Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1147846
25.07.19 4 NEWS HSBC Malta Foundation in collaboration with the Directorate for Learning and Assessment Pro- grammes (DLAP) has launched 'STEM Camps @ Aquarium' targeting Year 4 students. e initiative is aligned to the bank's Future Skills programme which cultivates employability as well as financial capability in the communities in which it operates. rough the STEM (Science, Technology, Engi- neering, and Math) Camps participation, students further develop their critical thinking, life career and innovative future skills, necessary to equip them for active citizenship and employability. During the activity, students visit the Malta National Aquarium (MNA) at Qawra together with their teachers and MNA presenters cruise through the aquarium in groups of four and work a set of problem-solving tasks related to science and mathematics. e STEM Camps initiative was also extended to Year 7 students through STEM Camps@Esplora. Desiree Scicluna Bugeja, Assistant Director at DLAP, said: "e STEM Camps initiative aims to engage students in learning STEM while develop- ing valuable skills such as digital, learning and in- novation and life skills that will facilitate students' transition to employment and active citizenship." Stuart Fairbairn, CEO of HSBC Life Assurance (Malta), representing the bank, said: "is latest initiative builds on our ongoing cooperation with Science Centre, it exemplifies excellence in the theoretical and practical STEM education and meaningfully promotes the value of hands-on learning." HSBC, Science Centre launch STEM Camps The STEM Camps @ Aquarium impart a hands-on experience to Year 4 students GRTU Malta Chamber of SMEs offi- cials and specialised industry repre- sentatives held a meeting with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Parliamen- tary Secretary for Financial Services Silvio Schembri to discuss the banking situation in Malta. e GRTU lamented the unprecedent- ed situation businesses are experiencing in relation to the banking sector. GRTU president Paul Abela said that business was being lost on a daily basis. "GRTU does not expect things to go the way they were in the past but what can be helped should be helped," he said. Corporate services representatives ex- plained what a challenge doing business has become with the current situation in the Maltese banking sector, both for them and their clients. Clients were finding it difficult to understand why they could open a business in Malta but could not have a Maltese bank account. "e banking situation is leading in- vestors to question Malta's reputation and investors have now started to ques- tion if it is worth investing in Malta," Abela told Muscat. "e banking situ- ation is pushing good value investment, investment that the Government and the private sector has worked hard to attract. Why should opening a bank ac- count take close to a year, even for sec- tors that are considered low risk?" e GRTU accused the banking sec- tor of lacking, across the board, clearly defined procedures for client onboard- ing. It said businesses cannot operate in a limbo without knowing whether or when they would be given an account or if their application would be refused. Clients and members who tradition- ally did business with the local banks were now being turned away and asked to close their accounts. GRTU stressed the need for more banks to operate in Malta as this would ease the current deadlock. Moreover it emphasised the need of a more harmonised application proce- dure amongst local banks in order to structure the process and make it acces- sible and clear to all. GRTU raises concerns about the Maltese banking sector in meeting with Prime Minister The GRTU delegation with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Parliamentary Secretary Silvio Schembru