DIARY OF EVENTS 2004 JANUARY - doi photography competition

• 5 March 2004 Prime Minister Edward Fenech-Adami warned that Eurosceptics will have a field day if
agreement on the European Constitution is not reached by the European Parliament elections in June. The
Prime Minister was speaking during a joint press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Peter
Medgyessy, in Budapest. Later on, Dr Fenech-Adami inaugurated Malta's first Embassy in Budapest, in
the presence of Malta's first resident Ambassador to Hungary, Noel Buttigieg Scicluna.
• 5 March 2004 National Statistics Office figures show that the full-time gainfully occupied population
stood at 137,017 persons in October 2003, a decrease of 737 compared to October 2002. In October 2003,
registered unemployment amounted to 8,249 or 5.7 %, compared with 5.3 % in October 2002.
• 5 March 2004 Parliamentary Secretary Francis Agius told the EU EPSCO Council in Brussels that
removing the opt-out clause from the Working-Time Directive would reduce the flexibility of Malta's
labour market and could result in job losses. Dr Agius was representing Social Policy Minister Lawrence
Gonzi.
• 6 March 2004 Ms Lidia Barreiros, Director of the European Commission's Directorate General for
Development, advised non-government organisations to organise themselves into a national platform and
coordinate their efforts with established NGOs in Europe in order to have a better chance to obtain funds
from the EU. The advice was given during a public dialogue on the theme ‘The EU's Development and
Humanitarian Aid Policy’, held at the Old University, in Valletta.
• 6 March 2004 Minister for Tourism Francis Zammit Dimech said that relations with China are today
based on trade and tourism. He said that Chinese merchant ships are making use of our Freeport facilities
and Chinese tourists coming to Malta are on the increase. Dr Zammit Dimech was speaking at the
inauguration of an exhibition by Ms Na Yuan, organised by the Malta-China Friendship Society.
• 6 March 2004 IT and Investment Minister Austin Gatt told reporters that he saw a wave of opportunities
for the Freeport once Malta joins the EU. He said that, operating from an EU country on the periphery of
southern Europe, the Freeport stands to become a stepping stone into the continent. This would provide a
change to the traditional perception that the Freeport was a link into North Africa.
• 6 March 2004 Ombudsman Joe Sammut announced that a survey commissioned by his office shows that
Maltese people consider the Ombudsman's office to be the most credible institution in the country, beating
the media, politicians, and even the Catholic Church. Almost eight out of 10 respondents said that the
Ombudsman is a credible institution, while seven out of 10 believe that his investigations are effective.
• 6 March 2004 Parliamentary Secretary Dolores Cristina voiced concern that information and
communications technology might create a new form of discrimination through lack of access. "This may
be the 21st century, but when it comes to ICT, the gender divide shows no signs of closing," she said. Ms
Cristina was addressing a workshop entitled ‘A Forward Look at the Knowledge Society in Malta: Gender
Perspectives and Implication’.
• 6 March 2004 National Statistics Office figures show that, in October-December 2003, total sales by a
sample of 451 manufacturing enterprises amounted to Lm262.2 million, an increase of 3.4 per cent on the
same period the previous year. In this period, the radio, TV, communications equipment manufacturing
sub-sector enhanced its sales performance by 3.5 per cent to Lm125.7 million, from Lm121.5 million in
the previous year.
• 7 March 2004 Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said that a decision will be taken on whether to
site two landfills near the Neolithic temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra after the Government takes into
account the views of all the experts on this matter. Dr Gonzi was fielding questions during his first news
conference as Nationalist Party Leader.
• 7 March 2004 Youth and the Arts Minister Jesmond Mugliett said that around 750 million people were
expected to watch Malta's EU accession celebrations on May 1, as broadcast by EBU. Mr Mugliett said
that the programme will present a showcase of our best aspects of culture, heritage, and talent, while at the
same time celebrating our country's history as a mirror of European history.
• 8 March 2004 Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski said that it was important for the EU to continue
working closely with countries and regions outside the Union, especially in the Mediterranean and in the
East. The Polish President was speaking at a meeting with President Guido de Marco at the Palace, in
Valletta, soon after his arrival for a two-day State Visit to Malta.