Malta Business Bureau presents business manifesto to Leader of the Opposition and the Nationalist Party

The Malta Business Bureau (MBB) recently published a Business Manifesto, ‘Business for Europe – Europe for Business’, ahead of the upcoming European elections and the new EU legislature. The Business Manifesto reflects on current political trends, analyses legislative outcomes from the last legislature, and communicates the expectations of the Maltese business community from the EU in the next five years through a set of guiding principles.

The manifesto was officially presented to the Leader of the Opposition and the Nationalist Party, Hon. Adrian Delia on Wednesday 24^th March. The MBB delegation was led by MBB President Simon De Cesare and accompanied by Board of Directors and representatives from the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry and the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association.

Making reference to the economic forecasts, Mr De Cesare stated, “Global markets are heading towards slower growth that will surely have repercussions on the labour market. During the next mandate, the EU therefore needs to put competitiveness at the centre of policy making. As our local economy is characterised primarily by small and medium enterprises, it is also essential that EU legislation and initiatives are subject to and pass the SME test to avoid or eliminate all-together disproportionate administrative requirements, as is provisioned by the Small Business Act.”

“In the coming months, the MBB will continue to promote the manifesto’s guiding principles, to ensure that the decisions taken by the legislators reflect the aspirations of businesses at the local level. The MBB will continue to support the elected Maltese MEPs in their work through our representative office in Brussels, by providing them with feedback on the impact that legislation would have on the sustainability and competitiveness of Maltese businesses,” he continued.

Hon. Adrian Delia commended the Maltese MEPs’ work, including safeguarding the interests of smaller enterprises who rely on online platforms to reach consumers.  Dr Delia also highlighted the various difficulties faced by enterprises in relation to digitalisation and reaffirmed the party’s commitment to continue working to ensure that these challenges are tackled.

Participating in the discussion were also MEP candidates Peter Agius, Dione Borg, Roselyn Borg, Michael Mercieca, Roberta Metsola, and Francis Zammit Dimech.

The full publication can be viewed from the following link: www.mbb.org.mt

The Malta Business Bureau is the EU-business advisory office of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, and the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association.