tender for the minting of the Maltese euro coins. If the island meets its target to join the euro by January 1, the starter kits will be available from banks from December 17.

• 3 April 2007 The Malta Environment and Planning Authority has published an updated version of DC2005, called DC2007, which is a compendium of policy and design guidelines mostly for the use of architects and those connected to the construction industry. The document brings together 136 policies under 17 different chapters. The main changes involve not only the inclusion of amendments to policies, but also two new sections.

• 3 April 2007 Wilfred Kennely has been appointed Malta’s first resident High Commissioner to India, the government announced. Mr Kennely is the director general of the Federation of Industry, a position he has occupied since January 2005. Between 2001 and 2004 he was executive head of the Malta Council for Science and Technology and before that he was general manager of Standard Publications Ltd for two years. Mr Kennely is also the chairman of the Manoel Theatre.

• 4 April 2007 Almost 5,000 calls were received on the euro line 154 since the beginning of the year – 1,400 of which were made last month. Over 1,900 calls were made in January and a further 1,500 in February.

• 4 April 2007 The Maltese Council of Disabled Persons has welcomed the signing of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People and its attached protocol by the government of Malta.

• 5 April 2007 A “community agreement” was signed by the Valletta local council and Appogg agency, formalising a service that has already been provided by a community worker in the locality for a year. In line with Europe’s and the government’s policy to integrate and personalise services, establishing them within the community, a historical building in Zekka Street, corner with Melita Street, will be refurbished to serve as the local community centre, gathering under one roof a broad spectrum of government entities and services. The idea is to create a one-stop shop for persons with social problems of whom Valletta has its fair share.

• 5 April 2007 The government is issuing – by way of a legal notice – a tax deduction on expenses incurred for the euro changeover, Tonio Fenech, Parliamentary Secretary in the Finance Ministry, said. “If you spend Lm1, for example, you can claim Lm2 as a tax deduction, up to a limit of Lm1,000,” he explained. The incentive is on specific items, including cash registers, POSs, weighing scales, and even modifications in computer systems, incurred between January 1, 2006, to the end of 2007. Mr Fenech was addressing retailers at a seminar on the euro changeover, organised by the Malta Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises – GRTU.

• 5 April 2007 Malta and South Africa signed an agreement on police cooperation, including organised crime, corruption, arms trafficking, drugs, forensic information and evidence. The agreement was signed at the Foreign Ministry by Foreign Minister Michael Frendo and his South African counterpart Nkosazana Clarice Dlamini-Zuma. The five-year agreement also covers cooperation against economic crime, including money laundering. Another means of collaboration is through the exchange of scientific or forensic information.

• 5 April 2007 Preparations for the migration from St Luke’s Hospital to Mater Dei Hospital continued with the introduction of 150 new extension numbers for the internal phone lines at the existing hospital. This is the first step in the physical migration of services to the new hospital. The new four-digit extension numbers, which will operate for a period alongside the existing ones, have been changed to enable staff and the public to get used to the new system before the migration. Over the next four months, 150 new extension numbers will be introduced every fortnight until all the hospital’s 1,200 telephone lines have been covered.

• 5 April 2007 St John’s Co-Cathedral, in Valletta, has just launched its official website, packed with information and images of the building and its artefacts. The website includes practical information for those planning to visit the national monument as well as times of religious services and the latest news and events. There is also information on the history of St John’s and on the Knights that built it, the works of art housed within and the restoration projects undertaken by the St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation. The website was developed by Media Consulta, Malta – www.stjohnscocathedral.com.

• 5 April 2007 The Malta Federation of Industry has been awarded a contract by the European Commission to start carrying out a services survey for Malta under the Joint Harmonised Programme of EU Business and Consumer Surveys as from next month. FOI director general Wilfred Kenely said the federation has the required capability and is equipped to carry out such surveys, having established a unit specifically for this purpose with the assistance and collaboration of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

• 5 April 2007 The Citadel clock bells in Gozo, which have been chiming time in their present location since 1858, will go silent while undergoing restoration. The oldest of the two bells is the quarter strike bell, which is attributed to the early 18th century founders Luca and Mederico Menville of the Ferreria of the Order of St John.

• 7 April 2007 Nine Maltese volunteers spent some time working in Orlu, Nigeria, together with the Opera Don Bonifacio Azione Verde, a non-profit, voluntary humanitarian organisation. Although the work performed was difficult as no electricity was available and, therefore, no power tools could be used, the group managed to complete the building of a primary school. The group also provided food and school education to over 500 orphans under the Italian organisation’s custody.

• 7 April 2007 The public employees section of the Union Haddiema Maghqudin said it has reached an agreement with the government over the examination for the recruitment of clerks in the public service. Persons applying for the examination should be at least 17, have five O level passes, including Maltese, English and Mathematics, and a pass in three ECDL modules. The union said it has prepared several courses to assist those who wish to sit for the exam. Those interested can book the course through the UHM.

• 7 April 2007 The Malta Tourism Authority has launched a series of training courses for individuals directly or indirectly involved in the tourism industry. The courses are held as part of a European Social Fund Project partly funded by the EU. A training course to be launched this month targets operators working in small to medium tourism enterprises within the accommodation, catering and travel sectors. The aim is to help operators identify the strengths and weaknesses of the people management practices they employ within their business in a bid to increase their competitive edge.

• 7 April 2007 A discussion on Caravaggio Tra l’Italia E Malta: Identità E Patrimonio Comune was held in Syracuse, Sicily last week at the Ex Convento Del Retiro. Ray Bondin and Keith Sciberras both presented papers. Dr Bondin spoke about the Filippo Paladini fresco project at the palace and Dr Sciberras concentrated on the last years of Caravaggio in Malta and Sicily. The meeting was also addressed by the deputy mayor of Syracuse, Fabio Granata. The discussion was part of an EU-funded programme to re-establish cultural links between Sicily and Malta.

• 8 April 2007 The first group of hospital employees will move from St Luke’s Hospital to Mater Dei Hospital this week as preparations for the migration of services and facilities intensify. The 10-strong migration planning team is made up of a migration project manager and nine migration facilitators, Mater Dei spokesman Chris Scicluna said.

• 8 April 2007 Last December, Financial Times Business and the London School of Economics approached 50 top thinkers to put forward their vision of Europe for the next 50 years. The result is a publication titled: European Union – The Next Fifty Years, published by FT Business and launched at the London School of Economics on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the European Project.

• 8 April 2007 Taxes on documents required in foreign adoption processes are to removed, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced. Foreign Minister Michael Frendo is shortly to amend a Legal Notice so that payment for the legalisation of documents needed by couples to adopt children from overseas is waived.

• 8 April 2007 The European Commission has issued a Green Paper for people interested in expressing their views on issues identified in the context of the Review of the Consumer Acquis launched in 2004. The Commission has reviewed the Directives through a comparative analysis of their implementation into national law and research into the perceptions of consumers and business and workshops with member state experts and contract law stakeholders.

• 8 April 2007 The Institute of Maltese Journalists (IGM) has launched the 17th edition of the annual press awards known as the Malta Journalism Awards, with 12 categories.

• 9 April 2007 The collection of poems Viator Errans was presented to President Eddie Fenech Adami by Rose Mary Cachia, daughter of Sir George Borg. The poems were originally published in Weraq tar-Rand, Omero, L-Enejde and Sant’Jermu between 1952-1958 by Sir George under the pen name Viator Errans. Sir George studied at the University of Malta and pursued further studies in law at the University of Catania, in Rome and in England.

• 9 April 2007 The Malta Financial Services Authority and the Austrian Financial Market Authority have just signed a Memorandum of Understanding providing for cooperation in the supervision of cross-border establishments of credit institutions incorporated within the Maltese or Austrian jurisdictions. The memorandum was signed at the MFSA offices in Mriehel by its chairman Joseph V. Bannister and by FMA’s executive director Heinrich Traumüller. The Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance and the Oesterreichische Nationalbank are also signatories to the memorandum.

• 9 April 2007 The European Commission has granted €56,000 to assist the police to increase their capabilities in border control in line with the parameters of the Schengen Convention, the Police Community and Media Relations Unit said. The department is now in line with its commitments under the Schengen Convention, and, therefore, in a position to honour its obligations vis-à-vis the convention, the police said. The eight-month project, which is now finalised, included the training of police officers by several experts from the Italian SIRENE Division (International Police Cooperation Service).

• 10 April 2007 The government has sent its official reply to Brussels contesting the infringement procedure set in motion by the European Commission last July over spring hunting in 2004.

• 10 April 2007 The Armed Forces of Malta has completed a period of training with the assistance of a Belgian Navy Mobile Training Team (MTT). The aim was to further prepare elements of the Maritime Squadron and Air Wing for helicopter operations from AFM patrol vessel P61′s flight deck.

• 10 April 2007 The Planning and Priorities Co-ordination Division within the Office of the Prime Minister has launched the third call for project proposals under the European Social Fund (ESF) within the Malta Structural Funds Programme 2004-2006.

• 11 April 2007 Motorists will not have to pay to park on the Valletta ring road once the fee-parking scheme is introduced. This is one of the provisions in an agreement signed by the Union Haddiema Maghqudin and the Office of the Prime Minister. The agreement also gives public sector employees working in Valletta the possibility to work flexible hours in order to cut the costs of parking in the capital. The agreement covers the setting up of a committee, that would include government and UHM representatives, to monitor and make recommendations to improve accessibility into Valletta.

• 11 April 2007 The Local Councils Association, the Ministry for Rural Affairs and the Environment and the Malta Environment and Planning Authority are working to reduce the inconvenience caused by badly-used vacant sites within urban areas, Mepa said. As from Monday, Mepa will be receiving directions from local councils as to which sites will be issued an enforcement notice if not adequately walled off.

• 11 April 2007 The Privatisation Unit has issued a call for expressions of interest for the commercialisation of Enemalta’s Petroleum Division. The call was issued on behalf of the government and Enemalta Corporation. The concession is for the management, operation, maintenance and development of Enemalta’s Petroleum Division and the business activities undertaken by the Mediterranean Offshore Bunkering Company Limited. A spokesman for the Government Investments Ministry said that whereas in privatisation the assets are passed on to the successful bidder, in commercialisation they remain government property.

• 11 April 2007 Steps are being taken by the Department of Information to preserve a treasure trove of newsreels and other footage dating back to the 1960s and 1970s. DOI director Emanuel Abela said the films included the St Paul’s centenary celebrations in 1960 and the Blessed Gorg Preca’s funeral in July 1962.

• 11 April 2007 About 400 children packed St James Cavalier, in Valletta, for the environmental programme A Wander Through The Woods. The aim of the event was to help primary school children understand the importance of caring for trees and the environment.

• 11 April 2007 The National Orchestra is resuming its Concerto Series on Tuesday at 7.30 p.m. at the Manoel Theatre, in Valletta, with Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.4 in G Major Op 58 featuring pianist Caroline Calleja. Under the direction of its music director Michael Laus, the National Orchestra will also perform Beethoven’s The Ruins of Athens, Op. 113 (Overture) while the second half will be dedicated to Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8 in G Major Op 88.

• 12 April 2007 The Maltese government has nominated Minister of Foreign Affairs Michael Frendo as candidate for the post of Secretary General of the Commonwealth. A copy of a letter by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi to all Commonwealth heads of state and of government and to Commonwealth Secretary General Donald McKinnon announcing Malta’s nomination was circulated to all Commonwealth High Commissions in London

• 12 April 2007 Maltese ambassadors and high commissioners resident abroad have been summoned for the third high level meeting of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today and tomorrow. Michael Frendo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, called the meeting to discuss with the permanent secretary, directors general, directors, ministry officials and diplomats, a number of “important” themes pertaining to the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

• 12 April 2007 Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, arrived in Malta on an official visit and was welcomed at Malta International Airport by Tonio Borg, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Justice and Home Affairs.

• 12 April 2007 A training programme, designed to give people basic communication technology skills, will be launched this summer using EU funds. IT Minister Austin Gatt said the programme – First Step – was mainly targeted at workers who risked losing their job and at the unemployed.

• 13 April 2007 Despite a difficult year, Malta International Airport shareholders would receive the same dividend as last year and the company posted the same results as in the record year 2004-2005,

• 13 April 2007 British Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott described Foreign Minister Michael Frendo as a “very good” nominee for the Commonwealth’s top job but would not comment on whether the UK government will be supporting his candidature. Dr Frendo’s nomination for the post of Commonwealth Secretary General, which was announced on Wednesday, was among the topics discussed during Mr Prescott’s brief stay in Malta.

• 13 April 2007 The contract for the construction and management of a residential home for the elderly in Mellieha was signed between the government and CareMalta Mellieha Ltd, marking the first public-private partnership scheme of its sort. The home will have 106 rooms, catering for 130 elderly, the Parliamentary Secretary for the Elderly, Helen D’Amato, said. Work will start in the coming days. CareMalta was set up in 1992 to offer quality care to the elderly. It is the operator of Casa Arkati, in Mosta, Villa Messina, in Rabat, the government homes in Zejtun and Cospicua and Prince of Wales Apartments, in Sliema. The new home will provide services for independent, semi-independent and dependent elderly.

• 13 April 2007 The Malta Playing Fields Association is donating Lm1,000 worth of playing field equipment to the Nadur local council, being the first drawn recipient in a scheme just launched by the association. The Nadur council’s name was drawn by lot at the MPFA headquarters in the presence of representatives from three local councils.

• 13 April 2007 The chapel of St Roque, situated in Main Street, Zebbug, has been reopened by Din l-Art Helwa, the national trust of Malta, after restoration work that took two years to complete. The work was possible thanks to financial support by Round Table One.

• 13 April 2007 The Maltese economy continued to show signs of a recovery last year, according to the Economic Bullettin – March 2007, just launched by Tonio Fenech, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Finance. The bulletin takes into account data available up to March 9, 2007. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) registered an increase of 5.5 per cent in nominal terms and 2.9 per cent in real terms, mainly underpinned by increases in private consumption expenditure.

• 14 April 2007 The government has instructed all its entities and agencies – which include Air Malta, the Water Services Corporation and local councils – that any smoothing carried out to prices when Malta switches to euro must be in favour of the consumer, according to sources close to the Ministry of Finance.

• 14 April 2007 The government is in the process of revamping its oncology services by converting Zammit Clapp Hospital into a state-of-the-art centre for the treatment and supportive care of cancer patients, Ministry for Health, the Elderly and Community Care Louis Deguara said.

• 14 April 2007 Spanish low-cost carrier Clickair will be starting twice-weekly services to Malta from Barcelona as from the first week of June.

• 14 April 2007 Over 400 vacancies at Mater Dei Hospital have been advertised in just over two months, a spokesman for the new hospital said. Calls to fill vacancies in the grades of staff nurses, senior house officers, deputy nursing officers, health assistants, pharmacists, physiotherapists, midwives, clerks and receptionists were made by the Health Division, the Health Ministry, the Foundation for Medical Services and others responsible for public service recruitment.

• 14 April 2007 Lufthansa Technik Malta will be investing €55 million in new maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities for wide-body aircraft after signing an agreement with the government. This expansion project aims to generate 550 jobs over five years and new training and development opportunities in aircraft maintenance.

• 14 April 2007 The Curia and Microsoft have reached a broad partnership agreement which encompasses a various areas, beyond the provision of technology to the Curia, its affiliates and Church schools. The company will assist the Curia and the Church to adopt new technologies.

• 14 April 2007 A joint research effort between Malta and Germany will look into the feasibility of developing a new waste-to-energy technology linking waste recycling directly to desalination plants.

• 15 April 2007 German Federal Minister Sigmar Gabriel toured several sites in Gozo as part of his two-day visit to Malta. Mr Gabriel, who is responsible for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, was shown round Dwejra Bay by Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono, Environment Minister George Pullicino, San Lawrenz mayor Noel Formosa and Nature Trust president Vince Attard. The German delegation were briefed on the Dwejra Life Project which aims to reverse the degradation process and conserve the site.

• 15 April 2007 More than 90 per cent of construction work, internal finishes and engineering systems at Mater Dei Hospital have been concluded, Parliamentary Secretary Tonio Fenech said. The hospital’s finished parts have been handed over to the Foundation for Medical Services (FMS) and the final work to install medical equipment and furniture is under way.

• 15 April 2007 Malta will be just a click away from some of Europe’s top photographers who will be convening on the island for an unusual tourism branding campaign. Top photography brand Nikon has teamed up with the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) through Italian communications agency ‘The Gate’ to fly a photographer from each of the 26 other EU member states to shoot photos of Malta.

• 15 April 2007 The German Company JV Haase, which is responsible, with the Vassallo Group, for the rehabilitation of Malta’s three closed landfills and a specialised project at the Sant Antnin Waste Recycling Plant, has been awarded a major waste treatment plant project by the City of Manchester. Haase has been awarded a contract to build three of five mechanical biological waste treatment plants with its consortium partner Clarke Energy and the British waste organisation GMWDA.

• 15 April 2007 People with disabilities are to receive training on how to recognise genuine euro coins and notes. The training courses, to be organised by the National Euro Changeover Committee (NECC), will allow people with visual and hearing impairments, and those with learning difficulties, to become familiar with the texture, weight and distinguishing features of the new currency. Malta is targeting January 1 for the adoption of the euro, and the go-ahead from the European Commission is expected by June.

• 16 April 2007 The government is committed to extend public transport into the night, Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett said. The lack of an adequate night service was identified by the minister as one of the shortcomings of the public transport system.

• 16 April 2007 A new edition of the Ecclesiastical Directory in both Maltese and English has just been published. The directory includes detailed information about the Curia, Church secretariats and commissions, parishes, religious orders, institutions, associations and movements, homes for the elderly and Church schools.

• 16 April 2007 Over 5,000 people thronged San Anton Palace, in Attard, jumping at the one-off chance to take a peek at the rich cultural heritage within its walls. The palatial residence was open to the public as part of the Office of the President’s plan to raise funds for the Malta Community Chest Fund, while giving the public something in return.

• 17 April 2007 The government’s experimental farm at Ghammieri is a hive of activity thanks to the energy and enthusiasm of a handful of young agricultural officers who, under the direction of their Principal Scientific Officers, are keen to carry out trials which will pave the way forward for the agricultural sector.

• 17 April 2007 New inflation statistics show that Malta has registered the lowest annual inflation rate in the EU for the third month in a row, bringing the island very close to securing its place in the eurozone. Figures issued by Eurostat, the EU’s statistical arm, show that Malta’s monthly inflation rate in March stood at just 0.8 per cent. This means that its 12-month average rate, the criterion considered for euro entry, dropped to just 2.2 per cent.

• 17 April 2007 The Cabinet approved a memo by Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg on changing a provision in the Criminal Code that empowers the Attorney General to privately consult a judge to seek a person’s re-arrest if acquitted during the compilation stage. Under the amendment, the procedure will have to take place in the open and the person involved will be able to contest his re-arrest. The change comes after the Constitutional Court last February declared that this provision, and the possibility of the continuation of the compilation of evidence and consequential indictment, were likely to breach a person’s right to a fair hearing.

• 17 April 2007 The National Commission Persons with Disability inaugurated its Wenzu Dalli Resources Centre, which has been relocated to a fully accessible section of the Centru Hidma Socjali in Sta Venera. The library contains information related to disabilities, which is useful to both persons with disability and those without, their families and those working and studying in the field, as well as the public.

• 17 April 2007 Final preparations are underway for the seaplane link between Grand Harbour and Mgarr to take off in a few weeks’ time. Harbour Air Seaplanes, the Canadian company which is planning to run about 13 daily flights and scenic tours from Valletta Waterfront to Mgarr and back, has posted adverts in the media to recruit marketing managers, dock operations crew, reservation agents, flight operations personnel and trainee engineers before it operates its first flight “towards the end of May and the beginning of June”.

• 17 April 2007 University students are promoting the concept of family-friendly measures in the workplace, inspired by a survey which shows that 44.8 per cent of inactive women are willing to work given the right conditions. The aim of their campaign is to encourage employers to introduce more family-friendly measures, such as the options of flexi-time and telework to address these women’s needs.

• 17 April 2007 Parliament unanimously gave a second reading to a Bill to entrench the Office of the Ombudsman in the Constitution. The Bill also raises the retirement age of magistrates and the Attorney General to 65. The amendments need the support of two-thirds of the House in third reading to become law. In his winding up, Justice Minister Tonio Borg said in reaction to comments by the opposition that the Ombudsman would not be able to investigate the decisions of other constitutional bodies, such as the Employment Commission, the Broadcasting Authority or the Auditor General. He would, however, be able to investigate cases involving the administration of those bodies, such as, for example, alleged discrimination in recruitment.

• 17 April 2007 The Central Bank expects the economy to grow by between 2.8 and 3.4 per cent this year, compared to 2.9 per cent recorded last year. The bank says in its annual report, tabled in Parliament, that while economic growth last year was largely driven by a rebound in exports, this year stronger private consumption and gross fixed capital formation are expected to be the main factors. Export growth is expected to be stronger but this may be offset to some extent by an acceleration in import growth.

• 17 April 2007 The rehabilitation and restoration of the Addolorata Cemetery is under study, since this will involve a long-term project requiring substantial funding, Health Minister Louis Deguara told Evarist Bartolo (MLP) in reply to a parliamentary question.

• 17 April 2007 The government has taken no decision to liberalise the sectors of white taxis, karrozzini, and red mini-buses, Transport Minister Jesmond Mugliett told Adrian Vassallo (MLP) in reply to a parliamentary question.

• 17 April 2007 The King Baudouin Foundation of Belgium is to sponsor the restoration of one of the tapestries conserved at St John’s Co-Cathedral. Consisting of 29 pieces, the tapestry collection is the largest of its kind in the world and the St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation is committed to restoring it. The tapestries are to be restored at the De Wit Laboratories in Belgium at an estimated cost of Lm429,300 (€1,000,000).

• 17 April 2007 The organisers of the Lyceum Bicycle Marathon are optimistic they have exceeded the target of Lm10,000 from their annual marathon to raise funds for the refurbishment of the main kitchen at Dar tal-Providenza in Siggiewi. The Association of Past Lyceum Students (ALPS) has contributed Lm1,700 to the marathon fund through a series of fund-raising events.

• 17 April 2007 Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil has been appointed the European People’s Party (EPP) parliamentary group’s contact person for Tunisia. In this role, Dr Busuttil’s task will be to promote EU-Tunisia relations with the largest group in the European Parliament.

• 17 April 2007 Archbishop Paul Cremona has sent a congratulatory message to Pope Benedict XVI on his 80th birthday and on the second anniversary of his pontificate. Pope Benedict, who celebrated his birthday, will celebrate his second anniversary as Pope on Thursday. The Maltese Church will celebrate this second anniversary tomorrow with Mass concelebrated by Mgr Cremona and by Apostolic Nuncio Felix del Blanco Prieto at St John’s Co-Cathedral, in Valletta, at 6.30 p.m.

• 18 April 2007 A Eurobarometer survey, which has shown Slovenia’s relatively smooth transition to the euro, indicates that Malta’s changeover could be even less of a headache. No less than 95 per cent of Slovenian citizens perceived the changeover to be successful and that the information campaigns were effective in preparing citizens for the euro last January. With Malta’s preparations starting well in advance of E-day – January 1, 2008 – the transition should be even more effective, according to National Euro Changeover Committee media relations manager Melvyn Mangion.

• 18 April 2007 The EU German presidency, currently heading negotiations between EU member states over a new European Commission proposal on divorce, has come up with a solution that may fit the bill for Malta, which is the only EU member state where divorce is not allowed. The proposed regulation deals with which national law would be applicable in cases of divorce between EU citizens of different nationalities.

• 18 April 2007 The European Commission is not yet sure whether the changes introduced by the government last month on the engagement of civil servants on fixed-term contracts are in line with EU legislation.

• 18 April 2007 Malta has a high take-up of immunisation among children, and a leaflet published by the Health Division to mark European Immunisation Week aims to help keep it that way.

• 18 April 2007 A total of 27,350 Maltese went abroad in January and February, an increase of nine per cent over the same period last year, the National Statistics Office said.

• 19 April 2007 The prospectus for full time courses starting in October at the Institute for Tourism Studies was launched by Education Minister Louis Galea. Programmes of studies are being offered at foundation, certificate, diploma and higher diploma levels. On obtaining a higher diploma, students can continue reading tourism studies at the University of Malta to obtain a degree.

• 19 April 2007 There were 20,218 applications for visas from foreigners wishing to visit Malta between September 2006 and February 2007, Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg said. He told Labour MP Carmelo Abela in reply to a parliamentary question that 1,564 of the applications were refused. Most of the applications – 6,031, came from Libya followed by Russia – 5,281, Turkey – 1,394 and Serbia – 1,023.

• 19 April 2007 A total of 771,961 passengers used the Malta-Gozo ferries in the first quarter of this year, an increase of 15.1 per cent over the same period last year, the National Statistics Office said. The number of passenger vehicles carried increased by 14.5 per cent to 210,814. The ferries made a total of 4,523 trips between Malta and Gozo in the same period, a rise of 4.9 per cent. The Malita carried 332,691 passengers or 46.7 per cent of the total. The other two Gozo Channel ferries, the Ta’ Pinu and the Gaudos, carried 207,087 and 172,184 passengers respectively.

• 19 April 2007 The new president of the Malta Institute of Professional Photography, Stephen Busuttil, carried away no fewer than four awards – three silver and a bronze – thanks to prints he submitted in the Orvieto Fotografia professional photography awards in Italy. He placed third overall. Mr Busuttil, a former photographer of The Times and The Sunday Times, was named International Overseas Photographer of the Year 2006 by the Society of Weddings and Portraits Photographers during the society’s Convention in London last January.

• 20 April 2007 The “energy benefit” announced in the last budget, aimed at easing the burden of utility bills on eligible families, was launched by Social Solidarity Minister Dolores Cristina. The new measure will benefit an estimated 30,000 households, up from 13,000 the government used to exempt from the surcharge on water and electricity after the surcharge was first introduced.

• 20 April 2007 Brussels is expected to give its final advice on whether Malta has met all the criteria to adopt the euro at a meeting of the College of EU Commissioners on May 16, Commission sources said.

• 20 April 2007 Innovation is one of Malta’s weakest points, according to a global index of the World Economic Forum ranking countries according to their competitiveness. Malta ranks 19th in the index when compared to other EU member states. The Global Competitiveness Report 2006-2007 says Finland is the most competitive EU country of all.

• 21 April 2007 The European Union is stepping up efforts to tackle illegal immigration on its southern borders, including Malta, Italy and Spain, and is planning six joint operations and four study projects this year with Frontex, allocating €8 for the operations.

• 21 April 2007 There are strong indications that 2007 will be a good year for investment, according to Investments Minister Austin Gatt, who revealed that 13 projects are in an advanced stage of consideration by Malta Enterprise. The forecast capital investment was Lm37,295,733 up from Lm29,473,600 in 2005 when 69 projects were approved. The projects approved last year were estimated to generate 2,585 new jobs.

• 21 April 2007 Arthur Dutton has been selected by the 2000 Art Foundation in the Netherlands to display an artwork of his in an exhibition marking Earth Day at The Water Museum in Arnhem, The Netherlands, tomorrow. The World Art Collection catalogue entitled 1001 Reasons To Love The Earth features an international collection of art works. Each artist submitted a message with a reason for loving the earth along with his artwork. Mr Dutton’s message is “The body, spirit and soul of the earth and me are one.

• 21 April 2007 European Union justice ministers have “agreed to disagree” on a Commission proposal on divorce rules. Although the Maltese government had originally objected to the proposed regulation, due to its stand against divorce, it does not seem Malta was the cause of the deadlock. Instead, Sweden and other “liberal” member states were the most vociferous against the proposal because they wanted to maintain their liberal divorce systems intact.

• 21 April 2007 An animal welfare centre in Ta’ Qali, for which the government has just filed a development application, will offer a safe haven to strays roaming the streets. The plans for the centre were drawn up by architects commissioned by the Environment Ministry, in consultation with the Veterinary Division, and a full application was submitted to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority.

• 21 April 2007 German low-cost airline Germanwings has decided to start flying to Malta all-year round, giving the island a potential major tourism boost from one of the most lucrative markets. The airline launched services to the island a mere three weeks ago, but the response has been so encouraging it opted to extend its services to the lean months as well.

• 22 April 2007 Over 70 people travelled from the UK to join their Maltese George Cross Island Association counterparts in the short, but poignant, ceremony to mark the 65th anniversary of the award of the George Cross to Malta. The ceremony is usually held on April 15, the day the George Cross was awarded in 1942, but as a result of administrative difficulties it had to be set back by a week.

• 22 April 2007 A two-day meeting in Malta this July of all 277 MEPs of the European People’s Party and the European Democrats (EPP-ED) group is expected to focus on illegal immigration, with a view to presenting concrete proposals to the EU by the end of the year, group chairman Joseph Daul said.

• 22 April 2007 A series of public consultation meetings ahead of the 2008 Budget, organised by the Office of the Prime Minister, kicks off on Wednesday. Called Djalogi 2008, they will consist of a series of dialogue sessions aimed to provide the general public with an opportunity to contribute towards the formulation of the 2008 pre-budget document.

• 23 April 2007 The 14th edition of the Air Malta International Travel Exhibition (Amitex) will be held at the Trade Fair Grounds, Naxxar, between Thursday and April 29, with the participation of 34 local and 20 foreign exhibitors. The airline will promote its summer 2007 flight schedule, which will run until the end of October. Its latest additions are Liverpool, Venice and Benghazi and it has increased frequencies to Munich, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Berlin, Birmingham, Stansted and Rome.

• 23 April 2007 Children are becoming more avid readers despite a multitude of distractions like computers and short concentration spans, according to renowned British author Katherine Roberts who is in Malta on the occasion of World Book Day today. The author is visiting schools and talking to students about her Seven Fabulous Wonders series, published by HarperCollins. Each book is based on one of the Wonders and is a mix of history and magic.

• 23 April 2007 The House Social Affairs Committee has returned from Helsinki, which was its first visit abroad. The trip was an integral part of the committee’s ongoing debate on the knowledge economy. The aim was for its members to find out about the experiences of a country which has been successful in this sector. The committee had meetings with former Finnish Prime Minister Esko Aho, now president of Sitra – the state organisation which promotes research, development and innovation. It also had a meeting with Tekes, a state institution that excels in the advanced technology sector.

• 23 April 2007 The Third World Group, a local non-profit and voluntary organisation, is raising money to be donated to Mother Teresa’s Sisters of Charity for their work with the emarginated in Naples, Italy. During the summer holidays, the group will be sending 10 volunteers to the home run by the sisters in Naples to perform work such as cleaning, painting and helping with the day-to-day tasks. In the following months the group will then be organising a number of car boot sales to raise money for this purpose.

• 23 April 2007 The Moviment Kattoliku Studenti Universitarji (MKSU) and the Malta Medical Students’ Association (MMSA) held a blood drive and organ donation campaign on the university campus. The activity, which is held twice yearly, is meant to motivate students to become aware of the needs and realities in society and to make a difference. A number of students applied for organ-donor cards.

• 24 April 2007 The agreement on Smart City Malta, which is expected to be the biggest foreign investment the island has ever seen, was signed yesterday morning and a number of multinational companies are already showing “significant interest” in the project.

• 24 April 2007 Eurostat, the EU’s statistical arm, confirmed that substantial progress was made in Malta’s public finances last year. After analysing the figures submitted by the government, Eurostat reported that the island had achieved remarkable progress in its efforts to put its finances on a sound footing.

• 24 April 2007 The general government deficit last year was estimated at Lm53.6 million, down from Lm61.8 million in 2005, the National Statistics Office said.

• 24 April 2007 Malta has become a member of the Academy of European Law, a non-profit-making institution that helps in the teaching and spreading of information on European legislation.

• 24 April 2007 As from this month, Air Malta and Lufthansa will be strengthening their commercial partnership with the extension of the code-share agreement to the Malta-Bremen, Malta-Hanover and Malta-Dresden routes. With this new development, Malta will be connected to these German cities with a twice-daily service and via Frankfurt and Munich hubs.

• 24 April 2007 Foreign Minister Michael Frendo stressed the importance of visa-free travel being extended to all EU citizens travelling to the US. Attending an EU General Affairs and External Relations Council in Luxembourg, Dr Frendo said a commitment towards this objective should be made at the US-EU Summit to be held in Washington, on Monday.

• 24 April 2007 Chief Justice Vincent De Gaetano is in Moscow as a guest of the President of the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation, Anton Ivanov. The Chief Justice is reciprocating a visit to Malta in March 2004 by the former president of this Court, Veniamin Yakovlev.

• 24 April 2007 Sales, investment, annual earnings per employee and annual turnover per employee in the manufacturing industry all rose last year, while employment in the sector decreased the National Statistics Office said.

• 25 April 2007 An estimated 130,000 individuals will not be required to file their income tax return and self-assessment form any longer, thanks to a new measure unveiled. Instead, they will be served directly with a tax statement based on the information available at the Inland Revenue Department. “We are making people’s lives easier,” the Parliamentary Secretary in the Finance Ministry, Tonio Fenech, told a news conference. The information available to the IRD ranges from income arising from employment to revenue from immovable property and that from local interest, which has not been charged the 15 per cent withholding tax.

• 25 April 2007 A total 811,385 books were loaned by libraries within the Department of Libraries last year, Education Minister Louis Galea said on the occasion of World Book Day on Monday. The minister said this was 26,000 books more than in 2005. Figures showed that there was also an increase in the number of persons who went to the library to seek reference material for their projects, including books they were compiling.

• 25 April 2007 Just under 13 per cent of tourists who visited Malta last year came for its culture and heritage, Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech said. That amounts to 143,460 tourists. Dr Zammit Dimech said that up to some years ago Malta depended exclusively on the sun, sand and sea for its tourism industry, but the creation of more tourist destinations, especially in North Africa, had pushed it to diversify through the identification of niche markets. Malta was able to offer tourists 7,000 years of history and nine world heritage sites.

• 25 April 2007 Occupancy rates went up by 5.2 percentage points in February when compared to the same month last year, the National Statistics Office said. The figures show that a total of 399,351 nights were spent in hotels and other forms of accommodation around the island. The NSO said the average length of stay has increased by 0.4 nights over February 2006, with the average being 6.1 nights. There are 36,966 beds in establishments around Malta and 1,631 in Gozo and Comino.

• 25 April 2007 International bookmakers are forecasting that Malta should make it to the final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Finland next month, but, with two weeks to go the race is wide open. William Hill are placing Olivia Lewis’s song Vertigo in joint sixth place, offering punters odds of 16:1, placing Switzerland in first place with odds of 7:2. Though sixth is encouraging, Malta has the same odds as five other contestants – Turkey, Slovenia, Latvia, Israel and Denmark.

• 25 April 2007 Action has been taken against five timeshare promoters this year, Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech said in Parliament. These promoters, also known as OPCs, were fined a total of Lm2,200.

• 25 April 2007 The Maltese balcony is the theme of a set of stamps and a miniature sheet designed by Alfred Caruana Ruggier, to be issued by Maltapost’s Philatelic Bureau of plc, on Saturday. Maltese balconies are believed to be the first open balconies built entirely from stone and which know their origin to mediaeval times.

• 25 April 2007 The European Union will team up with this year’s Eurovision Song Contest to promote its message against discrimination on the occasion of the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All. Vladimir Spidla, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, said that for the first time in 20 years, an official EU initiative will be associated with the international music competition, connecting Europeans from all around the continent. During the Eurovision week, taking place in the centre of Helsinki between May 5 and 12, the European Year campaign will promote its messages from a pavilion at the Eurovision village and will pass its message to 2,000 journalists.

• 26 April 2007 The European Parliament, meeting during its plenary session in Strasbourg, approved a regulation providing for special rapid response teams to be set up to provide technical and operational assistance should there be any major influxes of illegal immigrants over the external borders of any EU member state.

• 26 April 2007 The jobless figure for March stood at 7,033, a decline of 660 persons when compared to the same month last year, the National Statistics Office said.

• 26 April 2007 The new Tripoli office of the Libyan-Maltese Chamber of Commerce was inaugurated on Tuesday by Foreign Minister Michael Frendo.

• 26 April 2007 Sonny Portelli was officially named chairman of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development, an appointment for which there was unanimous support from the social partners. The previous chairman, Victor Scicluna, stepped down last February, at the end of his tether after attempts to find a way to keep the MCESD on track since he had replaced Edward Scicluna in September 2003.

• 27 April 2007 Europe’s largest low-fare airline Ryanair announced it would be linking Malta with the all-important German route. The new link between Malta and Bremen will operate three times weekly from September 25, Ryanair’s Sales Manager for Southern Europe, Bridget Dowling, said. The new route will carry an additional 40,000 passengers to and from Malta every year and create an additional 40 jobs, according to Ms Dowling.

• 27 April 2007 The jobless figure for March stood at 7,033, a decline of 660 persons when compared to the same month last year, the National Statistics Office said. The most sought after occupations for men in March related to elementary duties, services and trades, while women tended to seek jobs which were clerical or service-oriented. The unemployment rate for last November stood at five per cent. The long-term unemployment rate, referring to people who have been registering for work for more than 12 months, stood at 1.8 per cent that month. The unemployment rate among older workers (45 and over) was 3.9 per cent while the unemployment rate among young people (under 25) stood at 7.6 per cent.

• 27 April 2007 MEPs on Wednesday voted in favour of setting up a new temporary committee on climate change. The committee will have 60 members, still to be appointed, and a mandate of one year. The committee’s main objective will be to formulate proposals on the European Union’s future integrated policy on climate change and to coordinate the European Parliament’s position with a view to negotiating the international framework for climate policy after 2012, better known as the Kyoto Protocol.

• 27 April 2007 The new Tripoli office of the Libyan-Maltese Chamber of Commerce was inaugurated on Tuesday by Foreign Minister Michael Frendo. The office is intended as a point of reference and a “one stop shop” for Libyans and Maltese who wish to use the Chamber’s knowledge of the Maltese and Libyan markets to do business in Libya. It will also offer assistance to Libyans who wish to explore the potential for investment in Malta or of Malta as a stepping stone to Europe.

• 27 April 2007 The restored pipe organ at the Rotunda in Mosta, has just been inaugurated. The historical instrument is the island’s largest pipe organ. Installed in 1885 and made by the firm Pacifico Inzoli of Crema in Italy, the organ cost £900, not a sum to sniff at in those days. But with the passage of time and lack of proper maintenance, the mechanical parts fell into disrepair and the organ was in dire need of restoration.

• 28 April 2007 Two express buses to Valletta will start operating in the morning and afternoon rush hours from Mosta and Zurrieq, as of Wednesday. Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett told a press conference at the Malta Transport Authority (ADT) offices, that the new routes, which would take considerably less time to reach Valletta than the normal routes, would cater for commuters who have until today travelled to the capital for work with their cars.

• 28 April 2007 Dawra Durella Madwar l-Imdina, a fund-raising and awareness campaign in aid of the Equal Partners Foundation, was inaugurated by Archbishop Paul Cremona. The Equal Partners Foundation provides children with personalised therapy programmes and support in homes, schools, work and within the community at large.

• 29 April 2007 The effort that should be made to remember those who sacrificed their lives so that we may enjoy the freedom we have today was highlighted the President of Malta and others during a presentation at the Maritime Museum. Members of the Neptune association, a British charity formed in 2002 to establish and maintain a permanent memorial to the 837 who lost their lives in the sinking of HMS Neptune and HMS Kandahar, presented a scroll of honour to the Maritime Museum while President Eddie Fenech Adami unveiled a memorial.

• 29 April 2007 The Hal Far Appogg Open Centre, currently hosting 160 asylum seekers, recently embellished with the help of European Union funds, was opened to the public and the media. The asylum seekers welcomed visitors with traditional ethnic food from their countries of origin and showing them round the newly-refurbished flatlets for families.

• 29 April 2007 Government has issued a tender for the replacement of its current computer equipment used by the public service and public schools. The move, the first of its kind, was announced by the Ministry for Investment, Industry and Information Technology. In practice, the tender, which expires on June 6, means that the private sector would be providing on a five-year lease arrangement all personal computer equipment required for the administration and the education system and its maintenance. By grouping its computer requirements in one bundle, the ministry said that the new lease system will allow the government to purchase the latest technology while cutting down on costs for maintaining similar and compatible technology throughout its branches.

• 29 April 2007 The 22nd Euro-Mediterranean Information and Training meeting, or Malta Seminar, as it has become known, was opened on Friday at the Westin Dragonara Resort by Foreign Minister Michael Frendo, who highlighted the numerous issues that need to be addressed so that the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership is strengthened in future.

• 29 April 2007 Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture Francis Agius was in Berlin recently, with representatives of Agricultural Co-operative Ltd, for the launch of potato exports to the Jansen-Dongen company Edika for this year. In a statement Dr Agius noted with satisfaction that although Maltese growers exported potatoes to the strong Dutch market, they had succeeded to tap the German market for the third consecutive year. He said that with Malta’s accession to the EU, export quotas were lifted and new export openings had arisen. Dr Agius said that over 5,000 tons of potatoes were exported in the past year.

• 29 April 2007 The Maltese perception that driving in Malta is sometimes shoddy was scientifically proven incorrect when the European Commission unveiled its first ‘road safety scoreboard’. According to the study, Malta last year had the safest roads in all the European Union and has managed to reduce its number of fatal road accidents by 38 per cent over the five-year period starting in 2001, when the EU’s road safety action plan was introduced.

• 29 April 2007 Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Parliamentary Secretary for Finance Tonio Fenech visited the offices of Northway Financial Corporation Ltd in Sliema last week. They were welcomed by the chairman of the company, Peter Ash, who is also CEO of NDG, Northway’s parent company, and Paul Ash, its Chief Operating Officer. Northway has been operating an office in Malta since 2005 and currently employs 90 people. Peter Ash said that future plans include doubling the employee base. Being a financial institution licensed by the Malta Financial Services Authority, Northway is an online cash advance company and offers small loans to its clients in the US and UK. It plans to open up business in Australia and New Zealand in July.

• 30 April 2007 Jonathan Dalli, former general secretary of the National Youth Council (KNZ), has been elected member of the European Union Affairs Commission of the European Youth Forum, which is based in Brussels.

• 30 April 2007 An overwhelming 71 per cent of parents were unaware of the benefits of quality childcare, according to new research carried out by the Employment and Training Corporation.

• 30 April 2007 The shortfall between recurrent revenue and total expenditure in the first quarter of this year amounted to Lm55.6 million, a drop of Lm4.9 million, or 8.1 per cent, from a shortfall of Lm60.6 million in the first quarter of last year, the National Statistics Office.

DOI – 04.05.2007

 

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