Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/994982
17 COMMERCIAL maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 JUNE 2018 THE Gold Award has been awarded to 22 young people who successfully completed the five stages in The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award. The ceremony was held at San Anton Palace and the awarded were presented by the President of Malta, Marie- Louise Coleiro Preca, and Ken- neth de Martino, chairman of the Award. The distinguished award of- fers an exciting self-develop- ment programme equipping participants with life skills to make a difference to them- selves, their communities and the world around them. The activities involve adventure, physical recreation, human skills and community service, as well as residential experi- ences. President Coleiro Preca praised the young awardees for their commitment and per- severance in completing the challenges in the programme. De Martino congratulated the young people on joining the "ever-growing family of Gold Award Holders in Malta" and commended them for their ef- forts to trigger change in the practical way. The award has, over the years, continued to increase in both numbers and popularity thanks to the devoted leaders and helpers who volunteer their time and energy to assist our youths to further develop their skills and abilities. The Duke of Edinburgh's In- ternational Award is the world's foremost youth achievement award, running in over 130 countries and territories. It was founded in 1956 by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in conjunction with revolutionary German educationalist Kurt Hahn. ESPLORA, in collaboration with Live Music Surround Pro- ject, proudly presents Jazz for the Brain today from from 7pm to 10pm. Jazz for the Brain is an immer- sive show, fusing jazz and neu- roscience featuring some of the best musicians on the island. An excellent line up includes Carlo Muscat on saxaphone, Diccon Cooper on double bass, Effie Azzopardi on trumpet, Joseph Camilleri on drums and Karl Galea on guitar. The evening will be presented by James De- guara. The audience will be able to enjoy jazz standards as well as original compositions by Carlo Muscat. They will be playing their musical interpretation of the workings of brain cells. Jazz for the Brain will offer a different setting with a seat- ing arrangement which places the performers in the audience, thus helping the audience ex- perience arts in a different way, whereby one shares the same space with the performers, cre- ating an emotionally engaging experience for both the audi- ence and the performers them- selves. They will also have the opportunity to hear some great stories about the human brain and be amazed by the beauty of the brain cells. The performance is, in fact, inspired by ground-breaking research which was carried out at the University of Malta by Professor Mario Valentino and his team, which aims to support the future treatment of stroke victims. Stroke is currently the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of long-term dis- ability Worldwide; it is similarly devastating in Malta. According to the latest WHO data pub- lished in May 2014, 132 men and 102 women per 100,000 died from strokes in Malta in 2011, which means that stroke was the third most common cause of death in men and the sec- ond most common in women, reaching 10.41% of total deaths. Incidentally, within the of- fer, the audience will have the chance to enjoy a 45 minute Planetarium Show CELL CELL CELL at the iconic EsploraPlan- etarium with Raj and Sooki as they embark on a cell-tacular journey through the body and discover all about the cells! In addition music goers will be able to experience the spectacu- lar views of the Grand Harbour while enjoying a drink from the international cash bar. HSBC Malta and EY organise seminar to support corporates HSBC Bank Malta and EY Malta jointly organised an exclusive event on the latest European Central Bank (ECB) guidance entitled the 'Imple- mentation of the ECB Guid- ance on Leveraged Transac- tions'. The purpose of this seminar was to assist corporate cus- tomers at better understand- ing the requirements around certain financial exposures related to the use of borrowed funds to finance assets, known as leverage. The goal of this very well attended seminar was that of preparing these business customers for the eventual implementation of said guidelines. The information session commenced with an intro- ductory address by HSBC Malta Head of Corporate Banking, Kevin Rapinett, in which he gave an overview of the ECB guidance and the proactive approach being taken by HSBC to ensure it is implemented in the most practical manner possible for the benefit of its corporate customers. This was followed by a pres- entation from EY Malta Bank- ing Advisory Services Associ- ate Partner, Grace Camilleri, in which she explained to the audience, most of whom were Chief Financial Officers, the technical requirements re- quired by this guidance and other practical recommenda- tions on how best to prepare for it. HSBC Malta Head of Com- mercial Banking, Michel Cor- dina, concluded the session by thanking all those who attend- ed and said: "HSBC believes in the importance of investing in such thought leadership events and is pleased to sup- port its customers by bringing the latest information about developments in the financial services industry to the atten- tion of businesses in Malta." HSBC Malta Head of Corporate Banking Kevin Rapinett addressing the seminar on ECB's latest guidance Jazz for the Brain at Esplora 22 Maltese young people receive 'Duke of Edinburgh International Gold Award' Malta Properties Company plc. holds AGM Paranga wins Best Service & Hospitality Award MALTA Proper- ties Company p.l.c.'s. (MPC) positive fi- nancial performance during 2017 was re- viewed during the Company's third an- nual general meeting held this week. Dur- ing 2017, MPC's prof- it before tax increased by €2.68 million over 2016, to reach €6.13 million. Over the same period, MPC grew its net asset value by 13.57 percent to reach 40 cents per share. Addressing the meeting, MPC chief executive officer Nikhil P. Patil, said that had MPC performed strongly in its second full year of trading as an inde- pendent, publicly listed entity. "This performance is the result of a clear strategy, which is based on three pillars," he said. "These first is to devel- op and build value in our core assets; the second is to sell non-core assets; whilst the third is to pursue the prospect of in- organic growth." The meeting was also addressed by MPC's chief financial officer Daniela Zammit who gave a detailed review of the Company's financial performance, as well as a progress update on various key projects. In fact, MPC has almost completed the redevel- opment of its site in Flo- riana, where it has now welcomed its first tenant. Considerable progress has also been made at the site in Zejtun, where the site's key tenant GO, is expected to begin operating a state-of-the-art data centre by the end of 2019. Plans for the company's sites in Marsa and Birkirkara are on track. The meeting also provided an oppor- tunity for MPC's senior management to update shareholders on the nego- tiations, which MPC has entered into, regarding the possibility of acquiring Dubai Holding's majority shareholding in SmartCity (Malta). Malta Properties Company CEO Nikhil P. Patil addressing the Annual General Meeting EARLIER this month the Malta Tourism Authority held the Quality As- sured Awards, where several representatives from restaurants & establishments from around the island attended. Seven leading outlets were named winners, one of which was Paranga, which won the "Best Service & Hospitality Award." Commenting about this event is Paranga Operations Manager, Andrea Depasquale Schranz; "Matteo Biagini our Restaurant Manager, Claudio Farrugia; Paranga's Chef de Cuisine and the entire ser- vice and kitchen team, work very hard and are the main part for the success of the outlet. As a team we strive to offer impeccable service to all our diners, whether they come for a lunch in the sun or an occasional dinner. I am very proud that Matteo and the team have been rewarded with such a prestigious award, it is truly de- serving. " Paranga is a seaside restaurant, serving the finest fresh fish, found on the water's edge at St George's Bay, St Julian's.