Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1499533
10 NEWS 18.5.2023 MALTA International Airport p.l.c.'s fi- nancial performance for the first three months of 2023 registered a marked improvement over the same period in 2022, with revenues increasing by 75 per cent to total €18.9 million. is in- crease was largely driven by strong traf- fic results for the first quarter of 2023 as passenger numbers rose by 85 per cent over the same comparable quarter in 2022 to amount to 1.2 million. is was revealed in the Group's finan- cial results for the first quarter of 2023 published this week. As Malta International Airport's team continued to grow in response to an increasingly busier operation and the COVID wage supplement was discon- tinued, staff costs for the first quarter registered an increase of 63 per cent. e airport's busier operation was also reflected in an increase of 39 per cent in the Group's operating expenses. e Group's capital expenditure for the first quarter of the year amounted to €2.7 million, with some of the larger projects included in this amount being works on the construction of Apron X, the expansion of the customs area and rehabilitation works on Apron 9. e Group's profit before tax amount- ed to €6.5 million, marking a fivefold increase compared to the profit for Q1 2022. With traffic for each of the first four months of the year having surpassed 2019 levels and a summer flight sched- ule featuring more than 100 routes, the company is confident that it can deliv- er its forecast of 6.3 million passengers welcomed by the end of the year. Additionally, the coming months will continue to be characterised by works across the airport campus as the com- pany gradually realises projects from its €175 million investment plan. MIA Q1 revenue up 75 per cent over 2022 NINE out of 10 business customers subscribed to Melita Business for their new internet connections, according to data pub- lished by the Malta Com- munications Authority (MCA) covering full year 2022. e MCA official statis- tics highlighted that that 94 per cent of new busi- ness internet connections installed in 2022 went to Melita Business and its nationwide fibre-powered service. e company's share of new business mobile con- nections has reached al- most 50 per cent. Malcolm Briffa, Direc- tor of Business Servic- es at Melita, said: "We're delighted with the latest MCA report because it shows that Melita is the provider of choice for busi- nesses in Malta. Businesses value the unparalleled reli- ability, nationwide gigabit speeds, and the customer support we provide." is is also confirmed by a survey commissioned by the company which shows that 69% of business users considered reliability as the biggest reason for switch- ing service providers, while 58% cited speed as the most important reason for switching. At 95 per cent, Malta's internet connection rate is above the EU average which has risen sis2ssgnifi- cantly over the past decade. 81 per cent of surveyed households say they have an ultra-fast connection supporting a download speed of 100 Mbps or more. This represents a six-percentage point im- provement over the re- spective figure reported in 2019. MCA data places Melita Business first for new internet connections GreenPak insists reuse and recycling targets for packaging waste should be set at the national level GREENPAK, the leading waste recovery organisation in Mal- ta, has urged policymakers to adopt a more comprehensive and adaptable approach to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) cur- rently under review by the EU Commission. GreenPak said it believes that setting targets on recycled con- tent, reuse, and refillable solu- tions should not be set at the EU level but at a national level, taking into account resource u12se and infrastructure avail- able in each country. During a productive meeting held on 16th May 2023 be- tween MEP Alex Agius Saliba and GreenPak CEO Ing. Mario Schembri, the implications of the proposed PPWR in the Maltese context were dis- cussed at length. Schembri emphasized that the PPWR must adopt a tai- lored approach for Malta, rec- ognizing the island's limited resources, particularly in terms of energy and water. Setting national-level targets on recy- cled content, reuse, and refilla- ble solutions will safeguard the local tourism and industry, key pillars of Malta's economy. By factoring in Malta's resource constraints, these targets can be both ambitious and realis- tic, contributing to the sustain- able management of packaging waste on the island. Saliba stressed the impor- tance of incorporating design for recycling criteria to ensure a level playing field. As an is- land nation with limited re- so222urces, including energy and water, it is imperative to adopt targets that account for the unique challenges faced by the Maltese context. Schembri said that while the PPWR encompasses commer- cial and industrial (C&I) pack- aging, the regulations have been drafted in the context of household waste. There exist significant differences between the two waste streams in terms of collection, sorting, and re- cycling. C&I packaging is less complex than household pack- aging and almost all of it can be reused or recycled. The PPWR needs to make a clear distinc- tion between household and C&I packaging waste. The meeting also emphasized the need to ensure compliance with Extended Producer Re- sponsibility (EPR) obligations, particularly in the context of online sales and marketplaces. By including these sectors within the regulatory frame- work, Malta can effectively ad- dress the challenges posed by different business models, ul- timately promoting a circular economy throughout the entire packaging value chain. GreenPak CEO Mario Schembri (left) with MEP Alex Agius Saliba