GRTU aid agency fostering Misurata-Maltese business relations

A Maltese aid agency set up last year in the wake of the Libyan revolution has leveraged the relations it built in supporting the Misurata rebellion against Libyan government forces, with a new cooperation agreement for Maltese businessmen.

Mario Debono, who headed the I-Go Aid Foundation that shipped tonnes of medical supplies, ambulances and food via ferry to the besieged Misurata port, signed the agreement on behalf of the Chamber of SMEs (GRTU) with the Misurata Chamber of Commerce.

The agreement, which makes reference to the sustained aid effort during the Libyan conflict, cites the GRTU as "the first organisation to call for aid for Libya" and being at the forefront in lobbying the government to help the country. The GRTU says it assisted I-Go Aid with material and logistical support.

The agreement also binds the two Chambers to give assistance to businessmen who wish to invest in Malta or Libya. "Misurata's mindset is very much like Malta's... Malta's businessmen will feel very much at home in this environment and will be sure to find new partners for their businesses in Libya," the GRTU said in a statement.

On its part, the GRTU will assist companies in port and maritime services, manufacturing, foodstuffs and construction, to explore business opportunities in post-war Libya.

Debono's part in the I-Go Aid Foundation, set up with Misuratan businessman Tarek Tarhouni, involved organising the shipping of supplies from the UN World Food Programme (WFP) throughout the Libyan conflict.

The small vessel had to dodge Libyan government boats in a bid to sneak through and into the besieged port of Misurata.

In September 2011, Debono told The Malta Independent that once Libyan leader Col. Gaddafi is captured, his NGO would help coordinate humanitarian missions to other crisis-torn countries south of Malta. "Besides Libya, there are several other countries in Africa and the Middle East which need our help, such as Sudan, Syria and Somalia, to name but three countries. "Although as an NGO we're keeping our options open about our future, our main focus for the time being is Libya, in which living conditions continue to deteriorate from bad to worse."

Mario Debono, 44, is a vice-president of the GRTU, and a director of medicinal importers Alpha Pharma.

The GRTU has defended Debono in the wave of charges he faced of allegedly importing medicines without a licence. "What happened to Mario Debono can happen to many others in this age of rapid email purchasing. The company of which Mario Debono is a director of believes they have been tricked and that they committed no crime. They themselves alerted the authorities rather than profiting from the mistake and took all necessary action to ensure that no harm was done to anybody."