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WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT

WEDNESDAY EDITION

WEDNESDAY 10 APRIL 2013 ISSUE 309 PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY

HSBC Maltas Head ofCommercial BankingMichel CordinaPg 12

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PHOTOGRAPHY

BY

RAYA

TTARD

PAGES 8-9

ALL EYES ON MGARRFOR GOZO MARINA

With Hondoq ir-Rummien already excluded, only land reclamation at Mgarr can guarantee a500-berth yacht marina as well as a new cruise liner terminal on Gozo

JAMES DEBONO

ENVIRONMENTALISTS be-ware: the most probable location onthe Gozitan coastline for both thecruise terminal and the 500-berth

yacht marina, envisioned in Labours

electoral programme, remains thealready congested Mgarr harbour,

which may have to be extended bymeans of land reclamation.

But the previous governments pro-posal for a cruise terminal on thesame site has already been shot downby MEPAs Environmental Protec-

tion Department, as it would entailthe destruction of the EU-protected

poseidonia (seaweed) meadows in thearea.

Labours intentions on this frontwere made clear in the electoral cam-paign. In June 2012 during a visit toFort Chambray, Muscat spoke about

the need for a yacht marina, addingthat Mgarr Harbour could be extend-

ed to take another 500 yacht berths.The same idea was echoed in Au-

gust 2012 by Chambray developerMichael Caruana in an article wherehe proposed a yacht marina based

just outside Marr Harbour.

Ideally the marina should have be-tween 500 and 800 berths since there

is a big market for it and it shouldalso offer berthing for super yachts,he wrote in an article called Trans-forming Gozo in to the Monte Carloof the Mediterranean.

Inmates directly affectedby years of neglect byprison administrationA surprise visit to Maltas prisonby the new Home Affairs Ministerlast Sunday may have caught theadministrative napping, but thesystemic problems uncovered werenothing new to an NGO which hasbeen calling for structural reformat Corradino Correctional Facilityfor years.

Inmates have consistently told

us that this yard can never beenopened or the gym cant be usedtoday, because of a lack of wardersto man the facilities, Mid-Dlamghad-Dawls George Busuttil said.The situation was having a directeffect on the lives of the prison-ers

CONTINUES ON PAGE 4

FULL STORY PAGE 6

SEE ALSO EDITORIAL PAGE 11

MARGARETTHATCHER

1925-2013Obituary by Martin Scicluna

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No signs ofspeculativeattacks on

Maltese economy Central BankgovernorKARL STAGNO-NAVARRA

CENTRAL Bank governor and Euro-pean Central Bank council memberJosef Bonnici dismissed any sugges-tion that the islands economy maybe subject to any external speculativeattacks in the wake of the Cypriotcrisis.

Speaking to MaltaToday, after hepresented the Central Banks annualreport, Bonnici however claimed thatwhile the Central Bank of Malta hasno evidence of any speculative at-tacks on its economy with regularcapital movements being registeredover the last few weeks, the institu-tion will remain vigilant.

Bonnici stressed that Maltas eco-nomic fundamentals remain strongon the back of positive performancethroughout the past years notwith-standing a delicate external econom-ic environment.

He said that the islands bankingand financial sector is sound androbust with high solvency, profit-ability and liquidity.

The Maltese banking sector iscomposed of domestically-orientedbanks and international banks, thelatter having very limited and con-tained links to the local economy.Most of their activity is in fact fo-cused on non-resident business andthey account for more than three-

fifths of the total assets of the bank-ing sector, he said.Bonnici explained that statistics

have clearly shown that the Maltesebanking sector compares very well tothe European averages.

This performance of the bankingsector is backed by strong macroeco-nomic fundamentals. Maltas econ-omy continued to register growth,moderate inflation and a muchlower unemployment rate than theeuro area. Government renewed itscommitment to fiscal consolidationand its determination to reign in thedeficit below the 3% threshold andto bring its debt-to-GDP ratio on adownward trajectory, Bonnici said.

The Capital Adequacy Ratio of Mal-tese banks is well above the 8% regu-latory minimum confirming that the

sector is well capitalised, he said.The profitability of the sector is

also high, especially when measuredby the return on equity, with the coredomestic banks achieving double-digit results. The same can be saidwhen analysing the liquid assets tototal assets ratio.

The core domestic banks are deep-ly integrated to Maltas economy andoperate a traditional business model.This is confirmed by the customerloan to deposit ratio which standsat 70% as compared to the Euro areaaverage of 110%. These banks alsohave very limited exposure to trou-

bled euro area securities and in itslatest Article IV Report on Malta,the International Monetary Fundconfirmed that Maltas banking sec-tor is one of the least sensitive to theGreek market risk. The way ahead isto build on the banks strengths, re-inforcing their resilience by allocat-ing further profits to provisioning,Bonnici said.

Josef Bonnici

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maltatoday,WEDNESDAY, 10 APRIL 2013News

Parts of Gozo coastline may haveto make way for marina projectPAGE 1 Muscat had also excluded a

yacht ma rina at Hondoq i r-Rumm-ien on the Qala coast even if Labourhas not excluded any residential de-

velopment in the former quarry site.During a visit to Gozo during the

electoral campaign Joseph Muscatdeclared that a new Labour govern-ment party stands opposed to theHondoq ir-Rummien yacht marinaand hotel project.

The director of Gozo Prestige Hol-idays, Joe Cassar, who proposed amarina at Hondoq ir-Rummien, wasguarded about the Prime Ministersannouncement for a new marina.

Whatever politicians say, if some-body does not take the burning deci-sions, people will not come to Gozoif there is something here that at-tracts them, and there wont be work

for Gozitans eithers, Cassar said.Cassars proposal for a holiday vil-

lage and accompanying marina wereturned down by MEPA. A revisedproposal, without the marina, is cur-rently at the appeals stage.

Hondoq is an ideal site for touristdevelopment. But if there isnt some-body who decides where things hap-pen, nothing gets done. Now MEPAwants us to file a new application,Cassar said, complaining that a con-siderable amount of money was spentin 16 copies of a six-volume study.

We researched the feasibility of12 sites for the marina, and it turnedout that Hondoq was the ideal place.If the government wants to do themarina at Mgarr, then I welcome it.After all, my interest in the marinaproject is for Gozo to have a nationalproject that provides it with income.My application has been unresolvedfor 11 years, Cassar said.

Plans to extend Gozos Marr Har-bour pontoons to accommodatemore boats, presented by the previ-ous government, are currently pend-ing at the planning authority.

The proposal is to install addition-al pontoons and a floating break-water to berth yachts at the marina,according to the project descriptionstatement.

But this is a far cry from what wasproposed by Muscat and Caruana,as the project will provide 45 newberthing spaces.

Space for such a marina in the

Mgarr harbour is very limited andwould probably require land recla-mation and development on the restof its pristine coastline.

During a meeting with Din l-ArtHelwa before the election Muscathad also declared that a new Labourgovernment will consider the con-struction of a yacht marina throughland reclamation but failed to indi-cate a site for this development

It would also likely cause greatdamage to the marine ecosystemsthere.

The impact of a cruise terminalMEPAs Environment Protection

Department has already deemed theproposal for the development of acruise liner berth at Mgarr Harbourto be objectionable in principle be-

cause of the threat posed by dredg-ing works to the protected PosidoniaMeadows and other protected spe-cies like the lesser Neptune grass.

The project envisaged the con-struction of a new berthing facilitywithin the port consisting of a plat-form 80 metres long and 15 metreswide positioned on concrete piles.The platform was to be connected tothe shore via a 100-meter long accessbridge.

But studies carried out on site re-vealed that the project would havea negative impact on the poseideniameadows, a priority natural habitatunder the EU Habitat Directive.

A preliminary environment im-pact study indicated that almost halfof the continuous posidonia beds inthe area would be directly lost as aresult of dredging.

The increased turbidity levels dueto the manoeuvring of large vesselsduring the operations of the cruiseterminal would also jeopardise anyremaining posidonia beds.

MEPA can only approve a projectwhich is clearly in breach of EU di-rectives in the event that it must becarried out for reasons of overridingpublic interest. But if this is the casethe EPD warns that Malta will haveto inform the European Commis-sion and to compensate for the lossof habitat.

Following discussions with Trans-port Malta, an alternative consistingof a mooring buoy was being consid-

ered.The appropriate assessment in-

cludes maps showing the distributionof posidonia meadows around theMaltese islands. The area betweenMalta and Gozo, through which atunnel linking Malta and Gozo wasproposed, is also particularly rich inposidonia meadows. The presenceof posidonia meadows along most ofMaltas eastern coast also limits anyprospects of land reclamation.

The development of the Mgarr har-bour was also an ongoing promiseof different Nationalist administra-tions which failed to take ground.

The elusive yacht marinaA study by the Transport Malta

published in 2009 concluded thatGozo lacks harbours and bays whereat a reasonable cost a permanent

yacht marina can be set up. Thestudy proposes good temporary

yacht marinas aimed at short stays.The only site identified for this

purpose in Gozo was Mgarr, which

could accommodate 148 berths.The study also considered 3 other

sites in Gozo; namely Marsalforn.Dwejra and Xlendi.

Marsalforn was excluded as it isnot adequately protected from theprevailing winds to provide the re-quired shelter for a marina.

Dwejra was excluded because ofits ecological value while Xlendi wasconsidered as being too exposed toweather conditions.

The Gozo and Comino local planapproved by a Nationalist govern-ment in 2006 identifies a number ofplaces for destination ports in Gozo.

The candidate sites include Marsal-forn and Hondoq ir-Rummien, to-gether with San Niklaw and the BlueLagoon area on Comino.

But the term destination portdoes not necessarily mean a full-fledged marina.

In fact the local plan refers to sea-sonal moorings, whose infrastruc-ture can be stored away in winter.

The aim of these facilities is to

eliminate the need for individual an-choring by boats, thereby protectingthe seabed.

But the local plan also refers tolinking these destination ports toexisting commercial establishmentsthat would provide the necessaryservices such as onshore toilet facili-ties and garbage disposal.

Moreover, the local plan states t hatproposals for the extension of exist-ing jetties in these sites shall onlybe considered by MEPA followingsubmission of a detailed justificationon the need for additional berthingspace for essential operations andsubject to the findings of a detailedtechnical report assessing the im-pacts of the proposed extensions onthe wave dynamics and currents inthe area.

A yachting development study byMEPA published in 1996 describeda permanent yacht marina in Mgarr,as a less viable location because, be-ing on Gozo its demand will be sea-sonal in nature.

PHOTOGRAPHY

BY

RAYA

TTARD

Victor Borg non-committal, but Ta Cenc Hotelremains the safest bet for Gozo casino licence

NESTOR LAIVIERA

THE Labour governments recentlyannounced casino licence for Gozomay have already been earmarkedfor the five-star Ta Cenc hotel,MaltaToday has been i nformed.

Contacted by MaltaToday, ho-tel owner Victor Borg welcomedPrime Minister Joseph Muscatsannouncement that the govern-

ment would like to see a casino inGozo, while remaining noncom-mittal regarding his own interestin the project.

Asked whether he would be i nter-ested in taking up such a project,Borg was cautious, saying that thegovernments proposal was as yettoo sketchy for him to commithimself one way or another.

I wouldnt know as yet. I dontknow the situation, said Borg.

He however welcomed the idea inprinciple. I would welcome havinga casino in Gozo, given that there is

one in Malta. As a Gozitan, I wel-come every investment that talesplace in Gozo.

Borg did not exclude that hewould put his name forward inan expression of interest for theproject. But it is too early to tell,he said.

The market for casinos in Maltaalready appears saturated, withfour licences issued for the opera-tion of the Dragonara Casino to

Pinnacle Gaming; the Oracle andPortomaso casinos operated byTomino Ltd; the Casin di Veneziaoperated by Vittoriosa Gaming;and Midi plcs licence, which sofar has not materialised in a casinolocated at Lazaretto wharf, at Ma-noel Island.

The announcement that the gov-ernment intends to issue a newcasino licence in Maltas sister is-land was made by Prime MinisterJoseph Muscat in parliament onMonday.

It came as part of several Gozo-

related announcements aimed atrebutting Opposition leader Law-rence Gonzis accusation that Gozowas to become the Cinderella ofthe Maltese economy.

Among these announcementswas the development of a yachtmarina and cruise liner terminal,and a new casino. The proposalsare expected to be met with con-siderable interest from Gozitantourist operators who have been

clamouring for better access to theisland and more investment in in-frastructure.

The announcement of a fifth casi-no license in the Maltese islands isexpected to leave existing presentcasino operators unimpressed.While it is true that a new casinooperation could tap into a current-ly untapped Gozitan market, it re-mains yet to be seen whether suchan operation would be financially

viab le, given that exis ting casi nosare already struggling to remainprofitable.

I wouldnt know as yet. I dont knowthe situation, Ta Cenc owner VictorBorg when asked if he was interestedin the casino License.

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MIRIAM DALLI

ENERGY Minister Konrad Mizzi hasdeplored the string of problems leftby the previous administration in theenergy sector, not least Enemaltas835 million debt and the 70 millionloss made by the State utilitys elec-tricity division.

Mizzi said the Enemalta oil scandalalso resulted in huge oil purchasingproblems while the rollout of smartmeters fell behind.

Addressing the House of Repre-sentatives, Mizzi said that he had in-structed Enemalta to look at the pos-sibility of an electronic auction forthe purchasing of oil.

Referring to the news first revealedby MaltaToday, Mizzi also said thatthe 5 million out-of-court settle-ment with oil company Shell had alsoleft a huge impact on the companysfinancial situation.

This is not on, and is a scandal initself, Mizzi added.

The settlement came nine years af-ter complaints made by oil companyShell in 2004, leading the European

Commission to issue a warning to theNationalist administration in 2011that it was not ensuring independ-ent verification of the separation offuel handling and storage facilities,while Enemalta one of the suppli-ers of fuel handling services was themanager of the storage and fuel sup-ply facilities.

The energy minister reiterated thatthere had been clear commitmentby the PN administration to increaseutility tariffs, while it had no plans onaddressing the State utilitys sustain-ability.

Mizzi said Malta was also behind inits 10% renewable energy target withwind energy projects not only havingfallen behind but also lacking seriousfoundations.

He said the government was alsoworking to lock a favourable oil pur-chasing deal now that the price of oildecreased by $3 per barrel.

He also said that Enemalta wouldthis year start paying for carbonemission. With the European Unionencouraging for an increase in price,the government was seeking to pur-chase now the carbon credits.

5

News maltatoday,WEDNESDAY, 10 APRIL 2013

SAYINGIT

ASITIS

SAVIOUR

BALZAN

SAYING

I TASIT

ISS AVI OUR

BAL Z AN

ON

SALE

NOW

Confirmed: Enemalta

835 million in the red

Court orders psychiatricassessment of man charged

with sexual advances tominor

KARL STAGNO-NAVARRA

DAVID Chetcuti, 36 of Mgarr wasdenied bail and ordered to be kept atMount Carmel Hospitals ForensicUnit, and undergo a psychiatric as-sessment, after pleading not guilty tohaving made sexual advances to a 12

year-old girl.Chetcuti, who appeared confused

before Magistrate Edwina Grima,was charged with having harassedthe young girl on a bus as she wasreturning home. He allegedly satbehind her and started to caress her,

and a few days after stalked her byher school in Mosta.

He was arrested within minutes

of a report being filed by the schoolauthorities, where the girl ran for as-sistance.

Visibly dazed and not understand-ing the situation which was unfold-ing inside the court room, Chetcutiremained standing in the dock, anddidnt utter a word as the chargeswere read by Inspector Jessica Gri-ma, who also objected to bail.

Magistrate Edwina Grima deniedbail and ordered that Chetcuti be re-manded in custody, but to be kept atMount Carmel Hospitals Forensicunit, and also ordered a psychiatricassessment to be prepared by Dr

Joseph Vella Baldacchino, who hasto report back about the mental stateof the accused.

Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi described Enemaltas out-of-court settlement with Shell as a scandalPHOTOGRAPHY

BY

RAY

ATTARD

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6

Truancy amongwarders had a

direct impact onprisoners lives

RAPHAEL VASSALLO

NEWS that several prison ward-ers turned out to be AWOL whenHome Minister Emmanuel Mal-lia staged a surprise inspection ofthe Corradino Correctional Facil-ity last Monday, did not come as asurprise to prisoners rights advo-cacy group Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl(MDD).

Director George Busuttil told

MaltaToday that inmates had longcomplained that the shortage ofwarders on site was having a det-rimental effect on their daily lives.

We have for years been hearingcomplaints that facilities at theprison couldnt be used, and theexcuse was always the same: thereare not enough warders, he said.

Inmates have consistently toldus that this yard can never beenopened or the gym cant be usedtoday, because of a lack of wardersto man the facilities. The situationwas having a direct effect on thelives of the prisoners.

The home affairs minister paida surprise visit to the prison at7.30pm on Sunday, and found thatfour warders had already left forhome when their shift was sup-posed to terminate at 9pm.

He said a punch clock instal led atthe CCF was not being used, andthat he was informed that it wascommon practice for warders toleave work early, sometimes withseven or eight less officers left onduty.

Mallia said there were cases ofwarders going home as early as1pm, when their shift would lasttill 9pm.

This is a serious case that hastaken place within an area of na-tional security where an incident

can take place, and the warderspaid by the peoples tax moneyare not present for work. The CCFdirector has claimed he was notaware of the abuse that was takingplace, so an investigation will becarried out by the permanent sec-retary, Mallia said.

Prison director Abraham Zam-mit tendered his resignation soonafterwards, and the minister hassince set up a commission to in-

vestig ate and rev iew work prac-tices at prison.

This was not the first time that ashortage of warders was identifiedas major administrative problemwithin CCF. Even without the tru-ancy issue, the number of prisonwarders assigned to to the facilityis already deemed insufficient atfull complement.

Former prison director Em-manuel Cassar told this newspaperin December 2011 that the existingstaff was stretched beyond theircapabilities and that was beforeit emerged that several warders

were regularly absenting them-selves during work hours.

While Corradinos inmate popu-lation has skyrocketed in recent

years - g rowing from a mere 170 in1995, to more than 700 in 2011 there has been no correspondingincrease in the number of warderson duty.

The number of warders has re-mained more or less the same,Cassar said. Not only that, buttheir individual workload hasmeanwhile increased...

Cassar said that t he job of escort-ing inmates outside prison, for-merly entrusted to the police, hassince been passed on to the prisonwarders themselves on top of alltheir other previous responsibili-ties, which remained unchanged.

Apart from the problem of over-crowding, especially in the malesection, the mismatching ratio ofwarders to inmates was deemedone of the factors in the explo-sion of drug-use in prison asevidenced by the notorious JosetteBickle case.

In 2011, the criminal court sen-tenced Josette Bickle then 40from Valletta to 12 years afterfinding her guilty of running aheroin-trafficking operation outof her cell prior to 2008.

In handing down judgment,

Judge Michael Mallia significantlyobserved that there was a highpossibility of involvement on thepart of prison authorities.

Explaining that the verdict wasnot just against Bickle, but againstthe system, Mallia observed: Thelarge number of visits allowed to

Josette Bickle, more than whatother prisoners got, and the easewith which drugs used to enter herdivision and come into her posses-sion, cannot but indicate collusionwith authorities.

Even before the above ruling washanded down, a national report onthe local drug situation had high-lighted the relative ease of avail-ability of drugs in Corradino. Else-where, complaints about the samephenomenon had sporadicallybeen raised over the years; amongothers, by Dutch inmate PerryIngmar Toornstra, who last yearaccused the authorities of turninga blind eye precisely to the extentof the drug situation.

Former Justice Minister TonioBorg under whose tenure thetrafficking operation took place candidly admitted that he wasunaware of any reports of drugsin prison when still minister even though former director Cas-sar used to hold regular meetingsto brief both the minister and thepermanent secretary of the situa-tion at Corradino.

Bickle herself has since died inprison.

The case exposed laxity at vari-ous levels of prison administra-tion, and Emmanuel Mallias sur-prise visit last Sunday appears

to confirm that this was still thenorm despite the outcry and thepromises of administrative reformfollowing the Bickle revelation.

George Busuttil reiterated hisNGOs view that the time hascome for a thorough overhaul ofthe prison administration struc-

ture.Before the election we ca me out

with a detailed proposal for pris-on reform. The main issue is thatprisons should not be run by thepolice.

It is a point MDD has been mak-ing for years. In a February 2012interview, Busuttil had already in-sisted that police should not in a nyway be involved with prison man-agement. They have another job:to investigate crimes and catchcriminals. Running a prison is adifferent matter; it is a specialisedfield, and it needs specially trainedpersonnel. Ideally, governmentshould send a team of officersabroad for training in correctionalmanagement which is a science,by the way.

The members of the comm issionto review operational structures atCCF have not yet been announced,but the board will consist of seniorpolicemen, representatives of vari-ous ministries a nd NGOs involvedin prison work.

Busuttil confirms that repre-sentatives of MDD had met thenew minister shortly after his ap-pointment, and discussed prob-lems within the administrationthe prison: including the fact thatit is the only European prison to bemanaged directly by the police.

MDD reiteratescall for prisonadministrationto be removedfrom policeportfolio

The Bicklecase exposedlaxity at

various levelsof prisonmanagement,andEmmanuelMalliassurprise visiton Sundayappears

to confirmthat thiswas still thenorm despitepromises ofreform

Emmanuel Mallia George Busuttil

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RAPHAEL VASSALLOMATTHEW VELLA

HUNTERS organisations such asFKNK and Kaccaturi San Ubertu aretaking rumours of an abrogative refer-endum to end spring hunting serious-ly: so much so, that they dedicate mostof a seven-page spring hunting factfile, issued yesterday, to pre-emptivelyshoot down the initiative as an af-front to the integrity of the EuropeanCourt of Just ice.

As the controversial limited springhunting season opens today, efforts

have begun to collect the signaturesrequired to hold a referendum in or-der to put an end to Maltas annualappointment with gunfire during thebreeding season.

However, a Facebook group aimingto collect signatures to force a referen-dum has so far attracted less than 700followers. A minimum of 10% of theelectorate or an estimated 32,000signatures would be required to se-cure the referendum.

An overseas petition succeeded incollecting over 122,000 signatures;but as few of these signatories are onthe Maltese electoral register, that pe-tition cannot be cited in support of thereferendum bid.

Nonetheless opposition to springhunting is understood to be far more

widespread than the dedicated sup-port among the hunting communityitself officially numbered at just over11,000, not taking into considerationfamily members and other sympathis-ers.

But so far the hunting lobby has pre-vailed with successive administrationsof government since 2004.

Spring hunting was partially bannedin 2008, after the European Commis-sion initiated procedures against Mal-ta for violating the terms of the Euro-pean Wild Birds Directive. However,the government successfully arguedin the European Court of Justice thatMalta enjoyed the right to derogatefrom this Directive, though the pre-cise conditions for a successful dero-gation remain unclear.

On 10 September 2009, the ECJ ruled

that some form of limited spring hunt-ing may take place in Malta, and theseason has opened every year since.

The hunting community has per-sistently accused Birdlife Malta ofrefusing to accept the ruling. Con-trary to the pledge made by its parentorganisation, from the very first daythe leadership of BLM has refused tohonour this commitment and to ac-cept the deliberations of the ECJ, theFact File reports.

A new referendum on spring hunt-

ing is bound to be null and void be-cause the issue was already decided inmarch 2003 by the pre-accession ref-erendum, that specifically determinedthat a limited form of spring huntingwould be permitted.

However this statement flies in theface of EU history when it comes toreferenda overturned by overturnedby other referenda. Recent history isreplete with examples of such revers-als. Ireland initially rejected the Lis-bon Treaty by nationwide referendum;however a subsequent referendum onthe same treaty, held the following,returned a sizeable majority in favour.

Similar reversals by referendum alsotook place in France and the Nether-lands.

Still, the hunting lobby has alreadysignalled its intention to query theoutcome of any future referendum onspring hunting, presumably on the as-sumption that the vote would resultin a convincing No to hunting inspring.

More bird guards fly in from EuropeMeanwhile as the season official gets

under way this morning, The Germanlobby group Committee Against BirdSlaughter will be sending 20 birdguards to Malta and Gozo for a birdprotection camp that will run from 19to 30 April.

As in previous years, roost areas of

protected birds of prey, storks andherons will be monitored around theclock in order to protect them frompoachers, CABS said in a statement is-sued yesterday.

The so called bird guards will bemonitoring trapping sites and to re-port and bird trapping activity to theenvironmental police Administra-tive Law Enforcement unit. This yearCABS operations will concentrate onthe poaching hotspots identified dur-ing previous camps including the areaof the international airport, the Deli-mara peninsula and Gozo.

CABS said the costs of the camp,dubbed Operation Skyfal l, will amountto 18,000 which has been covered byprivate donations and a grant from theGerman Foundation Pro Biodiversity.

CABS also said it had written last

week to Prime Minister Joseph Mus-cat saying it would employ every legalmeans to put an end to spring huntingon Malta.

The organisation has already re-ceived firm support for their effortsin this direction from the the GermanMinister for the Environment, PeterAltmaier. He confirmed in a reply toCABS that the killing of migrant birdspecies with unfavourable conserva-tion status totally negates the effortsto preserve these species in Germany,

CABS said.Altmaier referred the matter in

March this year in a communicationto the European Environment Com-missioner Janez Potonik, asking himto check whether member states wereacting in contravention of the EUBirds Directive, which bans springhunting.

In addition to France and Italy,which are being criticised for their ac-tive or tacit tolerance of hunting of en-dangered wader and song bird species,Malta could also once again come un-der close scrutiny by the Commissionfor permitting hunting of Turtle Dove

and Quail, above all during pre-nup-tial migration, CABS said.

CABS also claimed that Turtle Dovewas a highly endangered species inEurope, citing data from the Federa-tion of German Avifaunists (Dachver-band Deutscher Avifaunisten DDA)of a 67% decline in bird populationsince 1990.

The FKNK and the Maltese gov-ernment have always justified springhunting on the grounds that the Turtle

Dove is a common species andthat hunting has no negative effect onpopulations.

The very opposite is true in thiscase. Because of the current sharp

decline in central Europe, the speciescannot be hunted sustainably any-where on the continent, CABS Presi-dent Heinz Schwarze said.


7

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Hunters shoot downSpring hunting

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ove is a common species an

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8

Margaret Thatchers leMARTIN SCICLUNA

THE death on Monday of Marga-ret Thatcher the Iron Lady asshe came to be called by the So-

viet Union, not a s a compliment has evoked an outpouring of bothgrief and criticism in Britain bythose who knew her.

To some she was resolute, refus-ing to compromise or fudge issuesof right and wrong. To others, shewas divisive and responsible forthe de-industrialisation of theUnited Kingdom with the dis-astrous effects we can see today.Both views are rather nave aboutthe realities of British politics atthe time and the impact she had

on the British people in the 11year s of her premi ershi p from1979 to 1990.

Margaret Thatcher divided opin-ion in Britain throughout her timeas Prime Minister. She was lovedand hated in equal measure. She isremembered, in general, with lovein the south of England and withthe middle classes, and with hatein Scotland, parts of Wales andnorthern England.

Thatcher came to power in May1979 on the back of the so-calledwinter of discontent six monthsearlier, when trade union unresthad shut down public services,paralysing the nation. The Brit-ish economy was corporatist anduncompetitive. Inflation was in

double figures and accelerating.Public expenditure was out ofcontrol.

What followed in Britain underThatcher was a revolution. TheUnions were tackled head-on.Legislation was enacted to bringthose over-mighty subjects un-der control. The mine-workers,the steel-workers, car-workers,ship-builders and the railway-men were taken on. Unemploy-ment was used as a weapon withwhich to bludgeon the Unionsinto submission. Within monthsof her becoming prime minister,unemployment rose rapidly fromaround one million to around 3.5million.

Monetarism and free market eco-nomics were to become the domi-

nant economic force. Thatcherbelieved strongly in popular capi-talism, free enterprise, privatisa-tion, property ownership, firmcontrol over public expenditureand tax cuts. Individualism, notcorporatism, was the order of theday.

The Conservative Party un-der Margaret Thatcher explicitlyturned its back on the post-warconsensus that had prevailed ofexercising economic managementfor full employment, a mixedeconomy with a substantial pub-lic sector, and the commitment tosocial welfare. Thatcher waged apolitical and intellectual assaulton the whole set of assumptionsthat had underpinned British

politics since 1945. In a decisivebreak with One Nation conserv-atism, Thatcherite apostles of thenew neo-liberal conservatism setabout dismantling the politicaland economic orthodoxy of theprevious 34 years.

These apostles attacked a bloatedState and rolled back its frontiersin the name of market liberalism.They championed self-reliance,denounced dependency on theWelfare State and disciplined thetrade unions in the cause of enter-prise. Hardest of all for those whohad been attracted to the intrinsic

qualities of British tolerance, fair-ness and concern for the under-dog, they consigned to the scrap-heap of the then prevailing ideasabout social justice and equalityin favour, overwhelmingly, for acreed of individual mobility andliberty. Their model was the freemarket capitalism of the UnitedStates. Their enemy was the socialmodel of continental Europe.

It was this potent combinationwhich transformed the face ofBritish politics and its economy.But a large majority of the Britishpeople paid a heavy social price.For many who had been attractedby those British qualities of toler-ance, fair play for all and social

just ice for which the count ry wasrenowned, it was a hard pill toswallow.

During this tumultuous period,British society changed irrevoca-bly. In the old order, fairness, thebenign state and the dispersal ofpower were the common strandsof governance. Instead, fairnesswas displaced by success at anycost and the devil take the hind-most. Social justice was replacedby the overriding commercial im-perative.

There was, and is, nothing thematter with free market enter-

prise. Economic and business suc-cess is indeed a necessary catalystfor a thriving modern economy.In her time as prime minister, theBritish economy went from beingthe sick man of Europe to one ofthe most dynamic.

The objection was then, and re-mains today, to the ruthless waythe transformation was carriedout, and the effects which per-sist in Britain to this day, almost30 years later. Perhaps the mosttelling indication of MargaretThatchers philosophy was herstatement in an interview that:There is no such thing as soci-ety, followed with a snort againstthose who drool and drivel about

caring. This was free marketcapitalism red in tooth and claw, amedicine which was administered unflinchingly, it must be said on the nation.

To produce a stronger economy,Thatcher appealed to some ofthe worst instincts of the Brit-ish character. She articulatedsomething new, but stayed closeto something which was alreadythere. Margaret Thatcher spoke,with eloquence, for the material-ism and self-interest of the decadeof the 1980s.

Throughout the period, she ex-

ercised the most formidable lead-ership. By dint of sheer willpowerand consistency, seasoned clever-ly by well-judged deviations (untilher refusal to budge on the poll-tax undid her), she was able to tapinto some deep British nationalsentiments. Three were particu-larly notable. The first was thatBritish masochism that innateself-deprecation, self-criticismand willingness to accept painstoically and to take the medicine saw her through the unemploy-ment crisis, albeit at great socialand financial cost buffered byBritish oil revenue earnings whichwere then at their peak.

Secondly, it was the British

bloody-mindedness that took onand won the Falklands Conflict.This was the turning point inthe Thatcher story. Without vic-tory in the Falklands, Thatcherwould have almost certainly beena one-term prime minister, suchwas the depth of her unpopular-ity at the start of 1982 (one yearor so before the next election wasdue) when the crisis erupted. Herresolution, the outstanding cour-age and competence of the Britisharmed forces and not a little luck,saw the birth of The Iron Lady,and her sweeping electoral victo-

MargaretThatcherwaged apolitical andintellectualassault on thewhole set ofassumptions

that hadunderpinnedBritishpolitics since1945

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9

News

acyDivisive in life and in death

TRIBUTES keep flowing in, bothat home and abroad, after newswas broken Monday that BaronessMargaret Thatcher had died of astroke at the age of 87.

Lady Thatcher died peacefullywhile staying at the Ritz hotel incentral London. She had been stay-ing at the hotel since being dis-charged from hospital at the end oflast year.

She will not have a State funeralbut will be accorded the samestatus as Princess Diana and theQueen Mother. A ceremonial fu-neral is one rung down from a statefuneral normally reserved formonarchs and requires the con-sent of the Queen.

The union jack above Number 10Downing Street has been loweredto half-mast while parliament willbe recalled from its Easter recesson Wednesday to enable MPs topay tributes.

Her government privatised State-owned industries and was involvedin a stand-off with unions duringthe Miners Strike of 1984-5.

The funeral of the former primeminister is expecte d to be held nextweek, with full military honours, atLondons St Pauls Cathedral.

UK Prime Minister David Cam-eron said Baroness Thatcher was agreat Briton while US PresidentBarack Obama called her a greatchampion of freedom and liberty.

Cutting short a trip to Europe toreturn to London, Cameron hailed

Lady Thatcher as the patriotprime minister and the countrysgreatest peacetime leader.

While acknowledging that shehad divided opinion, Cameronsaid she had taken a country thatwas on its knees and made it standtall again.

Margaret Thatcher loved thiscountry and served it with all shehad, he said. For that she has herwell-earned place in history andthe enduring respect and gratitudeof the British people.

Her other successors in No 10 Sir John Major, Tony Blair andGordon Brown paid tribute toher strength of character and po-litical purpose while Labour leaderEd Miliband said Lady Thatcherhad been a unique figure whoreshaped the politics of a wholegeneration.

Among international reaction,US President Barack Obama saidAmerica has lost a true friend,while German Chancellor AngelaMerkel said she would never for-get her part in surmounting thedivision of Europe and at the endof the Cold War.

Elsewhere the USSRs last pre-mier, Mikhail Gorbachev, 82, saidher death was a sad thing anddescribed her as a great politicia nwho will remain in our memory

and in history. He re-called how his relationswith Thatcher were dif-ficult at times, not alwayssmooth, but, serious andresponsible from bothsides.

Not all reactions werehowever as flattering;the Iron Lady (as shewas once known) hadmade her fair share ofenemies, especially as aresult of her socio-eco-nomic policies whichwere widely blamed forthe 1980s depression.

Ex-Labour leaderLord Kinnock said hereconomic policies hadbeen an unmitigateddisaster for Britain atthe time.

Perhaps inevita-bly, reactions fromNorthern Irelandand Argentina wereamong the most in-imical. Thatchershandling of an IrishRepublican Armyprison hunger strikein 1981 remains ar-guably the most con-troversial aspect ofher tenure as PrimeMinister. Led byIRA activist BobbySands, the strikeclaimed the lives of

10 Maze prison inmates (includ-ing Sands) and has since been thesubject of numerous films, includ-ing Terry Georges Some MothersSon (1996).

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adamssaid she had caused great hurt tothe Irish and British people dur-ing her time as prime minister.

Working class communitieswere devastated in Britain becauseof her policies, he said.

However, Ulster Unionist Partyleader Mike Nesbitt said BaronessThatcher was a colossus of con-

viction politics.There were no formal reactions

by the government of Argentina,with which Britain went to warin 1982 over the Falkland Islands(inspiring the hugely critical 1983Pink Floyd album The Final Cutwith its memorable leitmotif of OhMaggie, what have you done?)

But the Argentine press rancritical obituaries of the womanformerly perceived to be an colo-nial oppressor and antagonist ofArgentinian sovereignty.

Perhaps the most poignant re-flections of Thatcherism camefrom the world of pop music,which in the 1980s was charac-terised by the emergence of an ag-gressive counter-culture inspired

and united by opposi-tion to Thatcherspolicies.

Morrissey, formerfrontman of iconicpop act The Smiths,

summed up muchof the antagonismtowards the formerBritish Prime Min-ister with his brutalassessment of hercareer.

Every move shemade was chargedby negativity; shedestroyed the Brit-ish manufacturingindustry, she hatedthe miners, shehated the arts, she

hated the Irish FreedomFighters and allowed them to die,she hated the English poor and didnothing at all to help them, shehated Greenpeace and environ-mental protectionists, she was theonly European political leader whoopposed a ban on the Ivory Trade,she had no wit and no warmth andeven her own Cabinet booted herout.

Small gatherings in various partsof the country, notably in Glasgow,and in Brixton in London, wereformed by people who said theywere celebrating her death.

The Brixton gathering attracteda heavy police presence and led tosmall scale acts of vandalism andgraffiti.

Nonetheless she will go down inhistory as among the most polit-

ical successful leaders in Britishhistory: having won three succes-sive general elections to remainConservative prime minister from1979 to 1990.

Lady Thatcher was born Marga-ret Roberts, the daughter of a shop-keeper and Conservative council-lor in Grantham, Lincolnshire, in1925. She first became an MP in1959.

Having been education secretary,she successfully challenged formerPM Edward Heath for her partysleadership in 1975 and won generalelections in 1979, 1983 and 1987.

She stood down in 1990 after shefailed to beat Michael Heseltine byenough votes to prevent his leader-ship challenge going into a secondround.

Baroness Thatcher still has the power to divide public opinion morethan two decades after stepping down as Britains prime minister asevidenced by the wildly conflicting reactions to her death

CLARIFICATIONREFERENCE is made to the article by Robert Strickla nd which appearedin the Wednesday edition of your newspaper on March 20, 2013.

Mr Strickla nd states that the majority shareholder of Allied NewspaperLtd, the Strickland Foundation, dictate(s) the policy of the group.

We strongly and rigorously rebut this baseless accusation. Al lied News-papers is run solely by its board of directors. Moreover, contrary to MrStricklands insinuation, no shareholder interferes, directly or indirectly,with editorial decisions connected with The Times and The SundayTimes. It is our Editor-in-Chief who is responsible for these decisions.

ries in 1983 and 1987.Thirdly, she shared with the

majority of people who sup-ported her, that trait of LittleEnglandism which was the guideto the way she approached mostof her foreign crises. It is hardto think of an issue on which,whatever her governments mayhave actually done, her personalattitudes were not populist and,thanks to the UK tabloid media,universally known to be so. OnEurope, on the (nuclear) Bomb,on South Africa (then still prac-tising apartheid), on hanging, onculture and intellectual life, onwelfare scroungers and on un-ion bosses, she could rarely beaccused of failing to speak for a

certain kind of Briton.However, despite widespread

alienation from the policies sheespoused and the way in whichshe inflicted them on a nation no other nation but the Brit-ish would have withstood themwithout bloody revolt MargaretThatcher permanently changedthe course of British history asno other figure in Britain in thelast hundred years, save Church-ill. To that extent, her legacy andplace in history is assured andshe must be admired.

Morrisey: Every move she made was charged by negativity

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maltatoday,WEDNESDAY, 10 APRIL 2013Opinion

Raphael Vassallo

10

[email protected]

Some years ago in the dayswhen I still had a TV set towatch I was mindlessly flicking

channels when I came across aninterview (on CNN or NBC or somesimilar channel) with one of the

jurors who acquitted O. J. Simpson ofwilful homicide in 1995.

She was a middle-aged woman fromthe American Midwest somewhere,and instantly reminded me of many

almost identical characters I had meton my own travels to that part of theworld: sweet, smiley, bubbly, kind-hearted, probably a very good bakerof cakes, and pretty handy when itcomes to quoting the Bible in anycircumstance you care to name.

But back to the interview. At onepoint she was asked point blankwhether she had ever doubted the

verdict reached by that jury. WasOJ really innocent? And did thepossibility (some would say certainty)of a miscarriage of justice trouble herconscience in any way?

She paused before answering (andwhat follows is largely reconstructedfrom memory). Yes, she said atlength. I do think we were wrong,and that OJ was guilt y. BUT itdoesnt trouble my conscience all thatmuch, because I am a Christian[spoken with great conviction] ..andtherefore I know that OJ Simpson willnot escape justice in the long term.There is a higher authority that will

judge us all in the end, OJ Simpsonincluded

I dont know about you, but Ifind that line of reasoning deeplydisturbing frightening, almost.I remember thinking at the time:well, that makes your job rather easy,doesnt it? No matter how badly

you screw up possibly with fatalconsequences, as in the many times

an innocent man may have been sentto the electric chair, or imprisonedfor life, etc there will always be ahigher authority that will simply stepin to clean up the mess made by hismoron creations here on earth.

Well, sadly for the innocent personwrongly fried, or the victims of the

guilty man allowed to walk, thisDeus-Ex-Machina style of justice canonly take place after our deaths... i.e.,at a point when we are all alreadymanifestly beyond the point whereany injustice, of any kind, may berectified in any meaningful way.

This makes of it a very unique formof justice indeed. On one level itdoes absolutely nothing to atone forthe injustice suffered (or committed)by the dead person being judged;and on another it fails in any way to

compensate the victims family andfriends who are still alive, and whorightly clamour for justice at a pointwhen they can actually enjoy itsbenefits.

More importantly still: universaljustice translates into no justice atall, when viewed by the rest of societywhich looks to the law-courts (andNOT to some shadowy and entirelynebulous afterlife that none of usactually understands or can evendescribe) for its own justice needs.

Indeed, that jurors reasoning toits logical conclusion, and you mayas well dismantle the entire justicesystem. For what purpose can judges,

jurors and law-courts possiblyserve if all a long there is a higherauthority that can do a much better

job of the whole justice spiel to begin

with?But of course we all know the

real reason for belief in universaljustice. It exists merely to assuage theconscience of the truly guilty partiesamong us: you know, the corrupt

judges who accept bribes the stupidand sometimes prejudiced jurors,who allow themselves to be swayedby emotional appeals to deliver aplainly flawed verdict... the crookedpolicemen who look the otherway when organized crime strikesterror in your neighbourhood thepolitician who accepts a commission,etc.

These people all get to sleep mucheasier at night, because in their littlefantasy worlds there is the equivalentof a Jolly Joker who simply pops uplike a magical trump card at the end,righting all wrongs and imbuing eventhe grisliest and ghastliest crime withthe equivalent of Grimm brothersfairy-tale happy ending.

And apart from freeing those peoplefrom all feelings of guilt and remorse,this same afterlife superstition alsofrees them to carry on commit as

many crimes (or mistakes) as theyplease. Who cares? It will all balanceout in the end promise!

But not all of us think this way.Faced with this scenario, my reactionis probably indistinguishable fromthat of many mill ions of peopleworldwide who have likewise comeround to rejecting belief in an afterlifealtogether. It makes my blood boil.And not only for the obvious reason(injustice makes people angry,otherwise we wouldnt have justicesystems in the first place). It angersme because, as a non-believer, I canonly place ENPORMOUS emphasison the importance of justice beingdone (and seen to be done) in the hereand now.

Unlike the religious mindset(although to be fair I do know

religious people who reason thesame way) it is no consolation tous whatsoever, that the wrongsperpetrated in this world will berighted by (if I may borrow GeorgeCarlins immortal words) an invisibleman in the sky.

I like my injustices righted by peopleI can see, thank you very much andideally while Im still around to enjoythe resulting justice.

So to hear Judge LawrenceQuintano argue in court that I willappear before Almighty God beforeall of you, where I will be judged spoken, not as a judge, but as a witness

testifying under oath, and using theabove as a pretext to avoid answeringa question I was forcefullyreminded of why I have come roundto believing that the very last place

you will find justice these days are theMaltese courts of law.

For even Quintano is right andI for one do not believe that for asecond and he is judged by God theFather on the Day of Reckoningwell, that will take place at anothertime, in another dimension, and

quite frankly it has no bearing on thecase in which the judge was actuallytestifying.

Yet not only did the presidingmagistrate not tick him off (I shudderto think how I would have beentreated, had I behaved the same wayon the witness stand), but the casewas deferred altogether which alsomeans that the pretext achieved itsprimary objective, and the questionwas not answered.

Even without this consideration,the fact remains that Quintanowas perfoming to a narrative thathas a long and depressing historyof success in our legal system. Weall know stories (in which a certainformer chief justice features quiteprominently) win which entire caseswere decided on the basis of whether

the plaintiff took his oath on thecrucifix or not; or whether he or sheimpressed the judge with efforts toproject a good Catholic image.

And again, the truly guilty people the ones who denied custody ofchildren to people on the basis of theirreligious beliefs, or those who ruledagainst a person on a property casebecause he or she (the case I knowinvolves a she) was having an affair and was therefore a bad woman.

This is not justice. It is actually justrubbish, and it persistently disturbsme that so few people in this countryseem capable of telling difference.Ingram, Republic Street, Vallettanext to the Courts

Justice in the afterlife isno justice at all

Detail from Hieronymus BoschsLast Judgment Triptych, 1504-08

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12

BUSINESS & FINANCE maltatoday,WEDNESDAY, 10 APRIL 2013

Malta Trade for Growth

What is HCBCs recently launchedMalta Trade for Growth initiative,and what opportunities does it offerto local businesses?

One of HSBC Maltas objectivesis to open new trade corridors forMaltese companies via HSBCs globalconnectivity. Malta Trade for Growthis HSBC Maltas latest initiative toconnect Maltese customers with globalopportunities, to help customers growtheir business and, in turn, further theprosperity of Maltas economy.

The pace of economic expansion inregions like Asia and Latin Americais changing the world and Maltesebusinesses need to be part of this neweconomic landscape. Malta Tradefor Growth will allow customersto access HSBCs unrivalled globalreach and expertise in international

trade, with a special emphasis onconnecting Maltese traders with newopportunities in emerging markets.

This initiative is designed to driveinternational trade, as this will bea vital factor for Maltas futureeconomic growth.

Which businesses should be mostinterested in what the initiative hasto offer?

Any business in Malta thatseeks to grow and prosper shouldseriously consider opportunities forinternational business. The businessprospects being presented are simplytoo valuable to overlook. Having saidthat however, the companies bestpositioned to benefit from Malta Tradefor Growth are businesses that haveglobal aspirations, intending to enter

into or expand present internationaloperations, particularly but not solelywith emerging markets.

What is the goal behind theinitiative? With what ethos was itconceived and implemented?

We want to secure Maltas placeon the international businessopportunities map. In line withthis commitment, Malta Trade for

Growth offers innovative ways ofleveraging HSBCs internal reach andglobal connectivity, for the benefit ofour clients in Malta. HSBC Researchsuggests that Trade Growth in thenext few years will be much greaterthan Gross Domestic Product, and wewould like our country to fulfil thispotential. Countries around the worldare shifting towards the production ofhigher-value goods, opening up newopportunities for companies withinemerging markets to expand and grow.

HSBC Bank Malta plc is best placedto help Maltese business to maximisethe best of these opportunities.

Throughout the ages, Maltahas always relied on trade for itseconomic prosperity. How will thisMalta Trade for Growth schemehelp Malta achieve future economiccompetitiveness through trade?

Trade is a critical component of

Maltas history, our current economy,and most importantly our countrysfuture. We believe that Malta canbuild greatly upon its competitivetrade advantage and its strategiclocation that bridges Europe withAfrica and the rest of the world. TheMalta Trade for Growth initiative isabout assisting this growth with moretraditional markets in the EuropeanUnion and more importantly, withsome of the exciting new globaleconomies in Asia, the Middle East,

Latin America, and Africa.As such, Malta Trade for Growth

will focus on two main areas:connecting more of our HSBCcustomers with other customers withinthe HSBC Group; and working closelywith Malta Enterprise to bring foreigndirect investment to Malta.

HSBC is also emphasising its abilityto connect Maltese businesses to other

counterparts across the world. Howwill it do this, and how do businessesin Malta stand to benefit?

HSBCs commercial banking reachesfar and wide. This can be instrumentalin helping Maltese businesses togrow. With trade teams on the groundin more than 60 countries and a hugecustomer base, HSBC Malta can guidecustomers towards new and excitingopportunities for international trade.

Moreover, HSBC has over 7,000Relationship Managers around the

world. They are expertly trained tolook after customers business needsand connect them with the partnersthey need to achieve success acrossnational borders.

By understanding our customersneeds, HSBC Malta can provideaccess to an extensive list of solutionsto assist international trade and tomeet those needs, such as through:Structured Trade Finance, Internet

Trade Services, Receivables Finance,Renminbi direct trade settlements,Payments and Cash ManagementSolutions, and Foreign Exchange.

Furthermore, we have new solutionslined up for the coming monthssuch as Invoice Finance for SmallBusiness, Invoice Discounting andTrade e-alerts and e-mail advising.

Economic expansion in regionssuch asAsia and Latin American isreaching new heights. How will thisinitiative allow local businesses totap into those markets, and furtherdevelop Maltas international tradesector?

There are huge opportunities to behad in emerging markets, and HSBChas already been instrumental inhelping hundreds of Maltese customers

capitalise on this. However, throughspecialised assistance in emergingmarkets, Malta Trade for Growthwill step up this support significantlyand in a structured manner.

Offering a variety of uniqueincentives, such as the waiving ofadministration fees for finance againsttrade export or import facilities fortrade with emerging markets, MaltaTrade for Growth will also providediscounts on Receivables Financeand preferential rates on ForeignExchange, including currencies suchas the Chinese Renminbi.

How will the Malta Trade forGrowth initiative be marketed and

promoted among businesses inMalta?

As a means towards achievinginternational growth, HSBC Maltais emphasising on HSBCs expertiseand worldwide connectedness. Thismessage will be conveyed through theincorporation of real life stories aboutMaltese companies that successfullyexpanded overseas with HSBCsassistance.

Launching the initiative on Tuesday26 March, Economy and InvestmentMinister Chris Cardona said thatthe government is committed toencouraging local businesses to thinkglobal and internationalise theirbusinesses. What is your reaction?

This is a very positive and verywelcome commitment. On the day ofthe launch, Minister Chris Cardonaemphasised the governmentscommitment to creating a business

friendly environment by workingwith private enterprise in support ofeconomic growth and encouragedbusinesses to think global.

The Malta Trade for Growthinitiative is an important tool tosupport this internationalisation ofMaltese businesses. It is very pleasingto note that our Malta Trade forGrowth initiative clearly fits withMaltas strategic direction.

Nestor Laivieraspeaks with HSBCMaltas Head ofCommercial BankingMichel Cordinaregarding HSBCsrecently launchedMalta Trade forGrowth initiative

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13

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Although government has not expe-rienced any funding difficulties, it isessential that the debt ratio be broughtdown to the 60% benchmark, the Cen-tral Bank Governor Josef Bonnici haswarned.

In his introduction to the AnnualReport that was published yesterday, theGovernor said that this had to be donein a deliberate manner, since at currentlevels the room for fiscal manoeuvre islimited.

Fiscal prudence will also promote thesustainability of public sector financingand ensure compliance with the newEU fiscal rules, Bonnici said.

He also called for a fiscal consolidationprocess that is complemented byimprovements in the regulatoryinfrastructure, adding that thecurrent economic situation calls forthe enhancement of the businessenvironment.

Bonnici also supported theestablishment of a development orpromotional bank in Malta.

Such a bank would improve thecapacity of the financial system tomeet medium- and long-term financingneeds could be instrumentalin mobilising the excess liquiditycharacterising the financial systemmore effectively and deploying certaingovernment assets efficiently.

Bonnici said that such an institutionwould serve to unlock further thefinancial potential that is available,in order to spur competitiveness and

economic growth with a limited addedburden on government finance.In the report, Bonnici said the bank

expects the deficit ratio to fall to2.6% in 2013, while the debt ratio isexpected to rise slightly to 72.5%.

Regarding the financial sector,Bonnici noted that credit growthin Malta remained positive evenduring the crisis, and it exceeded by aconsiderable margin the correspondingrate for the euro area betweenDecember 2007 and December 2012.

During 2012, credit growth in Malta,excluding government, amounted to1.8%, compared with a contraction of1.1% in the euro area.

On the liabilities side, Maltesebanks continued to make modest useof Eurosystem funding, reflecting theabsence of funding distress.

Bonnici also highlighted theuncertainty that continues to surroundthe outlook for the euro area,notwithstanding an easing of financialtensions in the second half of 2012.

He noted that the impairment in thetransmission of monetary policy inthe euro area has resulted in financialfragmentation and divergent economicperformances across countries. Thus,after having expanded by 1.4% in2011, real GDP in the euro areacontracted by 0.5% in 2012.

With regard to the Maltese economy,this continued to endure adverseconditions in important exportmarkets. As a result, the economygrew by 0.8% in 2012, down from1.7% a year earlier.

The Maltese economy had the third

highest growth rate among euro areaMember States in 2012, comparedwith a negative growth rate of 0.5%in the euro area as a whole. The bankestimates Maltas GDP growth in 2013to pick up to 1.4%.

On the inflation front, the Governornoted that, on the basis of the retailprice index, the rate of inflation isexpected to decline from 2.4% in 2012to 2.0% in 2013.

Bonnici also raised a number oflonger-term considerations related tothe competitiveness of the Malteseeconomy.

He noted that many countries

responded to the macroeconomicimbalances exposed by the crisis byintroducing structural reforms and fiscalconsolidation measures, while engagingin an internal devaluation involving cutsin wages and other costs.

Such measures will leave thesecountries in a stronger competitiveposition in the eventual recovery. This isset to pose an increased competitivenesschallenge to Maltas economy.

He also called for more prudenceon the issue of minimum wagesetting, as unjustified increases inSlovenia and Cyprus have led tolosses in competitiveness and weakeremployment prospects in thosecountries.

FIMBank p.l.c. is a licensed credit institution in Malta with company registration C17003, is regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authorityand listed on the Malta Stock Exchange. The Bank is a participant of the Depositor Compensation Scheme in Malta. Terms and conditions apply.

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Essential that debtratio brought downto 60% - Central Bank

Governor

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14

BUSINESS & FINANCE

T

he new governmentscommitment to appointan Ombudsman spe-cifically dedicated toinvestigating investor-

complaints and mediating disputesbetween investors and financial in-stitutions has recently made head-lines.

Such an Ombudsman is proposedto be flanked with two charters;one tailored to small investors andthe other tailored to bank customerrights.

All this resounds as very relevantin the light of the recent cases ofmis-selling such as MFSP, theBOV property fund debacle, andthe mis-selling of shares in heavilysubordinated paper pertaining tothe bankrupt giant that was LehmanBrothers Bank, among others.

Hundreds of investors lost theirsavings in qualifying on both countsas small investors and concurrently

as bank customers and whereimportance of due disclosure andnon-commission based advice wereamong the highlighted areas in theaftermath.

MFSA also issued penalties inrelation to the shortcomings of bankemployees in this regard that servedas a warning to other banks.

Having the above-mentionedcharters in place can, if not lendthe small investors the requisiteexperience to make certaininvestments, shed light on theabsence thereof and better identify,before any money is parted with,whether the objectives and riskprofile of a particular financialproduct match those of the potentialbuyer.

Looking back at these cases one

immediately notices two componentsat play: aggrieved consumers andlicense holders in breach of theirobligations.

The glitch lies in that whereas theMFSA, a single super-regulator, canand does heavily penalise licenseholders for mal-practices, its handsare metaphorically tied in view ofthe official limits of compensationit is able to impose.

Let us discuss the BOV perpetualscase that saw the MFSA stronglyrecommending reinstatement andits expectation that BOV shouldrepay original capital invested plusan equitable rate of interest.

However, BOV was completelyfree to pave its own way forwardwith regards to reaching settlementof claims with its former clients, andso far has not acceded to their requestto repay the capital invested.

Enter the proposed Ombudsmanwho could deal directly andexclusively with investor tohelp resolve financial institutioncomplaints.

Currently the existing ConsumerComplaints Manager figureheadcomes closest to the descriptionof the Ombudsman, given that heis an MFSA official whose roleis specifically to mediate privateconsumer complaints related tofinancial services transactions.

The Consumer ComplaintsManager comes into play only

when the complaint in questionis not simultaneously being takencognizance of by another body(such as a court or other out-of-courtentity), handles only individualcomplaints (non-corporate ones),and is classified as a representativeof the EEAs out-of-court-settlement-scheme by virtue of itsmembership in FIN-NET (networkfor settling cross-border financialdisputes out of court).

It is opportune to explain that therole of FIN-NET is to facilitatedispute resolution in instanceswhere the consumers complaintrelates to a financial institution ina state other than that in his or herown state of residence.

Continuing on the ConsumerComplaints Manager, his roleis triggered in something of ahierarchal climb of exhaustion ofavailable remedies.

That is, before a disgruntledconsumer (who within financialservices commonly doubles up asan investor) can direct his complain tto the office of the ConsumerComplaints Manager, he or she mustfirst attempt to resolve the issue

directly with the license holder inquestion.

In addition, in instances whenno reply is forthcoming from thelicense holder, the consumer cannot

immediately refer the matter toConsumer Complaints Manager butmust allow a peremptory period oftwo months to elapse before he orshe can claim deemedrefusal of hiscause, and present the case to theConsumer Complaints Manager.

The law purports a further tierwhereby the Consumer ComplaintsManager may (not shall) refer thematter to the Supervisory Councilfor its consideration, where theSupervisory Council is the licensingand supervisory arm of the nationalregulator.

So where does the new Ombudsmanfor small investors feature in allthis, and how could he supplementthe mechanism already at play?

The Consumer Complaints

Manager may on paper seem welland good, but this mechanism ishampered by evident shortcomingsthat have been long-felt from apragmatic standpoint.

The first major short-comingemanates from the wording of thelaw which states that the privateconsumer shall not have the right torequire the Consumer ComplaintsManager to give him advice on anyparticular matter or to act on hisbehalf in any dispute with a licensedperson before any court or tribunal,except to the extent, if any providedfor by this or any other law.

This description fits the billfor an Ombudsman figure, whoonce, elected can be engaged withthe de facto advice-deliveringand representation of distraught

investors in their disputes.The second major short-coming

is that the rest of the provisionsconcerning the ConsumerComplaints Manager fail to mentionany decision-making power, andwhich is consequently limited toonly recommend a (non-binding)way forward.

Such a decision-making powerwould certainly go the extramile as far as effective disputeresolution goes, and certainly alsoin supplementing the ConsumerComplaint Managers powersof encouraging, assisting andco-operating in his out-of-courtdispute settlement terrain with moretoothed, and perhaps more pro-active weapons of choice for anyfuture incoming Ombudsman.

By comparison, the UKOmbudsman for Financial Servicesdisputes is well-known for hispowers and unique performanceregarding the resolution of recentmis-selling of complex financialinstruments - namely cases featuringBarclays Bank plc, HSBC Bankplc, Lloyds Banking Group plc andRoyal Bank of Scotland plc.

The UKs Financial Ombudsmanis an impartial figure set-up byParliament who in 2012 was seenreversing two decisions taken bybanks not to pay compensation in

view of mis-selling of swaps.Having a similarly impartial

institution of a Financial ServicesOmbudsman in Malta would beaddressing an age-old moot pointin terms of the impartiality, or lackthereof in related matters.

In fact the MFSAs arm using itsbinding decision making powers(the Financial Services Tribunal)does not relate to investor-licenseholder disputes but to licenseholders aggrieved by decisions ofthe MFSA, and obviously therehas long been a lament in terms ofthe absence of a fair hearing andequality of arms in this regard,particularly where such body is atonce both party and arbiter to thesame case at the same time.

While the Consumer ComplaintManager has no decisive role indispute settlement, it is still beinga central member of the regulatorwhere there is an involuntaryelement of bias perhaps in theconsumers perception - althoughthis is contrary to the MFSAsobjectives that hold consumerprotection as the heart and kernelof its very constitution. That saidan independent Ombudsman wouldno doubt give a lot of comfort toaggrieved investors.

Back to UK, we find that theparties who refer a dispute to theUK Financial Ombudsman havea right of refusal to the lattersdecision. At face value, this mayseem to draw parallels with theConsumer Complaint Managers

recommendation that the partiesto a dispute locally may similarlychoose to refuse.

However, the vital difference liesin that while the acceptance of theConsumer Complaints Managersrecommendation can, at most,facilitate an amicable route to adispute resolution, the acceptanceof a decision of the UK FinancialOmbudsman would be final andbinding on both parties, levying anelement of weighted permanencethat is certainly not part of our ownConsumer Complaint Managersfabric.

While at present locally very littlehas been disclosed about how theFinancial Ombudsman skeletonwill be fleshed out, a worthwhilequestion is whether the proposedlocal Ombudsman will be mouldedalong similar terms as the UK one.

This is perhaps at once possible,

plausible and probable giventhe Maltese legislators trend offollowing very closely the UKdevelopments in this sector, citingas an example Maltas transition toa single regulator and the setting upof various tribunals (although theUK have reverted back to separateregulators breaking the mould ofFSA the single financial regulator).

Beyond this, a more direct

inference that the UK model willonce again be pursued can perhapsbe deduced from speculation overhow recourse to the UK FinancialOmbudsman must be precededby direct complaint to the licenseholder, which when has eight weeksto reply - a rough equivalent to thetwo-month window accompanyingan identical requisite under thecurrent Consumer ComplaintsManager regime.

In conclusion, while one hopesthat the proposed the establishmentof a Malta Financial Ombudsman isrealised rapidly yet smoothly, thereis in this context a greater need thanever to drive home the importanceof reasoned caution (let the buyerbeware) that should underlie anyinvestment decision.

This includes the notion of moralhazard when making investmentdecisions, where the inherent riskof loss is always present and anyresultant losses never translate intoan automatic right to compensation.

One must thus not run awaywith the idea that a FinancialOmbudsman will pose as a gildedshield protecting all and sundryfrom potential losses as they drawnear.

Investors must always rememberthat the guarantee safety netcatches only those losses resultantfrom the (proven) mal-practiceof the license holder, and not themal-performance of an investmentproduct.

Dr Marilyn Mifsud LLD is aSecurities Associate at PKF, anaudit and business advisory firm

[email protected]


Marilyn Mifsud

Needed - a financial services OmbudsmanBOV was completely

free to pave its ownway forward with

regards to reaching

settlement of claims

The ConsumerComplaints

mechanism is

hampered by evidentshortcomings that

have been long-feltfrom a pragmatic

standpoint YOUR FIRST CLICK OF THE DAYwww.maltatoday.com.mt

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15

BUSINESS & FINANCE

ECB decisionsOn Thursday, 4 April, the Governing

Council of the European Central Bank(ECB) decided to keep the interest rateon the main refinancing operations

(MRO) unchanged at 0.75%. Interestrates on the marginal lending facility

and on the deposit facility were alsoleft unchanged at 1.50% and 0.00%,respectively.

ECB Monetary OperationsOn Thursday, 28 March, the ECB

announced its weekly MRO. Theauction was conducted on Tuesday,2 April, and attracted bids from euro

area eligible counterparties of 124.88billion, 1.64 billion higher than the

bid amount in the previous week. Theamount was allotted in full at a fixed rateequivalent to the prevailing MRO rate of0.75%, in accordance with current ECBpolicy

On Tuesday, 2 April, the ECBconducted an auction for a seven-day fixed-term deposit intended toabsorb 205.5 billion. This operationwas designed to sterilise the effect ofpurchases made under the SecuritiesMarkets Programme that were settledbut had not yet matured by the previousFriday, 29 March. The auction wascarried out at a variable rate, with euroarea eligible counterparties allowed toplace up to four bids at a maximum rateof 0.75%. It attracted bids amounting to270.44 billion, with the ECB allotting205.5 billion or 75.99% of the totalbid amount. The marginal rate on theauction was set at 0.07%, with the

weighted average rate at 0.04%.On Wednesday, 3 April, the ECB

conducted a seven-day US dollar fundingoperation through collateralised lending

in conjunction with the US FederalReserve. This operation attracted bids of

$1.2 billion, which was allotted in full ata fixed rate of 0.65%.

Domestic Treasury Bill MarketIn the domestic primary market for

Treasury bills, the Treasury invitedtenders for 182-day bills maturing on4 October 2013. Bids of 25.6 millionwere submitted, with the Treasuryaccepting the full amount. Since 38.85million worth of bills matured duringthe week, the outstanding balance ofTreasury bills decreased by 13.25million, to stand at 275.35 million.

The yield from the 182-day bill auctionwas 0.857%, i.e. 8.8 basis points higherthan on bills with a similar tenor issuedon 22 March 2013, representing a bidprice of 99.5686 per 100 nominal.

During the week under review, therewas no trading on the Malta StockExchange.

On Tuesday the Treasury invitedtenders for 91-day bills and 182- daybills maturing on 12 July and 11 October,2013, respectively

The rates quoted above are against the EURO.

Regular market closed - 09/4/2012

Symbol Code Volume Traded Value Traded Trades High Price Low Price Open Price Close Price Change Twap

BOV 51973 117130.780 15 2.260 2.250 2.260 2.250 0.000 2.254

FIM 17175 16517.040 3 0.990 0.960 0.960 0.990 0.000 0.962

GO 10225 16186.410 6 1.600 1.574 1.580 1.580 0.005 1.583

IHG 2000 1250.000 1 0.625 0.625 0.625 0.625 -0.005 0.625

MIA 13020 24738.000 5 1.900 1.900 1.900 1.900 0.000 1.900

MSI 15506 13955.400 5 0.900 0.900 0.900 0.900 0.000 0.900

RS2 18300 18300.000 5 1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 0.000 1.000

STUM 9125 15521.630 2 1.701 1.701 1.701 1.701 0.001 1.701

G14C 7500 7878.750 1 105.050 105.050 105.050 105.050 -0.010 105.050

G17C 65000 70863.000 2 109.020 109.020 109.020 109.020 0.040 109.020

G21A 23647 26858.260 1 113.580 113.580 113.580 113.580 -0.040 113.580

G22B 25000 26942.500 2 107.770 107.770 107.770 107.770 -0.070 107.770

G22BE 30000 32331.000 1 107.770 107.770 107.770 107.770 0.650 107.770

G28BA 1061400 1085908.500 6 102.370 102.300 102.370 102.370 -0.070 102.310

G29A 30000 32961.000 3 109.870 109.870 109.870 109.870 -0.150 109.870

G30A 25000 27430.000 2 109.720 109.720 109.720 109.720 -0.170 109.720

BV18A 20000 20580.000 1 102.900 102.900 102.900 102.900 -0.100 102.900

BV19A 39600 41481.000 1 104.750 104.750 104.750 104.750 -0.050 104.750

BV20A 126000 127830.000 13 101.500 101.200 101.200 101.500 0.000 101.450

FB19A 17000 17325.300 4 102.510 101.500 102.510 101.500 0.000 101.910

HB18A 8200 8684.400 3 106.000 104.100 106.000 104.100 -2.900 105.910

IG19A 8600 8868.320 1 103.120 103.120 103.120 103.120 -0.880 103.120

MI15A 1000 1025.000 1 102.500 102.500 102.500 102.500 -0.500 102.500

MI17A 1600 1648.000 1 103.000 103.000 103.000 103.000 -1.000 103.000

SF20A 1600 1720.000 2 107.500 107.500 107.500 107.500 0.000 107.500

Money Market Report for the week ending5 April 2013

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THISWEEK16

THEATRE

APRIL 12, 13; 20, 21

Comedy TonightSeries of comedy sketches byMasquerade Malta performersat the Manoel Theatre, Valletta.Featuring popular comedynumbers from musicals such asKiss Me Kate, Les Miserables,Wicked, Jesus Christ Superstarand Avenue Q as interpreted bysome of Maltas finest voices likeRoger Tirazona, Rachel Fabri,Joseph Zammit and DorothyBezzina together with specialguests Katherine Brown, LudwigGalea, Steve Hili and NadiaVella. Musical direction is byRoger Tirazona and Rachel Fabriwith Malcolm Galea hosting theshow. Production and artistic

direction is by Anthony Bezzina.Tickets are at 20, 15 and 10.Bookings: www.teatrumanoel.com.mt, 21 246389 or www.masquerademalta.com.

MUSIC

APRIL 12

Akal WubPerformance by Paris-basedEthiopian jazz quintet at theMarsa Sports Club Gardens.Supported by Lester Clayton andClemence Freschard. Early birdtickets are at 25, 30 normalrate. Bookings: www.maltaticket.com. Doors open at 19:30.

APRIL 12Duo BlankLive performance by the electroduo at Coach and Horses, ValleyRoad, Msida from 21:30. Warmupperformance by Rokon Blank.Entrance is at 3.

APRIL 13

The Curious Child EP launchSinger-songwriter Alex Aldenwill be launching her debutEP at the Teatru Salesjan,Howard Street, Sliema. Doorsopen at 20:00. Tickets are at10 with the EP, 6 without.

Bookings: http://alexalden.dehydratedmarshmallow.com/.

ARTAPRIL 12 MAY 12Spirit of PianoExhibition of 35 oil paintingsby Macedonian artist LjupcoSamardziski at St James Cavalier,Valletta. The launch on April 12at 19:00 and will be inauguratedby David Felice and MariellaPisani Bencini.

UNTIL APRIL 13Richard & Marc EnglandExhibition of drawings andpoems by Richard England andpaintings by Marc England atLily Agius Gallery, 54, Cathedral

Street, Sliema. Opening partyon March 21, 19:30. For a private

view or a c atal ogue emai l: i [email protected] call on 99 292488.

29 APRIL 5 MAYMusic and Visual ArtsWorkshops by WOMADFoundationSt James Cavalier has formed apartnership with The WOMADFoundation to present a serie s ofworkshops, master classes andperformances in schools, collegesand at the venue in Valletta.In partnership with St JamesCavalier, WOMAD has devised a

vibrant a nd di verse programme

of activities for children andyoung people work ing withvisi ting music ians and vis ualartists including: Brassroots(USA/UK), Siyaya (Zimbabwe),Ipercussionici (Sicily), Malarky(UK) , Ripton Lindsay (Jamaica),Dave Watts (UK/Tenerife) andShona Watt (UK). At the end of aweek-long residency artists andstudents will animate the streetsof Valletta with music, danceand visuals on 5 May, followedby showcases from students andartists sharing their experiencesof working together.

UNTIL APRIL 24Tiers of TruthsExhibition of paintings by RupertCefai at Christine X Art Gallery,Sliema. Opening hours: 10:00 to13:00; 16:00 to 19:00, Monday toSaturday.

UNTIL MAY 6Tales of the Bloody MaryOracleExhibition of artworks bygraffiti and mural artist Chris deSouza Jensen at Guy Lee Studio,Mellieha.

LITERARY

EVENTS

TODAYShort story writing workshopby Suzanne JoinsonWorshop by the accla imedBritish fiction and non-fictionwriter Suzanne Joinson at theEngineering Building, Room EB2,University of Malta. From 12:00to 14:00.

TONIGHT

Biljett Miftuh/Open TicketEvening of poetry by KarlSchembri and Albert Gatt atCoach and Horses, Valley Road,Msida from 20:00. Musicalaccompaniment will be providedby Antonio Ghio.

APRIL 11Forum Mare Nostrum:Discourse/DisorderBiennial conference by writers,academics and culturaloperators from Europe and theMediterranean at Grand HotelExcelsior, Floriana from 08:30 to15:30. Organised by the EuropeanWriters Council and hosted bythe Akkademja tal-Malti. Thetheme of the Malta meeting

is Discourse/Disorder, tellingstories of revolution and socialupheaval in the Mediterraneanand Europe.

APRIL 12VolensMerlin Publishers launch MarkCamilleris Volens the sequelto the authors crime thrillerPrima Facie, once again featuringInspector Victor Gallo atBottegin, Palazzo Xara, Rabat at20:00.

FILM

SCREENINGSAPRIL 11, 12My Europe Short Film FestivalA series of short films from allover Europe screened at EuropeHouse, 254, St Paul Street,Valletta at 19:00. Entrance is free,and audiences will get to vote fortheir favourite film. Organised bythe Euro Media Forum. For moreinformation: [email protected], 99 454066.

WEDNESDAYSKinemastik Film ClubKinemastik Film Club is backat The Royal British Legion Bar,111, Melita Street, Valletta from20:45. The film collective willbe screening movies selectedby Serbian film critic andscreenwriter Dim itrije Vojnov.Doors open at any time.

PUBLIC

LECTURES/

DISCUSSIONS

APRIL 11Secular Morality An MHADiscussionDiscussion on secular morality bythe Malta Humanist Associationat the Workers MemorialBuilding, South Street, Vallettaat 18:00. Is a person good becauseof a promise of a reward in theafterlife? Or is a person goodbecause, well, it is good to begood? Does morality come fromsome deity?

APRIL 11Meeting Darwins LastChallengeTalk by Prof. Giovanni Romeoat the Music Room, St JamesCavalier, Valletta at 19:00. Incollaboration with UK and otherItalian researchers, Prof. Romeosteam is investigating if there is agenetic link between differencesin language. Have changes in ourgenes led to changes in language?Their results show that thereis a link in populations from atleast three different continents.Organised by Malta CafScientifique and Department ofPathology, University of Malta.


WHATS ON

Alex Alden

Spirit of Piano by Ljupco Samardziski

Tiers of Truths by Rupert Cefai

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THISWEEK

17

TV/CINEMA

Films released by KRS Distributors

Corporate salesman Steve Butler arrives in a rural town with his sales partner, Sue Thomason. With the town having been hit hard bythe economic decline of recent years, the two outsiders see the local citizens as likely to accept their companys offer, for drilling rightsto their properties, as much-needed relief. What seems like an easy job for the duo becomes complicated by the objection of a respectedschoolteacher with support from a grassroots campaign led by another man who counters Steve both personally and professionally.Starring: Matt Damon, Frances McDormand and John Krasinski.

Showing soon

AT CINEMAS

TODAY

picEpic


Promised LandPromised Land

An ongoing battle rages deep in the forest between the forces of good and the forces of evil. When a teen age girl finds herself magically transported intothis secret universe, she must band together with a rag-tag team of fun and whimsical characters in order to save their world... and ours. Featuring the voicetalents of: Amanda Seyfried, Josh Hutcherson and Beyonce Knowles.

Showing soon

TVM

20:00 L-Abarijiet20:40Dreams 21:45Sherlock 23:15L-Abarijiet 23:30Paq Paq 25 (repeat) 00:15TVPM

TVM 2

19:30News for the hearing impaired 19:40Madwarna

19:55 News in English 20:00 Pre match programme20:35 Champions League 22:45 Highlights Pro-gramme

NET TV

19:45 Net News 20:30 Simpatici 21:30 Net News

21:35 Iswed fuq l-Abjad 23:00Net News

ONE

19:30One News 20:15Klassi Ghalina 21:00TX 22:10One 23:15 One News 23:45 Trasmissjoni Matul Il-Lejl

CANALE 5

20:00Tg5 Meteo.it 20:20Striscia la notizia 20:40UEFA Champions League 22:45 Speciale ChampionsLeague 00:30 Tg5 Notte Meteo.it 01:00 Striscia la

notizia01:50

Uomini e Donne

ITALIA 1

18:30Studio Aperto - Meteo19:20CSI New York21:10Aman-da Knox 22:55Studio Aperto Live 23:55The Vampire Diaries

01:40Sport Mediaset02:05The Shield

RETE 4

18:50 Anteprima Tg4 18:55Tg4 Meteo 4 19:35Tempestadamore 20:30Walker Texas Ranger 21:10 TheCloser23:15Bones 01:00Tg4 Night News

RAI UNO

20:00 Telegiornale 20:30Affari Tuoi 21:10Dove la trovi unacome me?23:32Tg1 60 Secondi 23:35Porta a Porta01:10Tg1Notte01:40Che tempo fa

Documents

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