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5 NEWS 3.3.2022 Hoteliers to cover quarantine hotel fees for Ukrainians fleeing war Chamber's 100 proposals for next 5 years THE Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) has offered to cover quarantine hotel fees required for Ukrainian asylum seekers entering Malta. In a statement, the association ex- pressed its solidarity with the citizens of Ukraine, especially the thousands of workers in the Ukrainian hospitality in- dustry. "We share the sorrow at the lives lost and the damage being caused in Ukraine. In the same way that Maltese hoteliers provided beds to emergency and front- line workers during the pandemic, the hospitality sector is now ready and will- ing to provide support and show soli- darity with Ukrainian refugees," MHRA President Tony Zahra said. e association said that MHRA members would be offering free ac- commodation covering the quarantine period required by law for Ukrainian asylum seekers. In this manner, Malta will be able to fast track Ukrainian asylum seekers and be in line with quarantine require- ments without burdening these refu- gees with quarantine costs. MHRA will also offer support to Ukrainian asylum seekers in finding jobs across the hos- pitality sector. "Our initiative is a demonstration of solidarity and a clear message that peace should prevail as soon as possi- ble for the real best interests of all hu- manity," Zahra said. On Tuesday, the government an- nounced it was lifting the COVID trav- el ban for Ukrainians fleeing war and seeking asylum in Malta. Ukraine is on the dark red travel list, which bars citizens from that country from coming here unless they have a work permit or residential status. e ban will be lifted, but Ukrainians will have to quarantine as per COVID protocols. e government refused to comment on whether the isolation ho- tel fees will be waived for those who do not have an alternative place where they can isolate themselves. Travellers from dark red zone countries have to quarantine in hotels PAUL COCKS THE Malta Chamber has put forward 100 proposals for the next legislature. e recommendations are structured around five main pillars: Economic Re- covery, Resilience and Growth; Good Governance; Human Capital and Ed- ucation; Infrastructure and Digitalisa- tion; and Sustainability. e 100 recommendations put for- ward by e Malta Chamber include some of the more salient proposals floated in recent months on building a more resilient economy, addressing hu- man resource shortages, improving the infrastructure, investing in digitalisa- tion, and promote sustainability. "e main message is that the next government needs to be an enabler rather than a lifesaver, so that business can get back to the driver seat of eco- nomic growth," Chamber president Marisa Xuereb told BusinessToday. "In the current scenario, Government intervention is needed to keep energy prices stable." She said the effective corporate tax rate for local companies needs to be re- duced as it is the highest in Europe. "e Chamber is recommending that reductions are attached to prompt set- tlement of corporate tax to encourage fiscal compliance." e Chamber insists it is imperative to rebuild tourism. It says the country needs to: • Redefine Malta's tourism product • Revisit MTA's role as an enabler and reposition it as an active reg- ulator • Temporary suspension on new tourist accommodation e Chamber also called for the next government to reignite arts and culture. It said a one-stop shop is needed since there are currently too many entities dealing with and supporting the sec- tor directly and indirectly. On retail, the Chamber said the retail scene in Valletta today does not resem- ble any major historic shopping street in Europe. erefore it is crucial that the Vallet- ta retail scene is rethought and possibly managed like a proper destination simi- lar to large shopping malls. e Chamber said such plan should include: • Target positioning • Category and brand mix • Store front look and feel • Possibility of having a designated street/area for a more premium segment • More frequent entertainment ac- tivities and attractions e scope of iGaming should also come to include digital games and eS- ports, the Chamber said. is would require: • Significant investment in the nec- essary skills • Incentives to attract the right for- eign talent • Support to serious operators from our banking regulatory environ- ment and the removal of those that impose a high reputational risk. Ease of doing business e Chamber said that a number of is- sues currently make it difficult for busi- nesses to establish themselves in Malta and to carry out their day-to-day opera- tions. Chief among these are: • Significant investment in the nec- essary skills; • e duplication of due diligence efforts; • Delays in opening a bank account; • e difficulty of getting credit; • Registering a property; • e process of getting utility ser- vices; • Delays in obtaining regulatory li- cences; • Excessive bureaucracy in obtain- ing accessibility certification for commercial premises; • Bureaucratic procedures involved in recruiting and retaining third country nationals; • e ineffectiveness of judicial remedies for resolution; • e slow resolution of insolvency issues. e Chamber also called for a reduc- tion in the effective tax rate for local businesses. Government should allow for a par- tial deduction for timely payment of tax dues. "e effective tax rate for local busi- nesses who settle their tax dues on time should hence be reduced to 25%," the Chamber said. Labour market participation e Chamber said employees who qualify for a pension before retirement age should be encouraged to retain par- time employment. Government should also: • Encourage employees to remain in the workforce beyond the re- tirement age; • Implement second pillar pensions and auto enrolment occupational pensions.

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