The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry insisted that summer half-days in government departments are causing “bottlenecks” that affect the operations of the private industry.

In a statement, the chamber reiterated that in the current climate of rapid economic expansion, the private sector cannot afford bottlenecks that affect its operation, no less during the summer months.

The Malta Chamber finds it unacceptable that at a time when the economy is firing on all cylinders, with yet another record-breaking projected growth for this year, the private sector turns to government for certain indispensable services, only to find a closed door, or to be charged a premium for the same services.

The public and the private sector are the two sides of the very same coin called the economy. They both depend on each other to thrive.

In this vain, the Malta Chamber calls on all interested parties to act responsibly and meet around a table to discuss a solution on rendering our country more competitive, in the same way that the Malta Chamber has recently agreed to discuss matters that it was initially opposed to.