Chamber annoyed by media conference held outside its doors

A press conference organised by the Nationalist Party in Valletta yesterday afternoon has raised the ire of the Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry because the conference was held at its doorstep.

“The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry prides itself of its apolitical status and it was therefore most annoyed by the holding of a political press conference at its doorstep yesterday.  This was an unfortunate attempt to drag the Institution into the ongoing electoral campaign where it has no place,” the Chamber of Commerce said.

As part of its role, the Chamber makes active representations with the authorities to seek urgent closure of matters which are of serious concern to its members.

In a statement it said that these efforts were in line with the Chamber’s primary mission – that of ensuring the right environment for business to invest and create the level of prosperity that our country deserves. 

“For the past three years, the Chamber has been flagging its warning about the danger of the country losing its freedom to support investment made in large undertakings.  This, as a result of new Commission rules on state-aid and the country’s loss of what was previously known as Objective 1 Status.

“From the Chamber’s objective point of view, it is most disappointing that this complex matter is now being politicized.  The matter is currently being discussed at MCESD where it has been recognized by all stakeholders that this is a most urgent and serious threat to national competitiveness.” 

The Chamber had first raised its concern about the subject with the previous administration in early 2012.  Subsequently, it raised the matter with the new Administration immediately after the March 2013 election as the matter had, by then, become extremely urgent. 

The Commission guidelines were published on 23rd July 2013.  The Chamber’s study and recommendations on the guidelines were submitted to the Government and Malta Enterprise in September 2013. 

Meanwhile, the Chamber made strong representations on the subject in various quarters including MCESD, BusinessEurope, in public events and in the media: “In so doing, it ensured it was safeguarding the national interest in so far as future investment and employment opportunities for Malta were concerned.”

“Throughout its history, the Chamber has built itself a long track record of safeguarding and promoting the economic interests of the country and its members in a professional and objective manner.  In so doing, it has never resorted to any outside help in getting its message across.”