Helping those who will be helping us

I have heard so many times people whom I respect and believe tell me they know of foreigners who wanted to open up businesses or factories here in Malta but leave in utter frustration and go elsewhere. Why do they do this? Very simple. They are inundated with bureaucracy, red tape and all sorts of obstacles that make their lives miserable to such an extent that they give up and go elsewhere.

Now this is a country that needs companies to set up shop here. Businesses coming here and setting themselves up create employment and prosperity. This is such an elementary conclusion that it is utterly amazing that anybody wishing to set up business in Malta isn't met with red carpet treatment and given every bit of help required.

Now imagine a foreign businessman who wishes to expand his manufacturing base into another country. He looks around and sees where it would be in his best interest to relocate. He looks at the area, the work force, taxation, work conditions, transport and, most important of all, the willingness of the country or area to accommodate him.

Out there in the great wide world there are many, many countries and parts of countries that are falling over themselves to get new business. They are doing everything in their power to help people who wish to move into their area. And so they should if they really have the interests of their country at heart.

Any person coming into a new country to relocate, whether personally or for business, will find it difficult to get around the ways of the new country. Where to go. What to do. The last thing that they would want is unnecessary problems.

What should we do in Malta?

We should set up a specific section, manned by intelligent, hard working and efficient people, whose sole job is to help in every way anybody or any organisation that shows interest in setting up business in Malta or Gozo. The sole terms of reference of this section would be to help, encourage and assist its clients in every way in order that clients would find Malta a first class and non-problematic place where to conduct business.

What is so difficult about that? Answer. Nothing.

Why hasn't it been and why isn't it being done? Answer. I don't know.

Efforts have been made to conduct such a service in the past but things were certainly not done properly and certainly such efforts do not seem to have been continued. These attempts at helping those who wish to help us were not made in a professional and efficient way. If anyone can prove this to be otherwise then I stand to be corrected and I don't mean here the occasional success story.

Malta needs two things.

People to go out in the wide world and get business to Malta.

People in Malta to make absolutely sure that all goes well when they get here.

Our university has been very efficient at producing legal and medical minds. I think it should now think more of producing types of commercial graduates that can help Malta compete on the very difficult and competitive world stage, for the benefit of our country.