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2 NEWS 1.4.2021 FOLLOWING the Annual Gen- eral Meeting of the Malta Cham- ber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry held on the 24th March, the newly elected Council elect- ed Marisa Xuereb as President of e Malta Chamber 2021-2023. Addressing the Council for the first time, Xuereb outlined the priorities for her Presidency for the coming two years. She said that she felt honoured to follow in the footsteps of the outgoing President who worked tirelessly to elevate the vision of e Chamber. Xuereb noted that in the next 24 months, she will strive to maintain e Cham- ber's leading role in representing businesses while facing the chal- lenges ahead. "I look forward to working with the Council, executive boards, business sections, committees, and all members and stakehold- ers of e Chamber, as well as with all our sponsors and part- ners, in order to build upon the tremendous work that has been done in the past years and fur- ther strengthen the position of e Chamber as the voice of business. Together we will work relentlessly to enhance competi- tiveness and ensure a steady re- covery and the implementation of a smart and sustainable eco- nomic vision for the country," Xuereb said. She has sat on Council for the last six years and served as Dep- uty President for the last two years, during which she has been actively involved in the renewal process of e Chamber, cham- pioning initiatives such as the Young Chamber Network and the creation of several policy committees. She is a Director on Malta En- terprise, MCAST, MCST, and the Chamber's PPP, Education Malta. As Managing Director of Raesch Quarz (Malta) Ltd, she has over 20 years of experience in the FDI manufacturing industry and direct experience of export- ing to a wide range of countries, both within and outside the EU. Her business experience is sup- plemented by a strong academic background, as she holds a Mas- ter's Degree in Economics and is well established in local policy fora. Marisa Xuereb appointed Chamber president Marisa Xuereb APS Bank has a long-standing commitment towards sustainability and recently adopted a Sustainability Risk Policy, which builds on the Bank's values and Business Plan. The Bank and its subsidiaries aim to have a prominent position as a sustainable Group, that takes responsibility for its actions and engagements, as a member of society with its own impact on the planet and on people, but also as a provider of financial services with an indirect impact through the activities of its cli- ents and investments. This prominent position is to be achieved by fully incorporating sustainability into the Bank's culture and investment decisions, and by reinforcing the bank's sustainability risk management. The Sustainability Risk Policy defines the framework for managing sustainability risks (Environmental, Social and Governance risks) which is integrated in investment decisions and advice on financial products provided by APS Bank. Sustainability risk management is aligned with the Bank's risk appetite and sup- ports the mission to bring sustainable invest- ment solutions to its clients. Giovanni Bartolotta, APS Bank CRO stated that, "We recognise the importance of acting in adherence with the UN Sustainable Devel- opment Goals (SDGs), the Paris climate agree- ment, and the Principles for Responsible In- vestments (PRI). This policy will ensure that the services we offer to our customers, both as a financial market participant and financial advisor, do not result in having a damaging im- pact on society or the environment." APS Bank adopts Sustainability Risk Policy FROM PAGE 1 "We will first be looking to attract FITs from the European market [...] Our aim is to attract as many tourists as possible to contribute to recovery," Tourism Minister Clay- ton Bartolo explained. He acknowledged that the recov- ery plan will not depend on Malta alone but also on the situation in other countries. "But we're responsible for what happens here, and we need to be cautious," he said. Bartolo pointed out that the schemes will not only target FITs, with further schemes to be an- nounced over the next few weeks. Regarding use the Digital Green Certificate, the minister reassured that it won't lead to discrimination between those who have received the vaccine and those who fall further behind in the vaccination queue. "e Green Certificate won't be the only way someone can travel - you can use negative PCR tests taken hours before travelling. ese appear to be the two fa- vourite options at EU level and for Malta, with discussions with the Superintendent of Public Health is confirming this," he said. In terms of marketing, Bartolo said that tourism authorities will be making use of traditional and digital media to attract tourists. e ministry will also seek to max- imise the return of the Manchester United brand partnership. When asked about the UK and any decisions to remove it from Malta's red travel list, Bartolo ex- plained that the choice to remove or add the UK to any lists depends not only on the Maltese authorities but also on international bodies. "e success of this plan doesn't only depend on government, the tourism ministry, or tourism au- thorities - it depends on each and every one of us. It's the success of Malta and Gozo." Malta to seek to attract 'free independent travellers' Tourism minister Clayton Bartolo

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