Chamber of Commerce, Employers' Association call for simpler procedures for foreign workers

The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry and the Malta Employers' Association have called on all relevant authorities to take action to simplify procedures in relation to work and residency applications for foreign workers, especially third country nationals.

“Malta’s unprecedented economic growth has led to an equally unprecedented increase of foreign workers actively participating in the labour market without affecting employment figures of Maltese citizens,” the two organisations said in a joint statement. “The latest statistics show that Malta has the lowest unemployment within the European Union,” they added, referring to figures from the Eurostat which in June showed Malta's unemployment rate to be at a record low 4%, more than half of the EU's average of 8.6%.

The two organisations urged the government to implement a complete overhaul to the formal work and residency permit application procedures. “It is imperative that said procedures satisfy the European Union Directives but also introduce the efficiency and flexibility that Malta’s growing economy desperately requires,” the statement read.

The organisations lamented that several employers have reported losing business in recent months due to delays in processing work and residency permits of foreign workers. “The present situation must not be allowed to persist if economic growth is to be sustained. As long as work and residence permit procedures are not restructured and realigned to present needs, the demand for such workers will continue to outweigh the supply.”

To this end, the two organisations requested a number of measures to be undertaken, including reducing the average processing time to four weeks, establishing a one stop shop for processing work and residence permits, the removal o duplication and repetition of work in extending visas, simplifying the labour market test to employ foreign employees and the minimisation of administrative burdens.

The two organisations added that foreign workers are necessary for sustaining economic growth.

“It is the organisations’ belief that the integration of foreign workers must be regarded as a viable roadmap to sustainable economic growth, particularly in sectors where widening skills gaps amongst the local workforce exist.”