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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2017 Events 46 Capstone Group hosts Integra International Cross Border Tax Workshop Integra International members from over 20 countries attended an annual tax workshop organ- ised and hosted by the Malta member firm, Capstone Group at the Westin Dragonara Resort on 15 and 16 September, 2017. The tax workshop brings to- gether tax specialists from the network's member firms to dis- cuss the latest developments in tax legislation and how this impacts on cross border trans- actions. Specific case studies relative to the theme set for the annual workshop were presented by the various speakers who fo- cused on how the specific situ- ation would be handled from a domestic perspective. The topic for this year's work- shop was 'Exit Taxation & Suc- cession Planning' with previous themes including BEPS and the introduction of the Common Re- porting Standard (CRS). Luana Scicluna, tax manager of Capstone Group said that an exit tax was a tax on accrued gains that become chargeable when a taxpayer moves assets outside a jurisdiction, without transfer- ring them to third parties, or when a taxpayer changes resi- dence. David Borg, Advisory Partner at Capstone Group and a mem- ber of the Integra International Global Board of Directors noted that Integra tax workshops of- fered member firms a platform from where topical issues could be discussed with each delegate giving focus on treatment of a particular transaction in his or her particular country. "This allows all members par- ticipating to understand the im- pact that cross border transac- tions will have on their clients' business and apply this knowl- edge for the best interests of their clients as well as stimulating dia- logue between the participants'. For Europe, the harmonisation between Member States through the implementation of the Anti- Tax Avoidance Directive (AT- AD) was also discussed," he said. "Some EU Member States are already compliant with ATAD, whereas other EU Member States are expected to introduce an exit tax or amend their exit tax rules in line with ATAD by 1 January 2020." Tax Special Interest Group coordinators, Franz Schweiger from BF Consulting and Dirk Lehmann from Wagemann & Partner, were this year's main speakers. Other speakers in- cluded Alessia Vinci from Stu- dio Scibetta Poamaro, Ben Taleb Soumaya from Londen & Hol- land, Colclough James and Tim Cook from Wilder Coe, Dando Patrice from DPA Expertise Conseil, SARL , Hardbattle An- gela from Gilmour Group, Es- posito Gerard from Leaf Saltz- man, Lopez-Chicheri Julieta from Bellavista Legal, S.L., Man- naert Els from Norgay Account- ants, Oishi Takuya from Actus Tax Corporation, Luana Scicluna from Capstone Group, and Eddy Yeung from CPS Taxation Ser- vices Limited. Capstone Group is a well-es- tablished firm of professional accountants and auditors with significant experience across multiple disciplines including the financial services sector. . Capstone Group is also associ- ated with ARQ Group, the latter being a joint venture between 'Capstone and the law firm 'FFF Legal'. Integra International is a glob- al, interactive association of Ac- countants, Auditors, Tax and Business Advisors. With over 123 partner firms present in 66 coun- tries across the globe, Integra of- fers its member firms continuity and cross border solutions for all their client's transacting across multiple jurisdictions. MAPFRE MSV Life supports Villa Frere restoration project MAPFRE MSV Life is sponsoring a restoration project to safeguard what remains of Villa Frere, one of Malta's most important histor- ic estates which has been aban- doned for over 70 years. It was the place where John Hookham Frere (1769-1846) spent the last years of his life in Malta. The project is being undertaken by the Friends of Villa Frere and includes the restoration of a num- ber of fine pieces of sculpture including well-heads, exquisitely carved benches and troughs once embellishing Villa Frere's idyllic gardens. These artefacts, which had been presumed lost and were only recently discovered and re- turned with the cooperation of the Minister of the Environment, Dr Jose' Herrera, are being re- stored by leading limestone pres- ervationists. Announcing the sponsorship, Michael Galea, Chief Officer Business Development at MAP- FRE MSV Life said, "We are de- lighted to be supporting such an important restoration project that is being handled so profes- sionally by the NGO Friends of Villa Frere. We believe that this is an important contribution that we are making towards our na- tional heritage in a project that is salvaging part of what was once a glorious 14 tumoli Maltese Gar- den rich with historical signifi- cance. MAPFRE MSV Life is sponsor- ing the restoration of a well-head and gibbet which originally stood in the upper gardens of Villa Frere just behind of the Neo- Classical Tempietto and photo- graphed on numerous occasions. It bears the Frere coat-of-arms on its pediment. Today its context at Pieta' is radically altered how- ever there are plans to have this space restored in time. Carved in globigerina limestone, its flo- ral arabesque style so exquisitely executed could very possibly have been produced by the workshop of acclaimed architectural sculp- tor Vincenzo Dimech (1768-1831). Edward Said, Secretary of Friends of Villa Frere thanked MAPFRE MSV Life for their sponsorship and explained that the intervention on the artefact being sponsored included the dis- mantling from Casa Leoni, Santa Venera, where it was discovered recently, making good of the re- maining well-head at Casa Leoni, transportation to Villa Frere and reinstatement, pointing and fin- ishing. The works are currently ongo- ing and it is expected that the re- stored artefact will be placed on site within the gardens of Villa Frere over the coming weeks. Commission announces 2017 VET week - adopts initiative to boost apprenticeships in Europe Shahd Alshammari at the Malta Book Festival 2017 Following the success of the first European Vocational Skills Week, the second edition will take place from 20 to 24 November 2017. This is a European Commission initiative aimed at making vo- cational education and training (VET) for quality skills and jobs more attractive. It includes events in participating European coun- tries, including Malta. Stakehold- ers taking part in the Week have the chance to share examples of excellence in VET. The European Commission has adopted a proposal for a Euro- pean Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships. This initiative is part of the New Skills Agenda for Europe, launched in June 2016. It also ties in with the European Pillar of Social Rights, which foresees a right to quality and inclusive education, training and life-long learning. The Commission has identified 14 key criteria that Member States and stakeholders should use to develop quality and effective ap- prenticeships. This initiative will help increase the employability and personal development of ap- prentices and contribute towards a highly skilled and qualified workforce responsive to labour market needs. Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue, in charge of Fi- nancial Stability, Financial Ser- vices and Capital Markets Union, Valdis Dombrovskis said: "Tak- ing on an apprenticeship is often the necessary stepping stone for a young person to be propelled into his or her career. Today we come with proposals to further improve this valuable training experience, so it benefits both employers and learners. While respecting the di- versity of education and training systems in Member States, our ultimate goal is to facilitate the integration of young people in the labour market." To assess the quality and effec- tiveness of an apprenticeship, the proposed Framework proposes seven criteria for learning and working conditions: (1) Written contract; (2) Learning outcomes; (3) Pedagogical support; (4) Work- place component; (5) Pay and/or compensation; (6) Social protec- tion; (7) Work, health and safety conditions. The Framework also proposes seven criteria for framework con- ditions: (8) Regulatory framework; (9) Involvement of social partners; (10) Support for companies; (11) Flexible pathways and mobility; (12) Career guidance and aware- ness raising; (13) Transparency; (14) Quality assurance and gradu- ate tracking. The Commission supports the implementation of these crite- ria through relevant EU funding. The European Social Fund alone contributes up to €27 billion to education and training, and the EU supports apprenticeships also through various other instru- ments. In addition, the European Alli- ance for Apprenticeships has so far mobilised over 750,000 places for young people. At least 390,000 apprenticeships have already been offered under the Youth Guaran- tee. Erasmus+ supports mobility for apprentices, including a new ErasmusPro initiative aimed at supporting 50,000 placements of vocational learners in companies abroad for the period 2018-2020. A special guest of this year's edi- tion of the Malta Book Festival, Kuwaiti poet, writer and academic Shahd Alshammari will be talking to Toni Aquilina in an event set up by Faraxa in collaboration with the National Book Council at the Activity Area (MCC) on Thursday 9 November, starting at 6pm. The talk will focus mainly on her latest publication, Notes on the Flesh, which was published last year by Faraxa. Alshammari is a lecturer and a researcher in Literature, Dis- ability and Women's Studies at Gulf University, Kuwait. Her first publication On Love and Loss is a poetry collection that takes the reader through different moments in the poet's life - each poem takes on the form of a quick glimpse into a moment that has shaped the author's perception of human re- lationships. A sense of homeless- ness pervades the collection, add- ing a distinct tonality to the poet's voice as she questions the social and personal boundaries within which human destinies play out. Notes on the Flesh, her second publication, is a collection of short stories that explore the intricacies of identity, love and illness in the Middle East. The rift between tra- dition and modernity, so central to Arab literature and politics ever since al-Tahtawi's famous visit to Paris in 1826, is critically evalu- ated by Alshammari in the light of adolescent love, familial sacrifices and intimacy. A common trait running through all the characters in the stories is a sense of defeat, or sur- render to the patriarchal narra- tives that dominate much of the political, religious and social dis- course in the Middle East. The implicit critique, then, takes the form of a resistant reading that sounds the consistency and cred- ibility of those narratives precisely by granting the dominance they demand. Towards the end of the event, Alshammari will be taking ques- tions and comments from mem- bers of the audience. At 7pm, the author will visit the Faraxa stands in order to meet readers and sign copies of her book, which will be on sale at the Faraxa stand. The well-head and gibbet in their original setting at Villa Frere (courtesy Country Life Magazine).