Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1304419
3 NEWS 29.10.2020 Melita Business increases support for business community Bar owners hoping for government u-turn MELITA Business is growing its team to provide a wider range of communica- tion services to the local business com- munity, enhanced customer experience and enable digital adoption. Amongst the developments, Melita Business has doubled the size of its account manage- ment team that acts as single point of contact for larger organisations. Moreover, the company has also intro- duced new management roles in prod- uct management, innovation, and ac- count management which will increase the company's focus on customer ex- perience whilst enabling customers to make the best use of cloud platforms. Melita has also invested significantly in the Internet of ings, providing local businesses with connectivity, a manage- ment platform and solutions to opti- mise and automate their operations. e increased focus on business cli- ents, and a more personal approach de- signed around needs of different types of business, is also reflected in the new www.melitabusiness.com website. To cater for the needs of different busi- nesses, Melita has put together offers, solutions and pricing that suit different categories of business; whether these are retail stores, hotels, self-employed professionals, or even larger financial services companies and government agencies. Malcolm Briffa, Director of Business Services at Melita Limited, said, "At Melita Business we cater for the needs of all types of businesses, whatever their size or location. is commitment is re- flected in our investments, such as be- ing the only telecoms provider to deliv- er gigabit internet speeds to businesses anywhere in Malta, a best-in-class data centre, or the dedicated platform for Internet of ings. Business customers are after great and reliable connectivity whether in their office, or on the go. But more importantly they want to know that they have someone to reach out to and who will support them personally when needed." More information on Melita Busi- ness, which for more than 20 years has offered specific products for voice and data communication to companies ranging from small corner shops to big international corporations, is available at www.melitabusiness.com Melita Business is growing its team to provide a wider range of communication services to the local business community, enhanced customer experience and enable digital adoption FROM PAGE 1 e new measures also mean that snack bars, which can remain open, will no longer be able to serve alcohol at the bar. "ese measures are not based on any logic whatsoever, and do not make sense when you compare the number of patrons that attend bars and kazini with the number that go to restau- rants and other establishments," the owner of a bar in Paola told BusinessToday. "ese rules were a lotto draw, depending on which piece of paper you own." He was referring to the license issues to busi- ness owners and which distinuguishes between bars, snack bars, kiosks, restauarts and cafeterias. "I own a bar and can no longer operate. e bar down the street, because they also serve ft- iras and chips, they can stay open, keep serving their customers and now also take my clientele as well," the owner said. And although he does not employ any full-time staff, he said his part-time weekend bar staff, as well as part-time cleaners, would all suffer. "I can- not afford to pay them when I am not taking in a cent myself," he said. "You do not become rich off this business, even in normal circumstances. But these measures will kill a lot of us." Julian, owner of a bar in Rabat, agreed. "I do not see why we were the ones targeted in this latest round of measures," he said. "is seems like a half-hearted attempt by the author- ities at appearing like they are staying on the game, when in fact they are just creating clear divides in sectors that have previously never known such division." Julian said he was still hoping the authorities would withdraw the directives before they even come into effect. "ey have done it in the past, or maybe they might allow us to start serving some crisps or peanuts with drinks, making us something other than just bars." His comments refers to a decision in August to allow establishments that serve their customers snacks, even if simply a packets of crisps, to stay open, even after authorities had said they should close. e Medical Association of Malta had said back then that a bag of crisps and a drink did not mod- ify a bar's licence. And it is those different types of licenses that will see some outlets remain open while others pull down their shutters for a month. One bar owner, who possesses a retail license and can sell some products off his shelves, said that he would be staying open. "I am sorry for my fellow bar owners who have to close their businesses, but I see no reason why I should when I have a retail license," he said. "Of course, I will not be selling alcohol at the bar, but I can sell everything else."