Diving instructors

I refer to Steve Mallia's interview with Joe Muscat, secretary, Gozo Tourism Association (Gozo Times, October 13), particularly where the write-up says: "But in the same breath Mr Muscat criticises delays in the issue of working permits to instructors at diving centres". Presumably, Mr Muscat is referring to the issue of work permits to foreign diving instructors as there is nothing on earth which impedes Mr Muscat and the diving centres in Malta from employing local instructors.

If this is the case, one should emphasise that it is not the ETC's responsibility to issue work permits to foreigners but it falls within the OPM expatriates' division's remit. Therefore, the ETC is not delaying - and cannot delay - the issue of such work permits.

However, once the interviewee brought up the problem of diving instructors unsolicitly, one should note that the ETC's big efforts to train local Maltese diving instructors to address this shortage has encountered lack of support from the industry itself - hence the lack of diving instructors in Gozo and in Malta.