Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1495439
NEWS 5 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 22 MARCH 2023 Fearne in appeal to Labourites: 'We are a force for good and no one is bigger than the party' Government hospitals takeover All hospital services to proceeed unhindered Call for Applications: The Broadcasting Authority is seeking to fill the post of Cleaner A detailed job description is to be found on the Broadcasting Authority's website: http://www.ba.org.mt. Applicants must submit a letter of application together with a detailed copy of their CV by: • e-mail to administration.ba@ba.org.mt • not later than noon, Friday 31 st March 2023 Late applications will not be considered Jobs Plus Permit 74/2023 The Broadcasting Authority is a constitutional entity which regulates, licences and monitors all radio and television broadcasts originating from the Maltese Islands. Broadcasting Authority 7, Mile End Road, ĦAMRUN ĦMR 1719, Malta. Telephone: +356 2201 6000 DB Group has opened an office in London to identify new interna- tional opportunities for partner- ships and investments. "We always welcomed collab- oration, joint ventures and pro- jects that bring different expertise to the table. So it is a natural step for us to open up to the rest of the world in search of new opportuni- ties," said CEO Robert Debono. db Group is the Maltese holder of the Starbucks and Hard Rock Cafe franchises. It also owns the Seabank and San Antonio hotels as well as various upmarket res- taurants including Loa, Aki, and Amami. The group's international fami- ly office in Mayfair is called SDH Capital with Nicholas Portelli as the managing director. Portelli has over 25 years' expe- rience in finance and investment. He served as the CEO of a finan- cial services group of companies in Malta and later as the senior VP of an international group based in London and operating in East Africa. In 2012, he founded and managed a real estate firm in Cen- tral London, a position he relin- quished prior to joining db Group. "The db Group has been incred- ibly successful with its hotels, res- taurants, franchises and industrial catering businesses in Malta. I be- lieve we can put this expertise to good use in new markets, thereby diversifying our portfolio," Portelli said. He added that the Group has al- ready identified a key investment in London that will be launched in 2024. Internationalising the group's hotel and restaurant prop- osition will be a key focus. For more information about SDH Capital visit www.sdhcap- ital.co.uk. For more information about the initiatives of the db Group visit: www.dbgroupmalta. com. db Group eyes international investment, opens London office Nicholas Portelli CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Government said all medical and clinical services will contin- ue unhindered and reassured all employees that their jobs will be safeguarded. Chris Fearne reacts to decision Speaking in parliament later on Tuesday, Health Minister Chris Fearne reacted to the announce- ment by stating government will now take the opportunity to improve the country's health service. "We will now focus on ensur- ing operations and services are not disrupted," he said. "We will also ensure jobs are safeguard- ed." He said the process for the in- stallation of a new MRI Machine at the Gozo General Hospital will kick-off immediately. "Discussions will also start with stakeholders on the plans to modernise the building of the Gozo hospital and Karen Grech," he said. The minister also assured con- tractors and sub-contractors they will be retained. KARL AZZOPARDI CHRIS Fearne has told Labourites "no one is bigger than the party or the country" as he addressed dis- gruntled voters in the wake of dismal poll results. In an appeal to what he described as "genuine La- bourites", the Health Minister insisted that despite its mistakes, the Labour Party has always been "a force for good". "The Labour Party was always a force for good. We have the courage to realise that no one is big- ger than the party, and the country," Fearne said in parliament on Tuesday when speaking about the budget estimates for the health sector. The reference could be interpreted as a subtle dig against former prime minister Joseph Muscat, who along with his then chief of staff Keith Schembri and former minister Konrad Mizzi, had been the brains behind the dubious Vitals hospitals concession. Muscat had championed the deal, and has insist- ed Cabinet was aware of all agreements with Vitals and later Steward Health Care. The deal was struck down by the courts last month with the judge at- tributing fraudulent intent to the private companies and "ingenuity" to public officials who put the gov- ernment with its back to the wall. Fearne was also part of the cabinet at the time, but had testified in court that all contractual arrange- ments between government and Steward continued being handled by Mizzi behind his back. The Health Minister's appeal came after speak- ing about government's announcement that it in- formed Steward it will be taking over the hospitals in what it described as a 'control step-in'. In a statement on Tuesday, government said it no- tified Steward it will proceed with a 'control step- in' to take over Gozo General, Karin Grech and St Luke's hospitals with an immediate takeover of the three hospitals. Fearne said the PL has "learnt its lesson" from the hospitals concession saga. "This is not the first time we faced challenges. We faced a very difficult one four years ago, and we emerged even stronger," he said, referring to Mus- cat's resignation in 2019, which saw Robert Abela succeeding him as prime minister. "We were, are and will continue to be a force for good," Fearne said. Chris Fearne