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By James Debono
Counteracting fears of an Italian style price hike once Malta adopts the euro, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Finance Tonio Fenech has announced that the government is considering obliging all retailers to price and mark their products in both the euro and Maltese liri in the year preceding and the year following the currency changeover.
The move will ensure that consumers do not receive any surprises on the day after Malta’s adoption of the euro.
Fenech made the declaration during the filming of yesterday's edition the Int X'Tahseb? TV programme in what was the first debate between Malta’s three political parties on the issue...
By Matthew Vella
The Maltese economy is feared at risk of welcoming more workers from the EU and beyond the community’s borders if a further liberalisation of services is allowed through the implementation of the controversial services directive.
Malta has joined the chorus of disapproval led by France and Germany, arguing it could have a negative effect on the Maltese economy. Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Gonzi said Malta was concerned about some aspects of the directive which could have a negative impact on the Maltese services sector...
By Matthew Vella
The General Workers Union has informed its workers that it would be issuing the first of its national scale directives on Monday, in response to the suspension of Enemalta workers who were engaged in industrial action on directives issued by the GWU.
Secretary-General Tony Zarb said yesterday the Union had notified all employers of industrial action to take place on Monday. The Union will be meeting Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Gonzi tomorrow to discuss the pending situation of Enemalta workers who were suspended during an industrial action at the corporation’s aviation and generation divisions...
By James Debono
Fielding questions from The Malta Financial and Business Times, the Department of Information yesterday informed this newspaper that, “All airlines, low cost or otherwise, that are registered in Europe, as is the case with Ryanair, can operate without hindrance to and from Malta immediately. Hence no one is trying to restrict such airlines from operating.”
In apparent bid to appease Air Malta last week, Tourism and Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech declared, “We have to take into consideration to what extent the infrastructure can take a possible increase in tourism and what impact budget airlines will have on travel operators and existing airlines operating to Malta.”...
INTERVIEW
New Bank of Valletta Chairman Roderick Chalmers has taken the helm of the largest Maltese bank during tumultuous times, on the heels of former chairman Joseph FX Zahra’s controversial resignation and as the bank moves ever closer to its final privatisation. In a wide-ranging interview, he speaks to DAVID LINDSAY about a number of issues affecting the bank and the Maltese economy itself...
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OPINION
European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services Charlie McCreevy speaks at last week's informal first meeting of the European Banking Committee and spells out the priorities of the EU financial services policy over 2005-2010...
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