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5 NEWS 15.10.2020 NICOLE MEILAK THE wage subsidy scheme provided businesses with a needed lifeline, but e Malta Chamber is putting for- ward embellishments to the scheme by linking it to a business re-engineering scheme. e chamber has long called for a business re-engineering scheme to allow for reskilling or upskilling of em- ployees, in the hopes that those working in the hardest-hit sectors can switch to other industries. School reopening has been the larg- est headache for parents, students and governments alike, with arguments for and against the reopening coming from all angles. Here the chamber argues for the reopening of schools, so long as it is carried out under the direction of the Superintendent of Public Health, with everyone mindful of COVID-19 realities. In their pre-budget document the chamber focuses their proposals on parents by suggesting tax deductions on IT equipment and incentivising flexible working patterns. Among other challenges brought on by the pandemic is quarantine leave. As cases rise, more and more people be- come exposed to the virus and in turn undergo quarantine. e 50% quaran- tine leave for full-time employees, and no payment for those in part-time em- ployment, will likely not be sufficient in helping businesses weather the sotm, and government will sooner than later have to address this more comprehen- sively. e chamber insists that any quar- antine leave imposed by the Superin- tendence of Public Health should be addressed as sick leave, paid in full by the government on the submission of a medical certificate. Malta's economy is far from zero-car- bon neutral, but by incentivising train- ing and education in sustainability, especialy within transport and con- struction, Malta could move closer to this reality. e chamber's proposals on sustainability focus on a mass rap- id-transit system, greener transport fleets and teleworking measures to re- duce traffic congestion and emissions simultaneously. International bodies have watched Malta's governance and corruption scandals with glaring eyes, and a place on Moneyval's grey list will only make it harder for Maltese businesses to attract foreign investment or branch out with economies of scale. e chamber is advocating strong- ly for Malta to rebuild its internation- al reputation and pass its MoneyVal assessment, but also emphasises the need for good governance structures in the private sector and better resources among government entities in enforce- ment, investigation and prosecution, so as not to undermine Malta's reputation. In a bid to develop infrastructure and safeguard public health, the chamber is keen on having the government pro- mote contactless customer experienc- es. COVID-19 already forced people to shift towards online shopping services and eGovernment portals, and to help incentivise this the chamber is suggest- ing one-time payment to help replace current fixtures with contactless infra- structure. PAUL COCKS MALTA'S manufacturing industry is reach- ing a tipping point as more and more workers end up in preventive quarantine, the president of e Malta Chamber has claimed. Perit David Xuereb told BusinessToday that the manufacturing industry, which is already having to deal with vastly reduced orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic, could suffer irreperable damage and losses if many more workers end up in preventive quarantine. "e industry is one of a few where work- ers cannot work from home and this leaves workers at greater risk of being exposed to coronavirus," he said. "is is serious." Xuereb said that the rising number of ac- tive cases - which reached 940 yesterday - highlighted the now-urgent need for more discipline and much better enforcement of measures aimed at mitigating the spread of coronavirus. "People have become complacent and are letting down their guard, prejudicing the livelihood of many workers," he said. "Let us not forget that for every active registered, another five people on average end up in preventive quarantine." With 100 cases registered in 24 hours, as many as 500 people could end up in quar- antine. "Of those, only 50% at best would be able to work from home," Xuereb said. "What is to happen of the rest?" As to the 2021 budget, to be presented in Parliament on Monday, Xuereb said that this cannot be a one-year budget but must pres- ent longer-term solutions and measures. "We want government to be courageous and to think of the medium and long term, lest we end up looking back in regret at this busget as a missed opportunity to plan ahead," he said. "Monday's budget needs to be a particularly formative budget, which will determine the country's future during and after this pandemic." Malta Chamber's budget proposals Manufacturing industry close to tipping point, Chamber president warns David Xuereb Net zero carbon measures feature in the budget proposals put forward by The Malta Chamber

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