Stabbiltà stands as one of the most recent public service initiatives aimed at mitigating the adverse impacts of economic uncertainties gripping the global stage, precipitated by events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine and Middle East conflicts, and Brexit. Given Malta’s heavy reliance on imported goods, particularly in the realm of food, the island nation is notably susceptible to fluctuations in prices. Spearheaded by the Ministry for the Economy, Enterprise, and Strategic Projects, Stabbiltà aims to stabilise the prices of essential food items, alleviate inflationary pressures, and ease financial burdens on households while simultaneously bolstering support for businesses.
Launched on February 1, the Stabbiltà initiative requires participating food importers and retailers to reduce the recommended retail prices (RRPs) of staple food products under 15 selected categories by a minimum of 15 per cent compared to levels observed on October 31, 2023. Recognising the diverse profit margins, sales volumes, and economies of scale between larger enterprises and smaller businesses, the Ministry has also introduced a grant scheme to level the playing field, making participation more accessible for smaller retailers. This grant scheme has facilitated broader participation in the initiative, ensuring benefits for both participating businesses and their customers. Currently, over 535 outlets across Malta and Gozo have enthusiastically embraced the initiative, offering more than 400 food products at reduced RRPs.
Implementing such an initiative in a very short timeframe has presented considerable challenges for the Ministry’s public administration which nonetheless, rose to the occasion. Led by my Office as the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, its execution necessitated the concerted efforts of various directorates within the Ministry. Extensive deliberations preceded the implementation of the initiative, involving discussions between the Ministry, key stakeholders, and major food products importers and retailers. These discussions were instrumental in encouraging large retailers and importers to commit to the initiative. Various discussions were also held with the Competition Authority to ensure adherence to competition regulations, and with the State Said Monitoring Board to secure State Aid clearance for the grant scheme.
Concurrently, efforts were made to streamline the application process to join the Stabbiltà initiative and to benefit from the grant, by the Office of the Permanent Secretary, the Commerce Department, and the Ministry’s Information Management Unit. This involved the development of a digital application form, detailed guidelines and FAQs for clarity on the initiative’s parameters, as well as the introduction of digital formats for submission, aligning with the government’s ongoing efforts to enhance accessibility, transparency, and regulatory compliance through digitalization and simplified procedures. The developed Stabbiltà portal is continually being updated with pertinent information by the core implementation team whenever necessary.
Preparatory work by public service officials included establishing unified branding and design strategies, launching the Stabbiltà web portal, creating necessary documentation and repositories, and organizing training sessions for the customer care team of servizz.gov to effectively address public inquiries, while holding continuous meetings with stakeholders aimed to gather all business and technical requirements necessary for the development of the portal.
Following the launch of the scheme, the Commerce Department’s Evaluation Committee began reviewing applications received through the portal to determine eligibility. Successful applicants are then informed and provided with marketing material for display. The subsequent stage involves the disbursement of funds to eligible applicants, managed by the Corporate Services Directorate throughout the Stabbiltà initiative’s timeline.
Through meticulous planning, collaboration, and implementation efforts, the various departments involved have made significant strides toward achieving the objectives of this governmental endeavour. Public officers remain committed to the successful implementation of the Stabbiltà initiative, which will continue until the announcement of the Government’s Budget for 2025. As Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, I am proud of the collective effort of my public officials who embraced the challenge and thanks to their dedication, enthusiasm going the extra mile attitude, ensured that this initiative was successfully and timely executed.
Ronald Mizzi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry for the Economy, Enterprise and Strategic Projects