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MT 12 March 2017

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44 Events maltatoday, SUNDAY, 12 MARCH 2017 A record year of service to the public for Frank Salt Real Estate Ltd Check green and yellow cylinders for the Liquigas- branded seal Over 170 staff members from the 18 offices of Frank Salt Real Estate Ltd gathered for their an- nual general meeting at Corinthia San Gorg. Performance statistics for the year 2016 were presented, as well as a review of what made 2016 such a successful year for the company. In his address to the staff, chair- man Frank Salt highlighted the fact that one of the most impor- tant and appreciated qualities of the Frank Salt Real Estate brand was the fact that it is the largest family-owned real estate com- pany on the island, with no fran- chises and with almost 50 years of consistent and professional experience in the field. "You are all part of our great Frank Salt family," Salt said to the staff. "We welcome you when you join us, we train you to the high- est standards so that you will of- fer the best possible service to the public, we are there for you when- ever you need advice and support. Our family is growing each year and this year it will be growing again." Salt said that the company planned to open a further three offices in Ibrag, San Gwann and Fgura as well as a new Commer- cial Office in St Julians in 2017. Detailed statistics regarding the Company's performance and the property scene in Malta were presented by chief operations of- ficer Darren de Domenico. "2016 was a record year for the services offered by Frank Salt Real Estate, with most branches hitting or ex- ceeding their targets," he said. Apartments and maisonettes were the most common type of property whose sale was facilitat- ed by the Company, with demand from the number of potential in- vestors in this kind of property also having seen an increase. In- terestingly, clients looking to buy property seem to be setting their sights on different areas than usual when compared to previ- ous years. Sales of property to foreign cli- ents remains very strong with Frank Salt Real Estate, yet the company's standing as one of the most highly sought-after real estate agencies among locals re- mains solid. "Our client database and our vast property database are cru- cial to the success of the service we offer, and we are delighted to see that people consistently keep coming to us to list their property or to look for a property because they know that they are in good hands," de Domenico said. Frank Salt Real Estate also of- fers property management ser- vices and interior design services which add to the support and benefits offered to their clients. "A vast amount of marketing is done to showcase our clients' properties both locally and over- seas," he said, quoting the web- site where prospective buyers can search for properties available, social media, magazines, exhibi- tions, features and reviews in lo- cal and foreign media, radio and video productions to name a few. In a motivational address to the staff, director Douglas Salt emphasised that "first you need to invest time; time to learn the ropes, time to keep yourselves updated with the latest changes. Then you need to work hard. Know the laws and rules of the business but most of all, know the business inside out. Behind every great company is a great team of people – managers, sales consultants, office staff, accounts staff, HR, IT, administrative staff, marketing staff, cleaning person- nel, maintenance people, all con- tributing to giving our clients the service they deserve." A preview of Frank Salt's new marketing campaign was pre- sented, which will be launched very shortly. Referring to this as well as to the new branch offices to open in 2017 and to the new design of all the Frank Salt office facades and front-office interi- ors currently underway, director Grahame Salt said "When done professionally and thoroughly, this is an extremely expensive business to run, but we remain committed to investing in what- ever it takes to give our clients the best, most personalised ser- vice and assurance of the high- est quality, ethical standards that have become our trademark." He went on to stress the im- portance of preparation, com- mitment and discipline within the team's mindset as well as the development of a fine set of spe- cialised skills. As part of its ongoing support to the community, staff were also informed of the company's plans to develop a project with the aim of installing photovoltaic panels on the roofs of a number of NGOs' buildings, and to run a campaign to also gather support for the project from other entities involved in the real estate indus- try as well as from the Govern- ment. This would be a progression from the company's usual dona- tions to charitable causes, to a sustainable project which will generate financial benefits for the chosen NGOs for the next 25 years. One NGO has already been identified and more details will be released shortly. The evening was rounded up nicely with a presentation by engineer Mr Marco Cremona, where he shared about what it took for him and two other Mal- tese men to climb Mount Everest in 2014. Further information about the services offered by Frank Salt Real Estate Ltd may be viewed at www.franksalt.com.mt The illegal filling of Liquigas' green cylinders continues una- bated even after the company had brought this abuse to the atten- tion of authorities and the police over three years ago. The latest evidence of this abuse was discov- ered by Liquigas after a number of its green cylinders were filled and distributed by its competitor with a type of green seal that is not used by Liquigas, clearly indicating that these cylinders were not filled by Liquigas at its Bengħajsa facility. Liquigas has reported this abuse to the Regulator of Energy and Water Services (REWS) and in- formed the regulator that it can- not take responsibility for any consequence arising from these illegally filled cylinders. Liquigas has also urged the authority to protect the interests of the con- sumer by taking the necessary ac- tion to stop this abuse. Roberto Capelluto, Liquigas' CEO, said: "We expect the au- thorities to take effective action to protect the interests of Liquigas and also the interests of the end consumer. This is a serious mat- ter, and it should be dealt with im- mediately especially when there is ample proof of who is behind this illegal activity." On the other hand, Liquigas is doing its part. Last October, in an effort to limit significantly the abusive filling of its cylinders by others, it introduced new heat shrink seals on all its green and yellow gas cylinders. This forms part of Liquigas' ongoing com- mitment to ensure safety, quality and best service to its customers in Malta and Gozo. Whilst Liquigas is hoping that the authorities take action to stop this ongoing abuse, customers are being urged to check that the cyl- inders they are receiving have a Liquigas-branded seal as seen in the attached picture. The Liquigas seal is distinct and can easily be recognised by all. Customers are also urged to ensure that the seal is intact and not tampered with, in order to ensure that they are receiving a cylinder that is properly filled with good quality of gas. This seal also has a serial number for identification and traceability with the words 'Liquigas' on it. Apart from offering a simpler and more convenient system for consumers to take off the seal be- fore use, this offers peace of mind as it shows that the cylinder was filled properly at Liquigas modern fa- cility in Bengħajsa, and therefore carries the guarantee of quality. For senior citizens who may not have access to media and there- fore might be unaware of this lat- est abuse, Liquigas is encouraging their relatives to inform them of this misuse, and advising them not to accept cylinders that do not have Liquigas' heat shrink seals. It is important to check that the seal on the cylinder is intact and has not been tampered with. For further details and assis- tance, consumers may contact Liquigas Call Centre which is available 24/7, on telephone num- ber 2165 1661/5. New CEO for National Development and Social Fund The Board of Governors of the National Development and Social Fund (NDSF) has appointed Ray Ellul as Chief Executive Officer of the NDSF following a public call for applications. Ellul holds a B.A. (Hons.) Bank- ing and Finance with 1st Class Honours from the University of Malta and an MBA from Henley Business School, University of Reading. Mr. Ellul is also an As- sociate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers. Mr. Ellul joins NDSF after a career of 36 years with Bank of Valletta p.l.c. where he has held a number of senior management appointments, the most recent being those of Head Investment Strategy and Foreign Bank Rela- tionships and Head Compliance, Advisory and Regulatory Services. He is also a visiting senior lecturer at the Faculty of Economics, Man- agement and Accountancy at The University of Malta. Reporting to the Board of Gov- ernors, Ellul will be responsible for the direction and coordination of the day-to-day operations and financial affairs of the NDSF. He commenced his employment with NDSF on 1 March 2017. The National Development and Social Fund is a government agen- cy established for the purpose of managing and administering sev- enty per cent of the contributions received from the Individual In- vestor Programme of the Republic of Malta set up by virtue of the Malta Citizenship Act Cap.188. The offices of the NDSF are situ- ated at 46, West Street Valletta, VLT 1531, Malta. HSBC completes the rollout of talking ATMs As part of its commitment to make it easier for all customers to bank with them, particularly through the use of technology, HSBC have equipped all of their ATMs in Malta and Gozo with voice-enabled technology, mak- ing it easier for people with vis- ual impairment to use these ma- chines. All ATMs have audio jacks that customers can plug their stand- ard headsets into to hear spoken instructions in both Maltese and English. For further security, the ATM screen is blanked out dur- ing the transaction ensuring pri- vacy. This functionality makes it easier for visually impaired cus- tomers to access services such as withdrawing and depositing cash. In addition to Talking ATMs, all HSBC ATMS offer the choice of viewing the screens in larger fonts, a service which is very use- ful for elderly people or people with low vision. The roll out of this technol- ogy to the whole HSBC network makes good on a commitment made in 2016 when the Bank or- ganised a number of practical, hands-on sessions to show cus- tomers how to use this function- ality. These sessions were organ- ised with the cooperation of the Malta Society of the Blind, Gozo Aid for the Visually-Impaired, Torball Society of the Blind, and Commission for the Rights of Per- sons with Disability. Dan Robinson, Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Manage- ment, said: "This is a great initia- tive that I and the bank are very proud of. We are committed to making it easier for our customers to get their banking done simply and conveniently and we get great feedback on our Talking ATM functionality. So it's brilliant that we can deliver on the requests we have had to increase the availabil- ity of this technology." Oliver Scicluna, Commissioner for the Rights of Persons with Dis- ability, said: "I believe that HSBC Bank Malta have done an excel- lent job in making sure that full access is given to all their ATM users including persons with visual impairment and the blind. This proves well that the Bank opted to address a social concern apart from their legal obligation." Additional information about this service is available via www. hsbc.com.mt/atm or by call- ing HSBC Contact Centre on 23802380. A visually impaired customer using the newly-installed facility Raymond Ellul

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