Maritime public-private partnership committee holds first meeting

The first steps towards the setting up of Malta Marittima – a public-private partnership aimed at establishing Malta as a centre of excellence in the maritime sector, have been taken, Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth Dr Jose Herrera has announced.

Herrera himself convened the initial group of members who will form part of the steering committee representing the Government authorities and department. The group members included representatives of Transport Malta, the Fisheries & Aquaculture Department, Malta Freeport Corporation, Malta Enterprise and Regulator for Energy and Water Services. During the introductory meeting Dr Herrera explained the objectives of the Integrated Maritime Policy and its implementation strategy. The Steering Committee which will be an integral part of Malta Marittima, a private public partnership, will bring Government closer to industry and provide a coordinated and open dialogue in the maritime areas.

This first step is being conducted in parallel with the setting up of a small maritime affairs policy department which will cover areas related to research and education, security and surveillance, environment and “spatial planning and governance.”

During the meeting, Herrera informed the members that he would be pursuing further progress with industry stakeholders to create an inclusive organisation that aims to increase Malta’s added value in the maritime area.

Dr Herrera said he believes that through active participation industry can have better opportunities for growth. “The Government is there to act as a catalyst and encourage or push companies to higher levels of aspirations and move to higher levels of competitive performance,” said the Parliamentary secretary. It will also decide on regulatory matters, reducing bureaucracy and improving the business environment. However the organisation “will not be there to replace or duplicate the work currently being done by the various department and authorities,” said Dr Herrera.