Maltese consortium opens furnishings showroom in Tripoli

A furnishings showroom in the centre of Tripoli owned by a consortium of nine Maltese companies and their Libyan partner was officially opened on Thursday.

The showroom was opened by Finance Minister John Dalli and the general director of the Libyan Foreign Investment Board, Mohammed Abulhoul.

Maltese Consortium Holdings Ltd was formed last September by Bartolo Wood Turners, Bonds, Delia Woodworks, Fitwell, Fithome, Joe Spiteri Enterprises, Marsalite, Redeemer and SAW. They all specialise in the furniture and woodwork industry. The Libyan partner is the Ashkahi Company of Tripoli.

The consortium intends to open another showroom in Sirte, 400 kilometres away from the Libyan capital, within one month.

Another five Maltese firms - Windsor, Hal Mann, Frame Grip, Xuereb Glass and HM Blinds - are also exhibiting their wares at the Tripoli showroom.

The showroom, which opened its doors to the public a month ago, has seen an average of 50 visitors each day. It took seven 13-metre-long containers to stock it.

MC Holdings executive chairman Mario Vella Petroni told a news conference in Tripoli on Thursday that the general aim of the centre was to act as a platform for Maltese exporters of furniture and furnishings and related items. He said the venture would offer exporters a comprehensive service, starting from the collection of the product in Malta to the actual delivery and installation for the customer in Libya.

The centre is run by manager Gorg Borg Anastasi and two Libyan salesmen. Another Maltese technical person is to be appointed shortly. The consortium may also set up a furniture factory in Libya.

Mr Dalli said the showroom was evidence that there were opportunities for Maltese which could be exploited.

He said the government worked to facilitate activities between private partnerships in Malta and Libya, helping businesses with the problems they encountered.

The Libyan economy, he said, had been transformed, and there were partnership opportunities as well as a new market. He said that Libya could also benefit from Malta's membership of the EU.

Mr Abulhoul, who agreed with Mr Dalli's comment on the EU, said that decisions taken by both the Maltese and Libyan governments could be used to strengthen relations between the two countries.

Libyan and Maltese businesses, he said, were committed to working together in the different sectors, and not just the furniture industry.

He said it seemed the furnishings showroom had been well accepted by the Libyans and he hoped furniture would not just be exported from Malta but that a workshop would also eventually be set up in Tripoli.

Present for the occasion were several Maltese working in Libya, Ambassador Richard Vella Laurenti and Libya's ambassador to Malta, Ali Nageem.