Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1188660
28.11.19 2 NEWS MATTHEW VELLA BUSINESS associations and unions have reacted with great concern to the events precipitated by the arrest of the Tumas magnate Yorgen Fenech, and the Prime Minister's chief of staff Keith Schembri in connection with the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. "e events unfolding in the last few days have been truly distressing. e business community is very concerned that what is happening will cause sig- nificant instability in the business world within the current economic conditions," the Malta Chamber of SMEs (GRTU) said in a statement. "We are a nation of hard working, en- terprising people. We are proud of our reputation which has taken many years to build. It is, however very fragile and being heavily challenged." e GRTU said it had already warned that its members were feeling the pres- sure coming from reputational damage suffered by Malta. "At that point we were already treading a fine line. Recent events will undoubtedly exasperate the situation. e way we are viewed inter- nationally and by our business colleagues abroad does not do justice to the Maltese people and Maltese businesses." e GRTU called for greater political responsibility and immediate solutions to the grave problems at hand. "Procrastination will only lead to more damage. e longer we take to turn the page, the longer it will take us to get back on our feet. As an official representative of a main strata in society we feel obliged to protect our social and economic seg- ments. We call on our institutions, the government, the opposition, the social partners and each and every one of us to ultimately work together to rebuild our social fabric. We need to bring back to the forefront our integrity and ability to do business intelligently and honestly," the GRTU said. Rule of law must prevail — MHRA e Malta Hotels and Restaurants As- sociation (MHRA) also called for the national interest to be placed at the fore- front of all decisions in the coming criti- cal moments. "ese are unprecedented and chal- lenging times for our country which need to be addressed with timely de- cisions aiming to ensure that the rule of law prevails so as we can bring unity rather than divide amongst us. "is is a moment of truth, and now more than ever before rhetoric needs to be put to practice by focusing our col- lective efforts to ensure that justice pre- vails in our democratic society. We are at a critical stage which we can only exit successfully if the rule of law is the guid- ing principal for all decisions that are made. If this situation is mismanaged it could seriously threaten the success and well-being which Malta has painstaking- ly built over the years," the MHRA said. "Undoubtedly this is a moment of shock for Malta and for all those who know us across the world, but it can also be a time when Malta can demonstrate that it truly believes in the rule of law. Each and everyone of us has a role to play and each and everyone of us must shoulder responsibility for his actions or inactions. Let the rule of law dictate how we move forward." Earlier this week, the second largest union in Malta called out the now for- mer tourism minister Konrad Mizzi and the PM's chief of staff, calling on them to resign and insisting that ordinary work- ers are normally suspended in circum- stances where there are clear suspicions of wrongdoing. "In the same manner, a minister and the Prime Minister's chief of staff, should lead by example and re- sign, or at least, suspend themselves until the investigation is complete," the UĦM said. In a strong appeal on Monday, the un- ion appealed to society to protest in a civil way and asked government not to push people "towards the precipice of anger". e UĦM called on MPs to "stand up and be counted" and urged for an urgent parliamentary meeting to discuss the "precarious state the country is in". e union also urged constituted bod- ies to speak out in the national interest and on behalf of their members. "In all circumstances, the country should come before any other interest… institutions should work all the time and in a timely manner… justice must not only be seen to be done, but be meted out effectively," the UĦM said. Also joining the chorus for justice was the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions (CMTU), which described the events as a turning point in Maltese his- tory. "CMTU gives full support to those institutions responsible for investigat- ing corruption and other more serious crimes. It also supports all those respon- sible for law enforcement and the justice system so that they can continue to do their duties, sending a strong message that 'all are equal before the law'. "Politicians are elected to serve the people and not vice versa. CMTU ap- peals to both parties to make sure that the message sent to the average citizen is that there is no room for people who put personal interest before public interest in politics. Where evidence of wrongdoing is present, responsibility must be taken. CMTU sincerely hopes that Justice will prevail." e Malta Employers Association is- sued its own statement, warning of a fallout from reputational damage, and calling on the country's political forces to work towards a return to normalcy following the recent upheavals related to the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. "Prolonging what is evidently a crisis situation is doing nothing but harm to the country. Calls for justice and polit- ical responsibility need to be addressed at this critical time to minimise the fall- out from the reputational damage which undoubtedly has been and is still being caused to the nation's detriment," the MEA said. "is is the time for all those who be- lieve in justice and cherish the national interest to rise above partisan gains and stand up and be counted, before the damage becomes irreversible and all Maltese society ends up paying a high price." Chamber: need for truth e Chamber of Commerce also warned that reputational damage had started with the Panama Papers and went unchecked for years in spite of re- peated calls to take bold decisions. "It has now reached unprecedented heights, and may continue to do so until justice is served. e current investiga- tion is a painful process that will hopefully bring to justice all those who have played a part in this gruesome murder. But it is also bringing to the fore the extent to which criminal activity had infiltrated the circles of power, and operated unper- turbed for years," the Chamber said. "e country needs a major clean up, that will have immediate repercussions on economic activity. We cannot contin- ue running away from this because the problems we have will not go away. On the contrary, they will grow bigger, to the detriment of the genuine entrepreneur, of which there are many, and Maltese society at large, that needs to come to terms with its predicament and free itself from the shackles of polarised politics." e Chamber said that it disassociated itself from those who use business as a shield for criminal activity. "is does a great disservice to the country and irrepa- rable damage to the business community. We remain advocates of ethical business and hope that the forces of law and order will be empowered to investigate and take legal action against all forms of criminal activity that tarnishes our reputation. We also hope that politicians will safeguard ethical business and adopt a no tolerance approach to impropriety in future." It said that while the judicial process re- quires time and space to take its course, "political decisions need to be taken with urgency." Businesses react to difficult days as Malta is plunged into political crisis A fifth protest was held yesterday in front of parliament, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat