Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1123240
30.05.19 11 Palumbo in Malta? I have an idea germinating in my head and I believe that in two to three years' time this shipyard will witness a very important development. Let us say that the shipyard will become not just close to the best, but one of the best in the world. We are committed to making this happen, and in two to three years the shipyard will enjoy the full success of its potential. Can you provide more details on what your idea consists in? (Laughs). No, this is my secret for the time being. What is the biggest lesson you've learned – positive or negative – since you started operations in Malta? When I started our operations in Mal- ta, I realised from the outset that I had to adjust to the reality on this island. In previous years I took some very, very important decisions. At the same time, they were also very courageous things to do, which I cannot imagine repeating now, because they would put at risk all that I have achieved. However, nobody ever showed me any recognition for them. In Malta it has been different. Just a month after we started operating in here, we carried out an eight-day job on a ship. For me, this was a very nor- mal job that didn't require any particu- lar effort. So I was quite surprised by the appreciation we received for this. In contrast, for instance, when my shipyard built a new 160-metre ship [in Italy], no one praised me for my good work. In Malta, I carried out this standard eight-day maintenance job, and I received letters complimenting me for the work. erefore, I wondered why such con- trasting reactions existed between Mal- ta and Italy. I then understood that the difference between the Maltese and Italian is that in Malta people commu- nicate better. Italians have many plus points – we are creative – but we do not excel when it comes to our relation- ship with clients. I quickly understood this when I came to Malta, and it was a major lesson for me, which I took on board. I also wanted to ask you about the sentence by the court in Messina, Sicily. You were sentenced to six years in prison in January for illegal dumping of waste – you are appealing this sentence. A spokesperson for Palumbo had said that the company's business interests in Malta and abroad are unaffected by the ruling. Are you sure about this? Has the company's reputation abroad not been affected? I am completely positive that the company's reputation has not been af- fected. We know the true facts of the case, and we know the reasons why the imaginative accusation against me was made. Once a court outside of Messi- na hears the case, it will dissolve into nothing. In Italy, there are three stages of the judicial process. is judgment was the first stage, and there are then two op- portunities to appeal, and we have ap- pealed. I confirm that the sentence of the first court has had no effect on our business – since the judgment was issued, the company hasn't registered any slow- down, on the contrary, it's doing even better and keeps growing in Malta and elsewhere. ere are two reasons I am confident when it comes to this case. e first is that it wasn't Palumbo who dumped the waste – subcontractors did, and I didn't have any direct responsibility. Second, all the analyses carried out on the waste showed it wasn't hazardous. So what is the case here? All this transpired because I had the courage to make certain complaints [in Messina] – something I wouldn't repeat today – because they were necessary to protect my interests there. And I paid for this through this court sentence. One thing I'd like to add: while it is normal that I am asked about this, I don't understand the amount of atten- tion given to this case in Malta. Why don't you instead judge me based on the nine years I have been in Malta? When I started my operations, I found a shipyard buried under two metres of rubbish, and it took me years to revamp it. You can see with your own eyes how it has been changed today. It is on this that I want to be judged, not on what happened in Messina, where I had to suffer a particular situation. Can you give me a single word to describe the following? - Doing business in Malta: Great - Maltese politicians: Good, till now - Joseph Muscat: [A Prime Minister who] delivers - e prospects for Palumbo in Malta: Optimistic - Maltese employees: Professional INTERVIEW shipyards in the world' I have an idea germinating in my head and I believe that in two to three years' time this shipyard will witness a very important development. Let us say that the shipyard will become not just close to the best, but one of the best in the world