MBR_Issue_27 -January 2017 low res

Malta Business Review
NEWSMAKERS
PHOTO: DOI - Omar Camilleri
The Parliamentary Secretary for the EU
Presidency 2017 and EU Funds Ian Borg is
pleased to announce that eight projects,
which include nine Maltese partners, have
been approved for funding under the second
call for project proposals in connection with
the INTERREG EUROPE Programme.
Parliamentary Secretary Ian Borg said that
these projects, which shall address the four
priority axes tackled under this programme,
focus on research, technological
development and innovation, enhancing
Eight projects, involving nine Maltese partners, selected for funding under the
second call for project proposals of the Interreg Europe 2014-2020 Programme
the competitiveness of SMEs, a low carbon
economy, protection of the environment as
well as the promotion of resource efficiency.
The budget allocated to the nine partners
participating in such projects which include
public bodies, bodies governed by public
law and also a private not-for-profit partner,
amount to €1.2 million in ERDF funds.
The third call for project proposals under
the INTERREG EUROPE Programme is
envisaged to open in March 2017. This call
which might be the final opportunity for
prospective applicants to participate in this
Programme shall also focus on the ‘classic’
interregional cooperation projects similar
to those funded under the first and second
call for project proposals.
For further information on the above
mentioned call or on the INTERREG EUROPE
2014-2020 Programme in general, kindly
contact the Territorial Cooperation Unit
within FPD either by phone on 2200 1142 or
by email: fpd.meaim@gov.mt. Information is
also available on the FPD’s website
http://eufunds.gov.mt/ and the Programme’s
website http://www.interregeurope.eu/.
Parliamentary Secretary Ian Borg invites
interested prospective applicants to start
the preparatory work required before the
publication of the next call while thanking
the Territorial Cooperation Unit within the
FPD for their availability and help in any
guidance required. MBR
Source: THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARIAT
FOR THE EU PRESIDENCY 2017 AND EU FUNDS
Emirates announces daily service from Dubai to Malta via Cyprus
Cyprus is again reachable on daily basis from
Malta on Emirates
Emirates unveiled plans to re-route its
daily service between Dubai and Malta
via Larnaca, Cyprus, from 1st February
2017. This means that the current five
weekly flights with routing Dubai/Tunis/
Malta/Dubai will be changed to Dubai/
Larnaca/Malta/Larnaca/Dubai, the same
as the current flight operating every
Monday and Wednesday. The Malta route
allows travellers to book tickets between
Malta and Cyprus.
Travellers from Malta can once again enjoy
daily access to Larnaca, as Cyprus is only two
hours away. The daily Dubai-Larnaca-Malta
service will be operated by a state-of-the-art
Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a three-class
configuration, with eight Private Suites in
First Class, 42 lie flat seats in Business Class,
and 310 spacious seats in Economy Class.
As with all Emirates flights, passengers also
enjoy generous baggage allowances: 50 kilos
in First Class, 40 kilos in Business Class, and
up to 35 kilos in Economy Class.
Starting 1 February 2017, EK 109 will depart
Dubai at 0750hrs, arriving in Larnaca at
1020hrs. It will then depart Larnaca at
1150hrs, arriving in Malta at 1325hrs. The
return flight, EK 110, will leave Malta at
1455hrs, arriving in Larnaca at 1815hrs. It will
Cyprus Tourism Organisation
then depart Larnaca at 1930hrs, and land in
Dubai at 0125hrs the next day. The timings
are ideal for onward connections from Dubai
to Australia, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and
North and South America. Businesses and
traders will also benefit from the aircraft’s
belly-hold to carry cargo on the Boeing 777-
300ER aircraft by Emirates SkyCargo offering
23 tonnes of capacity per flight. MBR
Further information and flight schedules are
available from: www.emirates.com/mt
Corruption index: Malta loses 10 places to 47, worst place ever, PN reacts
Malta has lost 10 places in one year on the
Corruption Perceptions Index, falling to its worst
ever 47th placing since it started to be monitored
by Transparency International in 2004.
The latest figures were published last night, with
Malta dropping from the 37th place in 2015
to the 47th in 2016. Malta has figured among
the list of countries vetted by Transparency
International since 2004, when it appeared
in the 25th place, which it kept in 2005 and
remains its best placing. Since then, besides the
28th place obtained in 2006, Malta has been
yo-yoing between the 33rd place in 2007 and
the 47th placing in 2016, its worst placing ever.
In 2008, Malta was 36th, in 2009 45th, in 2010
37th, in 2011 39th, in 2012 43rd, in 2013 45th, in
2014 43rd, in 2015 37th and, now, in 2016, 47th.
All through 2016, Malta was in the international
limelight for the wrong reasons after Minister
Konrad Mizzi was the only serving minister in an EU
country to be named in the Panama Papers scandal.
In reaction, the Nationalist Party made reference
to the story as revealed by The Malta Independent
this morning, saying that this confirmed that the
government led by Joseph Muscat is the most
corrupt in history. The position Malta obtained, at
number 47, is the worst ever, and relates to 2016
which was a year in which the Panama Papers
scandal involving Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri
erupted. This classification is a bad advert for Malta,
and it is worse because potential investors look at
such classifications seriously. This is worrying for
Malta's economy, the PN said. More than ever
before, the country needs different politics which
raise standards, and it is only the Nationalist Party
under Simon Busuttil that can guarantee this, the
PN said. From all the promises made by Muscat,
the only one that was achieved that Malta is first in
Europe - in corruption, the PN said. MBR
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