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maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 7 MAY 2014 News 5 Concrete mixer topples over, 24-year-old in critical condition A 24-year-old man suffered extensive injuries and is in critical condition af- ter the concrete mixer he was driving overturned. The man, who resides in Mosta, was driving towards San Pawl tat-Tarġa when his truck toppled over in Triq Margaret A. Murray, Naxxar. The accident happened on Tuesday at around 9am. Members of the Civil Protection De- partment were called to assist the man who was trapped inside the cabin. He received first aid on site by paramed- ics before he was rushed to Mater Dei Hospital. The police confirmed that the man is in critical condition. Further investigations are underway while several experts have been ap- pointed to assist a magisterial inquiry. PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD 'Foreign MEPs are easier to contact than ours' – GRTU member JAMES J. PISCOPO LOCAL businessmen have more contact with foreign MEPs than with Maltese representatives, a GRTU member told MEP candidates. In a seminar organised by Malta's Chamber for Small and Medium En- terprises, in which their members were given the opportunity to voice their concerns directly to the MEP hopefuls, GRTU member Marcelle Mizzi complained about lack of con- tact with Malta's representatives. "The six Maltese MEPs should be our focal point in Brussels, but un- fortunately this is not the case at the present time. Dar Malta should be utilised more to make our voice heard: for instance, our studies and papers should be left there at the dis- posal of our MEPs," Mizzi told the MEP candidates. Incumbent MEPs Roberta Metsola (PN) and Marlene Mizzi (PL) con- curred that there is room for more consultation with local stakeholders on major votes, but said this may not always be possible. "We are obviously in favour of more contact with the affected stakehold- ers but this consultation may not al- ways be possible since by that time, we would have already arrived to the final stages of the vote," Metsola said. Adding to her counterpart's state- ment, Mizzi explained that MEPs currently receive the government's opinion just half an hour before the vote. "In 30 minutes there is no time for consultation, especially if the opin- ion issued by Dar Malta does not re- flect my own opinion on the subject," Mizzi remarked. On this subject, Labour's Cyrus En- gerer said the solution was to review this national coordination process. "This process from Meusac and other relevant authorities should be- gin at the starting point rather than at the final stages of the vote. This would leave time for consultation with stakeholders and leave the MEP with a more informed position," En- gerer stated. Other concerns raised by local SMEs included elements of unfair competition, excessive red-tape and access to finance. In his opening speech, GRTU pres- ident Paul Abela identified the main concerns that SMEs expected their elected representatives to address in the European Parliament. "We want our representatives to combat the one-size-fits-all approach. You cannot compare a Maltese com- pany with another one established in Germany – they have different needs and potential. You cannot compare a firm which employs three people to a foreign company which employs 2,000 people," Abela said. He added that Malta's insularity and peripheral position should be acknowledged by European policy- makers and that the necessary atten- tion to peripheral regions and states should be given. He also underlined that GRTU members found it discriminatory that while the European Central Bank was lending at 0.25%, local banks were lending at an average rate of between 5-7%. The seminar was attended by La- bour candidates Alfred Sant, Mar- lene Mizzi, Cyrus Engerer, Fleur Vella and Ivan Grixti, while Roberta Metsola, Stefano Mallia and Jonath- an Shaw represented the Nationalist Party. Marlene Mizzi (third from left): "The Maltese MEPs should be our focal point in Brussels, but unfortunately this is not the case"

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