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22
MAY 2002
ISSUE NO. 237
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Editorial
By Saviour Balzan
An
eloquent Irishman speaks to the Maltese eurosceptics
Selling
the idea of EU membership by bringing over foreigners to speak about
the benefits is a sensitive strategy, which may not always go down
well with a nation that tends to be over sensitive to what foreigners
have to say
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F
O C U S
Our door is open, but
the choice is yours Pat Cox
By
Kurt Sansone
While stressing more than once that it is solely Maltas
prerogative whether to join the European Union or not, European
Parliament President Pat Cox appealed to the country to get its
act together and take a binding decision once and for all.
READ
MORE >>
Businessmen will gain strength
by forging links, says Hyzler
By
Miriam Dunn
The Parliamentary Secretary in the Economic Services Ministry
has expressed his disappointment that businessmen are not gearing
up for new market challenges as best they could. READ
MORE >>
Businesses still have fears over
e-commerce
Although entrepreneurs are concerned about security and
privacy when doing business via the Internet they also believe that
there are many benefits to be gained through the use of e-commerce.
READ
MORE >>
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INTERVIEW
Businesses must
move with the times
If entrepreneurs make the most of new opportunities and release
themselves totally from the protectionist mentality, they
have every chance of succeeding in the new economy, Parliamentary
Secretary George Hyzler tells Miriam Dunn |
OPINION
ICT and the digital divide
Transport and Communications Minister Censu Galea commemorates
World Telecommunications Day with an address overviewing the last
decade of information and communication technology and Maltas
future role in the telecommunications revolution
NEWS
Explosion in telecoms may be reason
for slump in other sectors
The explosion in the local telecoms sector in a period of relative
slump is proof of high spending and the shift in consumer preferences.
Four month government revenue
up three per cent
Compared to the first four months of 2001, Ordinary Revenue from
January to April of this year had increased by Lm6.2 million, or
three per cent, and amounted to Lm215.3 million
Go mobile found cheaper than Malta
from overseas, but Vodafone with a wider service
With both of Maltas mobile telephony operators evening out
in terms of the price of local calls, the next mobile pricing and
coverage battlefield may present itself in the realm of overseas
telephony
Advertising regulations in the
limelight
Regulating TV advertising seems to have been a priority of the Broadcasting
Authority throughout 2001. This is witnessed by the special focus
on the regulations published in the latest Broadcasting Authoritys
Annual Report
Public survey on phone mail published
An overwhelming 76% of respondents have unequivocally stated that
Phone Mail should have been offered to subscribers at their request,
and not introduced, arbitrarily, nation-wide. Furthermore, almost
half of the respondents, that is, 47%, have actually had the service
discontinued from their residential lines
Investors
Corner
Mizzi Organisation Finance
launches Lm5 million 6.7% Bonds 2009 2012
Mizzi Organisation Finance plc this week launched a public bond
offering of Lm5 million at 6.7% interest, payable in arrears every
six months. Each bond has a nominal value of Lm100. These bonds
will be on sale from tomorrow and the offer will close on 31 May
2002 or earlier at the Companys option
Outstanding results for Institute
of Financial Services students
Financial services students coming from the Central Bank of Malta,
Bank of Valletta and HSBC have recently attained outstanding results
in their examinations leading to the joint award of ACIB and BSc
Financial Services awarded by the Institute of Financial Services
(UK) and the University of Manchester (UMIST)
Lombard Bank to acquire participation
in Gasan Fund Management
Lombard Bank Malta and the Gasan Group have reached an agreement
in terms of which the Bank will acquire a 75 per cent participation
in Gasan Fund Management Limited
Property
& Construction
2001 construction activity jumps
10%
The Central Bank of Malta reports that over the nine months leading
up to September 2001, turnover in the construction industry was
some 10 per cent higher than in the corresponding period of the
previous year
Real estate prices rise 5%, in
line with retail price index
Real estate prices had risen by some five per cent last year, according
to data recently released by the Central Bank of Malta. However,
the bank adds that the rise was only slightly more rapid than that
in the RPI
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