More businesses protest amendments to billboard regulations

The Chamber of Commerce has joined other businesses in condemning the introduction of amendments to the billboard regulations.

In a statement, the Chamber said it “will not accept” that laws affecting business are introduced with no prior consultation. It said, that this was the case when Legal Notice 103 of 2016 (Billboards and Advertisements Regulations, 2016) was published in the Government Gazette on April 5, giving operators a deadline of merely six working days to comply. Worse still, the Chamber added, the Legal Notice was published and implemented by the Parliamentary Secretary responsible for the Simplification of Administrative Processes.

The Chamber insisted that it would "not accept twisting of facts". The Planning Authority yesterday described the Chamber as being "in favour of the legal notice".

During an urgent meeting with the parliamentary secretary, convened urgently at their request, the Chamber said that it was in favour of the intention to harmonise current legislation in this area but it condemned the fact that no consultation whatsoever took place prior to the implementation of this Legal Notice.

“The Chamber feels it is imperative for it to set this record straight to avoid any possibility that the general public is misled on the matter,” it said.

The Chamber shall be submitting its recommendations towards improving the LN in question.

“Indeed, there are several points in the law with which it strongly disagrees with, not least the imposition of a €1,500 yearly fee payable to Transport Malta on all signs, billboards and advertisements included in the law save for some limited exceptions,” it said.

“The Chamber shall also be requesting assurances that this law is being enacted in full compliance of the provisions of the Small Business Act.”

It accused the authorities of overregulating and overburdening business as an easy alternative to putting into place appropriate enforcement structures.

“This practice must certainly be reversed.”

“The Chamber is extremely disappointed, that while it enjoys an excellent relation with most Ministries, some are still obstinate in their ways of legislation with no consultation. Naturally, the Chamber would have very much preferred putting forward its recommendations as part of a consultation process rather than a damage limitation exercise.”