SMEs lobby urges Robert Abela to prioritise good governance

The Malta Chamber of SMEs has urged the Prime Minister to ensure good governance is prioritised across the board.

The Chamber's president, Paul Abela, said that all businesses wanted is that things were done in the correct manner in Malta.

Abela was speaking during a meeting with the Prime Minister where he discussed his hopes that the island would start to reap the benefits of road upgrades this year, the headache bank bureaucracy causes businesses, and the importance of working for a sustainable future.

"All we want is that things are done correctly... that is what good governance is," Abela said

"All the necessary governance structures are there... so if these are in place, we shouldn't take long to go back on the road we were before," he said.

Noting that the latest SMEs Chamber survey had shown that sales had decreased slightly in 2019 from the peak reached the previous year, Abela said retailers were looking at 2020 with optimism.

"After a fall you have to dust yourself off and keep going, not give up," he said, "And our survey is positive [about the year ahead]."

Paul Abela added that political stability was important for businesses and that it was apparent that the Prime Minister was making, and was still faced with, difficult decisions.

Robert Abela said that he was conscious that a good reputation for Malta was important for both foreign and local investors.

He said that he had received positive messages from the EU in connection with the decisions the government had made since he took office.

"It shouldn't take too long to restore our reputation," the Prime Minister said, "Once this is done, we will keep focusing on the economy and on improving people's lives - and [SMEs] make up a big part of this."

He added that the government was employing a pro-marker attitude which saw the market holistically, giving due importance to both businesses and consumers.