Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1521091
15 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 22 MAY 2024 HERITAGE Malta has launched new educational material as part of its ongoing exhibition at the Malta Maritime Museum, aimed at deepening the understanding of our oceans' critical role in pre- serving cultural heritage. The adventure has just become more interesting for young vis- itors at Heritage Malta's lat- est exhibition 'An Island at the Crossroads', currently running at the Malta Maritime Museum in Birgu. A new informative guide and an interactive worksheet will now help avid explorers engage further with the exhibition's dis- plays, whilst instilling awareness and inspiring action on one of the biggest challenges humanity is currently facing – the protection of our seas and oceans. The didactic material explores pressing issues such as ghost gear, ocean acidification, sea lev- el rise, and the ocean's role as a carbon sink. Young visitors have the opportunity to delve into these topics alongside the 'Clean Oceans' display in the exhibition, fostering a holistic understanding of the challenges facing our seas. These resources were produced through a joint effort between Heritage Malta's Publishing, Communications, Education, and Design departments. They form part of a number of initia- tives stemming from the Clean Oceans Bilateral Initiative, a collaboration between Heritage Malta and the Stavanger Mari- time Museum – MUST of Nor- way. Over the past two years, these two institutions have harnessed cutting edge technology to dig- itise and record both tangible and intangible maritime cultural heritage, a process which has be- come increasingly urgent given the escalating threats posed by human activity. Commenting during the launch, Heritage Malta CEO Noel Zam- mit remarked, "This initiative marks a significant step forward in our ongoing efforts to address the gap between maritime herit- age and environmental conserva- tion. By highlighting the interplay between clean oceans and cul- tural legacies, we aim to inspire visitors, especially the young, to take action in safeguarding our marine ecosystems." Vanessa Ciantar, Assistant Manager of the agency's Educa- tion and Outreach Department, commented on how these tools serve as a bridge between past and present, and can help make exhibitions more effective in serving as catalysts of progress. She also announced an upcoming educational programme target- ing Year 8 and Year 9 students. Scheduled between October and December, the programme will highlight the importance of ocean conservation. Students will also experience 'Dive into Histo- ry 360', a virtual reality activity offered by Heritage Malta's Un- derwater Cultural Heritage Unit. Fusing history with environmental awareness at the Malta Maritime Museum A mystery shopping exercise conducted by the Malta Finan- cial Services Authority (MFSA), in collaboration with the Euro- pean Banking Authority (EBA), revealed that the fees and fea- tures related to payment ac- counts were not always easily ac- cessible on financial institutions' websites. In this exercise five finan- cial institutions were assessed through a total of 50 online or offsite interactions. The main objective was to analyse the level of information that could be readily available on these entities' respective websites, as well as that provided virtually by their staff, when a potential client showed interest in open- ing a payment account. When visiting the financial institutions' websites, the mys- tery shoppers could not always easily find the features of the payment account. The same occurred when looking for the Fee Information Document. This document highlights all the fees related to a specific payment account and is nec- essary for clients to be able to determine which account suits their needs, as well as compare it to offers by other entities providing this service. In cas- es where the Fee Information Document was available on the website, it was noted that the document did cover the relevant information and fees. Generally, when available, this document was also found to be in the standard format as re- quired by the applicable regu- lations. In the cases of payment ac- counts, the information that should be readily accessible to clients is to include all the different types that the entity is offering. In the case where an entity offers only one type of payment account, this also needs to be highlighted to the clients. Additionally, potential clients are to be clearly advised of the documents and informa- tion which they would need to provide to the financial insti- tution prior to opening a pay- ment account. Commenting on the out- comes of this mystery shop- ping exercise, Head of Conduct Supervision Sarah Pulis said, "Since financial institutions typically operate through digi- tal means, and no face-to-face interaction with their staff can take place, it is important that all information provided to cli- ents is clearly and easily acces- sible on their website. Mystery shopping exercises are among the several research methods that help us regulators assess current market practices, en- abling us to identify gaps and encourage providers to up their business conduct standards." Christopher P. Buttigieg, Chief Officer Supervision at the MFSA said, "As part of our continuous supervision, at the MFSA we use an array of tools including, off-site work, ons- ite inspections and mystery shopping exercises, to achieve higher compliance standards. The Authority endeavours to ensure that licensed financial institutions comply with appli- cable rules, such that they pro- vide fair and clear information to their clients. Our ultimate objective remains to protect consumers and maintain confi- dence in the market." The MFSA encourages the financial institutions it has authorised in terms of the Fi- nancial Institutions Act, to thoroughly review the full EBA report. The findings of the mystery shopping exercise have been outlined in a "Dear CEO Letter" which was recent- ly sent to the licensed entities and which is also available on the MFSA's website. The Au- thority will continue to engage with these entities to ensure that they comply with their regulatory obligations on an ongoing basis. MFSA recommends that financial institutions clearly list their payment accounts services, terms and fees