Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/630594
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 24 JANUARY 2016 26 Letters News • 22 January, 2006 TAKING time out again from the busy schedule of the European parliamentar- ian, Labour's head of delegation MEP John Attard Montalto has extended a political assignment to Central America with an impromptu holiday around the region. On Friday Labour leader Alfred Sant said Attard Montalto was on a "personal political mission" when justifying the MEP's absence for the plenary session on the crucial Port Services Directive, despite political missions being put on hold during plenary sessions. Dockers welcomed Sant and MEPs Joseph Muscat and Louis Grech outside the Sea Malta building in Marsa with a raucous display of firecrackers to cel- ebrate the defeat of the directive to lib- eralise handling services, which would allowed ships entering EU ports to use their own manpower rather than local labour. But John Attard Montalto's attend- ance record in the parliamentary com- mittees he sits on have now confirmed the MEP's pattern of truancy ever since he was first elected to Brussels. Between January and November 2005 Attard Montalto attended just two out of 25 meetings of the Transport and Tourism committee, the committee which discussed the Port Services Di- rective and which produced the report on which MEPs voted on in Strasbourg last Wednesday. MEPs are expected to attend commit- tee meetings to hammer out draft laws and reports before taking them in for a final vote by all MEPs in the plenary. He famously dubbed the committee "a waste of time 80 per cent of the time" when first queried by MaltaToday on his disastrous attendance sheet. He cer- tainly hit the spot with his 92 per cent rate of absence. It is yet another vacation break for At- tard Montalto, after spending Decem- ber on a cruise around southeast Asia. He had also missed out on his first two months in the European Parliament due to his honeymoon cruise. Sant said Attard Montalto's presence for the Port Services Directive vote was not necessary when it transpired there was sufficient momentum against the directive. "The proof of the pudding is in the eating," Sant told MaltaToday when asked about the head of delegation's un- interrupted truancy since being elected to a seat in Brussels. "We have already shown this in a concrete and clear man- ner. We were at the forefront of the is- sue on ports and we were effective," he said about the defeat of the Port Serv- ices Directive. This is not the first Attard Montalto's erratic pattern in the European Parlia- ment causes embarrassment for the MLP. He was absent for the vote on the European Constitution, absent on the crucial Working Time Directive which Labour was against, and has also penned an inflammatory letter to the Libyan ambassador to Malta which his party has dissociated itself from. Sent ahead of a European Parliament delegation visit to Libya on illegal im- migration led by Simon Busuttil, At- tard Montalto wrote to the ambassador saying "there is a strong suspicion that Libya is not only closing a blind eye but encouraging irregular immigration to Europe". He admonished the ambassa- dor not to "continue with the conspiracy theory" about Bulgarian and Palestinian medics sentenced to death for allegedly spreading AIDS among Libyan children "because it is ridiculous". Labour's spokesperson for EU affairs Leo Brincat had said he was not aware in what capacity the Labour MEP wrote the letter. "His position is definitely not the same as the party's. I dissoci- ate myself totally from the language he used and the messages reported. It is unacceptable to any diplomat from any country." Truant 92% of the time – Attard Montalto's committee record ACCA exam papers 'fair, balanced and relevant' Send your letters to: The Editor, MaltaToday, MediaToday Ltd. Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 | Fax: (356) 21 385075 E-mail: newsroom@mediatoday.com.mt. Letters to the Editor should be concise. No pen names are accepted. In September last year, anonymous students expressed their concern to the Maltese media about the pass rates for certain papers of the ACCA Qualification, and the relevance of these specialist exams they need to take in Malta. They had questioned the pass rates for what they perceived to be the 'hardest' papers – the advanced Malta tax variant paper (P6) and also the paper in advanced audit (P7). There are specific exams that need to be taken in Malta to meet the country's Maltese Accountancy Profession Act. In some countries, the papers in tax and audit are op- tional, but in Malta they need to be passed to meet requirements. For instance, if someone wants to be certified to work in audit, then they do indeed need to pass the relevant paper – that is a logical require- ment demanded by statute. It was concerning to read of the candidates' issues, so I wanted to have the opportunity to explain our stance, and also put the record straight. We aim to make the ACCA Qualification and its papers fair, balanced and relevant. We also want the papers to be appropriately demanding and testing. And that's because the public, employers and indeed our own candidates want them to be that way. Thousands of people around the world pass these expert papers every year, and progress to have successful careers as professional accountants. We have recently announced pass rates for our first ever September exam session, where more than 1,850 students passed their final Professional papers to take a major step towards qualifying as a professional ac- countant. Pass rates for the September exams were in line with previous sessions and some 40,704 students across 15 countries took the oppor- tunity to use the additional session in September to focus on specific exam papers, with many opting for one paper only. Recent P6 pass rates over time are the highest of the Options exams because the exam is mostly taken by those wishing to practise and specialise in taxation. This year ACCA will be increas- ing flexibility even further by running exams in March, June, September and December in all 162 countries where it usually offers ex- am sittings, with March 2016 being the first additional session available to all ACCA students. Becoming an ACCA member is a badge of honour. The ACCA letters after someone's name denote ex- pertise. The letters are a public sign that someone has passed what we call the 3 Es – exams, experience and ethics. Employers the world over tell us that this is what they need – qualified individuals, who can grow in their role and who are ethical in their approach. ACCA is committed to helping people of ability become profes- sionally qualified accountants. Op- portunity is one of our core values, a long held value since our creation in 1904. Students have access to a wide range of resources to support them prepare for success in their exams. They can practise exam- style questions, gain insights from the Examining Team on how to approach the exam, and broaden their understanding of exam topics. ACCA's Student Account- ant magazine publishes regular insights and updates from profes- sional examiners, and we also run a global student event called Access ACCA which also offers sessions on exam preparation, and other sessions on how to succeed. We also have an online learning community, using social media to connect ACCA students around the world so they can share their success and questions about their studies and their own progress. We also review our papers on a regular basis to ensure that they remain relevant. We work with tuition providers, employers, regu- lators and local institutes such as the Malta Institute of Accountants to ensure that the papers are ahead of the curve. As we all know, exams by their very definition are meant to be challenging. Some exams will be more demanding than others. But ACCA candidates should be reas- sured that our exams and papers are pitched at the right level to enable the successful candidate to work as a professional accountant. It prepares them for a successful future. Being an accountant demands expert knowledge, immense responsibility and someone who recognises their own strengths. Being an accountant demands con- tinuous development too, so when someone qualifies, the learning does not stop. Our CPD ensures our members are professionally adept and capable. Accountancy is an illustrious ca- reer choice, and the ACCA Qualifi- cation offers a passport to success. A qualified professional accountant joins the ranks of peers in other professions too, such as lawyers and doctors. And the public – you and I – all want to be assured that the lawyers, doctors and account- ants we rely on for expert advice are tested, trained, and developed to their full potential, in a fair, bal- anced and robust way. Best of luck to all ACCA students who should have received results on 18 January. We hope you do well. Dorothy Wood ACCA Western Europe, head of education Exams, by their very definition, are meant to be challenging. Some exams are more demanding than others. But ACCA candidates should be reassured that our exams and papers are pitched at the right level John Attard Montalto