Private companies could make use of Dar Malta - Plumpton

Nationalist Party EP election candidate Kevin Plumpton said that any unused floor space in Dar Malta in Brussels, should be made available by the Government to be used by Maltese private companies and the business community.

Plumpton said that it was 'evidently clear' that Malta's business community and its private companies should be more present in Brussels. He said that if these were able to use Dar Malta, this could facilitate lobbying and strategic action could prove to be of ultimate beneficial to Malta's economy.

Participating in a roundtable discussion with leading Maltese businesses, organised by the European Parliament Office in Valletta, Plumpton said that this could help these private companies intensify their work, lobbying and efforts to attract more EU funds to Malta.

Dar Malta is strategically located in the heart of Brussels. Malta's Permanent Representation to the EU currently occupies the top four storeys of Dar Malta, which is strategically situated on Rue Archimede, just outside the European Commission building. The fifth floor is occupied by Malta's embassy to Belgium, and another two are occupied by third parties.

However there is a significant amount of space which is still under-utilised.

"I personally think that Dar Malta was a sound long-term strategic investment for Malta and critics of such an investment have been proved wrong a long time ago," he said.

"However, we should now work together with the current presence of the Maltese Business Bureau to utilise the space which is still empty or underutilised and I definitely believe that Malta's business community can make excellent use of such space and yield good results for Malta's economy."

Plumpton also proposed that Malta should set up a single independent agency to manage EU funds and co-financed projects.

"At the moment, EU structural funds fall under one ministry and direct EU funding is the responsibility of another ministry. I strongly believe that it will be imperative for Malta to create one independent agency and one focal point of administration and assistance which will direct companies to the eligible programme under which their project could benefit from funding. I think the time has come for everyone to work together under the umbrella of a single agency."

Several high profile companies including Farsons, Alberta, Westin Dragonara Hotel and Cyberspace participated in the round-table discussion organised by the Malta's European Office in Valletta.