Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1311619
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 22 NOVEMBER 2020 12 COMMERCIAL Melita Foundation supports conservation works at Grandmaster's Palace THE Melita Foundation, which was launched in early 2020 with initial funding of €500,000, is, through a donation to the Uni- versity of Malta's Research, In- novation & Development Trust (RIDT), supporting the conser- vation of Matteo Perez d'Alec- cio's Great Siege wall painting cycle in the Palace of the Presi- dent, Valletta. The donation is one of the Foundation's first significant contributions to the protec- tion of Malta's cultural herit- age which, together with safe- guarding the environment and promoting digital skills, is one of its key areas of focus. The project, being overseen by the University's Department of Conservation and Built Her- itage, will in fact preserve an extraordinarily important his- torical document which de- fines the history of art in Malta. Professor Tanya Sammut-Bon- nici, Chairperson of the Mel- ita Foundation, said, "Perez d'Aleccio's Great Siege wall cy- cle was painted between 1575 and 1581, within 10 to 15 years of the event itself. Drawing on many eyewitness accounts it is the most detailed and histori- cally accurate visual document of the Siege. This, combined with the fact that it is the first monumental painted scheme commissions by the Order of St John, without doubt makes the wall cycle one of Malta's most important and precious works of art. The Melita Foundation is collaborating with RIDT to ensure this masterpiece can continue to serve as an impor- tant symbol of Malta's identity for generations to come." Perez d'Aleccio's cycle had already undergone partial conserva- tion in 2001-2005. This pro- ject, however, was not com- pleted, leaving approximately one third of the paintings still in need of conservation. Using updated conservation methods, the University of Malta is now stabilising those parts of the wall cycle which were not covered by the previ- ous project, removing surface soiling which currently dark- ens the images, and improving the legibility of the cycle as a whole. Wilfred Kenely, CEO at RIDT, said, "The main ob- jectives of RIDT are to further study and knowledge across all areas at the University of Malta. This entails not only supporting research within the university, but also supporting work which the various Facul- ties and Departments carry out in the field. In conserving the Perez d'Aleccio wall cycle, the Department of Conservation and Built Heritage which is staffed by experts in conserva- tion, archaeology and cultural heritage management, is lead- ing one of Malta's most impor- tant conservation projects ever. It is an arduous and expensive undertaking and we are grate- ful to organisations such as the Melita Foundation who recog- nise the value of this work and contribute towards ensuring it is successfully completed." The creation of the Melita Foundation was made possi- ble by an initial donation of €500,000 from Apax Partners, the owners of Melita Limited until May 2019. With the full support of the communications company's current owners, EQT, all of the Foundation's expenses will be funded entire- ly by Melita Limited, meaning that 100 per cent of the funds available to the Foundation will be used to support pro- jects. More information on the Melita Foundation and how to apply for funding is available at www.melitafoundation.org. Digital payments: addressing your business concerns THE payments landscape has experienced rapid changes, exerting pressures on local businesses to re-think their operational processes and stra- tegic models. The shift towards digital payments is growing stronger along with the benefits promised by digital solutions. These were some of the topics debated during a recent webi- nar for SMEs hosted by Bank of Valletta and the Malta Chamber of SMEs. "The Maltese banking sector is fundamental for local businesses to properly func- tion," stated Paul Abela, Pres- ident of the Malta Chamber of SMEs. "The support of local banks is critical for our SMEs, which as a sector was severely hampered by COVID-19. As a Chamber, we recognise the benefits that local businesses can, now more than ever, reap from digital payments and we strongly encourage our mem- bers to embrace novel solutions that will translate in augment- ed cost-effectiveness, speed and efficiency." Settlement of business payments has over the years switched to digital chan- nels, according to Kenneth Farrugia, Chief Business De- velopment Officer at Bank of Valletta. Payment mechanisms traditionally revolved around cash and cheques, but these are now being rapidly replaced by digital channels such as inter- net banking, mobile banking and contactless payments. Bank of Valletta is one of the main drivers of digital banking solutions in Malta and its suite of payment solutions is availa- ble for businesses, regardless of their size of operation, wanting to move from the costlier cash or cheque-based payments into more efficient and faster digi- tal payments. The suite, which comes at a reduced price struc- ture, includes options for both B2B payments and payments to and from other parties such as employees and customers. Ad- ditional solutions include con- tactless EPOS terminals, inter- net and mobile banking and mobile to mobile payments. Businesses targeting a digital payment strategy can get in touch with the BOV Payments specialists on paymentsbusi- ness@bov.com or can apply online on https://www.bov. c o m / c o n t e n t / s a l a r i e s - a n d - batch-payments-main. Further information can be found on h t t p s : / / w w w . b o v . c o m / B u s i - ness.