‘We cannot remain in a state of emergency’ says Chamber of Commerce

Malta needs to find a new sense of competitiveness, in order to successfully navigate a post-COVID reality, the Malta Chamber of Commerce said. 

In a meeting with Opposition leader Adrian Delia, the president of the Malta Chamber of Commerce David Xuereb said the current economic disruption was resulting in great hardship for businesses and citizens alike.

On Monday, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that as of 22 May a plethora of restrictions imposed by the health authorities would be relaxed, including the opening of restaurants and cafeterias. Abela insisted that the country cannot allow a national emergency to become the daily normality, saying the government’s decisions were based on scientific proof.

The Chamber insisted that Malta should be given a clear and safe direction on the way forward in a “responsible and structured manner”.

“At the same time the country ought to continue to give due weight to the nation’s economic needs as well as the physical and mental health of our people,” the Chamber said.

Xuereb said that one could not exist without the other, and at this challenging time, this had “never been truer”.

The Chamber has made a series of recommendations to the government on the measures needed to help businesses weather the storm and take advantage of the opportunities that are around us. “We cannot remain in a state of emergency, we need to start building again,” Xuereb said.