Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/759501
4 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 7 DECEMBER 2016 News Toys, caps… and chocolate eggs: counterfeit goods seized by customs MIRIAM DALLI A European Union Intellec- tual Property study has cal- culated that Malta loses €43 million every year as a result of counterfeit products. This also translates into over 530 direct job losses. The study showed that wines and spirits surpassed the EU average – but this doesn't mean that someone won't try and get creative on possible importation of fake goods… or use Malta as a transit point. In recent weeks, the Malta Customs Department seized over 16 containers carrying counterfeit goods. They were seized by Customs Officials as screened containers transiting through the Freeport or enter- ing the European Union. From the containers, thou- sands of counterfeit goods were seized including: 69,142 pairs of sports shoes; 12,137 pairs of shoes; 18,600 caps; 1,560 bags; 2,666 pieces of toys; and 492,480 chocolate eggs. The items featured branding by popular brands. The Customs Department said that the counterfeit mar- ket was worth billions, which promoted slavery and child labour. Counterfeit items, which may include food and beverage items, contain harmful tox- ins and chemicals and do not comply with health and safety legislation, thus posing a seri- ous threat to the health of con- sumers. Through the European Ob- servatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights, the EU estimated the over €48 billion – or 7.4% of all sales – is lost every year in nine sec- tors due to the presence of fake goods in the marketplace. Every year, an additional €35 billion is lost across the EU economy due to the indirect effects of counterfeiting and piracy, as manufacturers buy fewer goods and services from suppliers, causing knock-on effects in other areas. The nine most affected sec- tors are: cosmetics and per- sonal care; clothing, footwear and accessories; sports goods; toys and games; jewellery and watches; handbags; recorded music; spirits and wine; and pharmaceuticals. Maltese students improve rank in maths, reading and science YANNICK PACE M ALTA has obtained better results across the areas of read- ing, mathematics and science, according to a report on Malta's participation in the PISA 2015. The Programme for Interna- tional Student Assessment (PI- SA) is an international survey offered by the Organisation for Economic Coopera- tion and Develop- ment (OECD) which evalu- ates educa- tion systems w o r l d w i d e by test- ing 15-year olds' skills and knowl- edge. A c c o r d i n g to the report, Malta was one of the few countries that increased the share of top- performing students in reading since PISA 2009, the last survey Malta took part in. Moreover, Malta saw a de- crease in low achieving students and significantly increased its number of high performers. The report also highlights the fact that Malta saw a reduction in its gender gap, especially for reading, where Malta achieved the highest reduction in gender score difference. In his foreword to the report, Professor Charles L. Mifsud, a member of the PISA governing board for Malta, said that despite the positive results, differences in results among the schooling sectors have persisted. He notes that the results however, are to be interpreted in light of differences in so- cioeconomic and cultural condi- tions, which are known to d e t e r m i n e achievement. The report also notes that immi- grant chil- dren in Mal- tese schools have achieved more than highly, a finding that is contrary to prevailing interna- tional trends. The survey comprised a total sample of 535,791 students from 72 countries and economies, in- cluding all EU states. The Mal- tese group participating in the study totalled 3,677 students selected randomly from 61 schools. Busuttil: Prime Minister has lost moral authority to remove Bartolo YANNICK PACE OPPOSITION leader Simon Busuttil said yesterday that the Prime Minister no longer has the moral authority to take action on matters of corruption because of his handling of the Panama Pa- pers scandal. "It is understandable that, af- ter the Prime Minister's Chief of staff and a minister were caught opening accounts in Panama and there were no consequences, there is nothing stopping every- one else," he said. Busuttil was speaking in Parlia- ment as the House debated a bill on standards in public life, where he said it was ironic that parlia- ment was debating such a bill, given the surreal situation the government finds itself in, where corruption goes unchallenged. The results of this, he said, was that people were losing faith in politicians. Busuttil said peo- ple in the street were wondering what the full extent of the gov- ernment's corruption is. "People are wondering whether these things we have learned about, are the tip of the iceberg," said Busuttil. The Opposition leader accused the government of hijacking in- stitutions, adding that they now worked for the government and not the people. Referring to statements made by Education minister Evarist Bartolo during the Panama Pa- pers scandal, Busuttil said that the country cannot have dif- ferent sets of laws for different people, adding that it was ironic that when Bartolo made his com- ments, he had already known about corruption going on at the Foundation for Tomorrow's Schools (FTS). "A lot was said about the intro- duction of the whistleblower act, but when Evarist Bartolo was informed of corruption, the po- lice were sent to investigate the whistleblower," said Busuttil. Referring to a report published in MaltaToday last Sunday, Bu- suttil pointed out that the case goes further back than April, and that there had already been complaints made last year, about a person whom the minister had appointed as a person of trust. Busuttil questioned how Bar- tolo had allowed things to reach a stage where former FTS CEO Philip Rizzo was forced to resign from his post and go the police as a private citizen. He insisted that the case in question was serious because it was a criminal one, that revolves around a canvasser, and long- time friend of the minister. Busuttil said that if Bartolo has any decency and if he truly feels that the law should be equal for all, then he should resign. He said that since the Prime Minister and Bartolo had al- ready made it clear that the lat- ter would not be resigning, that it was now up to electorate to ensure that Bartolo is removed at the next election, and concluded by saying that the government had already gone against the bill being discussed before it was even approved. Simon Busutil accused the goverment of hijacking institutions