Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1068299
9 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 6 JANUARY 2019 tion purposes. The proposal created quite an uproar in the locality, attracting nearly 400 objections, despite the environmental benefits of the project: the manure cannot be flushed away into the do- mestic sewer system, as it will cause damage to the system, and also may cause blockages in the network. And when un- treated material ends up in the sea, it has a detrimental effect on the marine environment. It is time for business own- ers to start roping in affected communities by making them 'partners' or investors in the projects. Business entrepre- neurs cannot be expected to reap the full benefits of private projects without having to pay for the effects and impact of their projects. The only way to curry some form of favour is to pay out part of their profits to affected communities, if they desire long-term business and community approval. The same concept must be applied to developers who are totally avoiding community buy-in and instead relying on the bulldozer regulation that the Planning Authority con- cedes to construction develop- ers: projects that alter villages and towns and their identities must come with serious envi- ronmental mitigation meas- ures that do not increase traffic and compromises that enjoy community support, such as the construction of parks and community centres. In 2019, these will be the win- ners setting out a blueprint for how construction should be carried out in Malta. Make it illegal to extract groundwater without paying Boreholes used for non-ag- ricultural purposes are being used to extract on average three times as much water than individual boreholes used for agricultural purposes. The stunning yield means that on average, each of the 90 me- tered commercial boreholes, which are not used for agri- cultural purposes, yielded the equivalent of 10,350 two-litre sized bottles of mineral water every single day during July 2016. In 2016, commercial boreholes yielded a total of 424,000 cubic metres of water which is the equivalent of 212 million large bottles of min- eral water. Commercial bore- holes in Malta are used for a variety of purposes, including the production of mineral wa- ter, or water used by hotels and factories, and water sold to households from bowsers to fill up swimming pools. As environmental ombuds- man Alan Spiteri wrote in his recent report, Malta's water scarcity problem is a major component of the island's vul- nerability. "While we do not seem to be afflicted with ma- jor problems when it comes to the quality of our waters, at least, on the basis of the evi- dence that we have been col- lecting so far, we do have a problem of water scarcity that puts us on a whole different level of vulnerability." Consider the free mineral water dished out by super- markets on purchases of more than €50 and €100: a good deal of that water has been ex- tracted from private boreholes that take water from Malta's water table, and that extrac- tion comes at a price, both financial and environmental, with over-abstraction (as it is termed) potentially threaten- ing the resource by allowing more nitrates from the sea to permeate these water reserves. At the very least, commercial users must pay for extracting this water. Introduce and enforce a lobbyists' register with harsh sanctions On the to-do list of the new parliamentary standards com- missioner could be the crea- tion of a register for lobbyists that theoretically would in- clude every single social part- ner, industry group, NGO and self-interest group, apart from company representatives. A register of lobbyists would provide the public with sig- nificant details about profes- sional lobbyists who represent a client's views to government representatives. A code of conduct would provide stand- ards of conduct for lobbyists to ensure that contact between lobbyists and government and opposition representatives is carried out in accordance with public expectations of trans- parency and integrity. The code would have to require lobbyists to document their contacts with government and opposition representatives. It would also require legis- lation that clearly maps out when 'incidental lobbying activities' trigger the require- ment for an entity to register as a lobbyist. This would mean giving government or opposi- tion representatives the re- sponsibility of deciding if an entity is carrying out a lob- bying activity, including an 'incidental' lobbying activity – which tends to happen a lot in Malta in private and party quarters. In a face-to-face political environment such as Malta, a lobbying register would be a radical novelty, but one that could go far in securing better transparency on party financ- ing issues. YOUR NEXT CAREER OPPORTUNITY AWAITS YOU HEAD OF SALES/BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Amicorp is an independent global service provider of a broad range of assurance, administrative, legal, corporate secretarial and support services. We provide a broad range of services to corporate and high-net-worth clients around the world. Amicorp Malta ("Amicorp") is now accepting applications for the following position: Duties and Responsibilities • Drive Team Sales by providing commercial leadership with respect to all sales activities in order to achieve the Sales and Revenue targets. Lead by example in Achieving/Exceeding Individual Sales targets consistently. • Develop, expand and maintain multiple, solid relationships with clients and intermediaries (e.g. Law Firms, CPAs, Bankers, Family Offices etc.) • Leverage and build relationships, thus developing new opportunities and leads with existing and/or new clients through the network. • Prepare client proposals and close sales in accordance with policies and guidelines to assure business growth. This role requires an experienced professional with proven sales experience in financial and accounting services, trust & fiduciary services and tax structuring. You will be primarily accountable for increasing sales and overall business of Amicorp products and services, identifying new business & revenue opportunities and retaining existing relationships. Skills and qualifications • Relevant Bachelors and Masters with over 15 years solid exposure to International Tax; proven Sales experience within the financial/ legal services, fiduciary/trust industry, covering intermediaries, clients with proven sales success. • Excellent Corporate and International Tax Structuring experience in organizations with international presence, with solid understanding of BEPS, CRS, FATCA, GAAR. • Excellent English spoken and written communication skills; any additional language will be an added advantage, to engage with International clients/partners; Must be willing to travel. How to Apply: If you are interested in the above position and your qualifications meet our requirements, we would be happy to consider your application accompanied by your full CV. you may forward these to jobs@amicorp.com Please include the job vacancy title in the email subject. Amicorp Malta Limited Level 1, Blue Harbour Business Centre I Ta' Xbiex Yacht Marina I Ta' Xbiex, XBX 1027 I Malta Amicorp Malta Limited is authorized to act as a Trustee to provide Fiduciary Services by the Malta Financial Services Authority. Company Registration Number: C 44003 The Amicorp Group is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from all interested parties. We thank you for your interest, however, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. No agencies please www.amicorp.com Needed: A wildlife crime unit that effectively enforces hunting regulations Malta's water scarcity problem is a major component of the island's vulnerability Like other sectors, lobbyists for the construction industry would have to be registered