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4 INTERVIEW 8.12.2022 PAUL COCKS What are the key challenges which the Maltese maritime industry faces? e lack of experienced personnel is an increasingly worrying problem, which, if not addressed in time, will create serious consequences not for the sector on its own but to the wid- er Maltese economy. Unfortunately, there is no concerted effort to show- case the value of a maritime career among our younger community. Let's face it: should a class of students be presented with the question of wheth- er they would rather captain a plane or a ship – the majority will opt for the skies. Yet, ironically, a ship captain's responsibility and expertise are even more extensive: he or she would need to be well-versed not only in the tech- nology of sailing a vessel (which today can be considered as a floating comput- er centre) but even in international law, international conventions and customs of the countries of call. As the owner's representative on board the vessel, the master is the one who faces the law of a country when something, such as a pollution incident, occurs. How are developments at an EU levels affecting local industry? At an EU level there's a strong deter- mination to fight tax avoidance but in the pursuit of this objective, the EU at times risks of killing the hen that lays the golden egg. e international mari- time industry is, in my humble opinion, over regulated and this risks alienating the shipping industry from Europe. In such a difficult environment, in the case of the Maltese maritime indus- try there is need for stronger lines of communication with authorities and the politicians that are able to push forward Malta's voice in Europe. Take tax reform for example. Within the Climate Pact context, the EU is push- ing for new taxation on shipping lines operating in European ports to coun- ter for the pollution they cause. While the principle might make sense, this will make European ports less compet- itive vis a vis Non-EU ports. Given the choice and possibility, shipping lines will choose Non-EU Ports. We have to ensure that our voice reaches the powers that be. Our com- petitors in the Mediterranean have al- ready understood this – Cyprus now has a dedicated Deputy Minister solely for Maritime affairs. Also, in this con- text, Focal Maritime has been a vo- cal supporter of the proposal, pushed by the Malta Maritime Forum of the need to detach the maritime industry responsibilities from Transport Malta and re-establish a National Maritime Authority. In this regard a note of ap- preciation to Aaron Farrugia, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Cap- ital Projects who on the 23rd Novem- ber convened a meeting for the stake- holders within the maritime industry to have an open discussion on this possibility of hiving off Maritime from Transport Malta. It was a really inter- esting exchange with a lot of interven- tions from the stakeholders which the Minister took note of. We now look forward to the follow up. Logistics transportation can be an important player in the fight against climate change. What approach are you adopting? No industry is immune to the vi- cious circle of climate change – and I use this term, willingly. While trans- portation and logistics too contribute to this phenomenon, they are actually also victims of it. Fast-paced climate change impacts our delivery speed, it increases production costs and may negatively impinge on the quality of the goods we deliver to consumer. Yes, we are looking at the bigger picture too – but sometimes you need to start with simple, practical solutions rather than opting for grandiose commitments. We have been studying the impact of Malta's maritime industry adds 12% to Malta's GDP and is responsible to over 22,000 jobs between direct and indirect employment. Yet, it seems that despite this significant contribution it remains an aerthought in political and economic discourse. An unprecedented series of international crises, including a pandemic, supply-chain troubles, war and inflation, have placed this industry at a crossroads. Godwin Xerri, Managing Director of Focal Maritime and deputy chairman of the Malta Maritime Forum shares his views on the present realities and the need to enhance Malta's competitiveness in this regard. Battling the waves: Malta's maritime

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