Speaking at a press conference, the parliamentary secretary and Competitiveness and Communi-cations Minister Censu Galea presented the statistics regarding trade licences and explained the relevance of these figures within society. Between May 2002 and April 2004, the TLU issued 890 licences for new trade, which varied from wholesale and retail to industrial manufacturing or crafts, said Mr Vassallo.

Only 47 of the applicants who wanted to change trades required permits from the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa). This is mostly due to the new simplified system, considering that another 108 applications were approved without the need for additional permits.

There were 35 applications for a licence to change due to inheritance and 450 asked to change trades. In total, therefore, there were 1,530 new commercial initiatives. This is because even those already in the industry showed motivation to give their trade a new lease of life.

While the licensing system was under the patronage of the police, applications to change trades were processed in the same way as those applying for a new licence and almost always had to be approved by Mepa.

The figures announced today show that the system has been made more effective in that those who want to change trades have to deal with less red tape, said the parliamentary secretary.

In the period between 2002 and 2004, 219 street hawker licences were approved as well as 309 licences for market vendors. During the same period, 273 people applied for the cancellation of their licence.

This does not necessarily mean that 273 trade ventures have failed, said Mr Vassallo. Sometimes, when the owner changes, the original owner cancels his licence so that the new owner can apply for the licence afresh. Also, some licence holders applied for a cancellation in order to obtain their pension.

Although the new system seems to be working efficiently, seeing as a large number of licences had been issued, the ministry is to begin consultations with those affected by this system to discuss any areas that heed attention, said Mr Vassallo.

The law that regulates the issue of licences is only two years old, but the ministry aims to keep it up-to-date with the market, and the only way to do this is by consulting those affected by it, he said.

Minister Galea said that traders must recognise new opportunities and benefit from any changes that are made in the system. Although the reduction of bureaucracy is a definite step forward, there is still a need to identify any further problems.

He explained that the consultation process due to begin will give the option to the trader and the residents to raise any objections they may have and allow the ministry to address them.

The number of licences issued shows the dynamic nature of the sector and the fast pace at which commercial activity is moving. The TLU is working towards implementing the EU Solve It system and the minister said details about this will be given later.

Competitiveness is vital for Malta to continue offering a high standard of service on the national and international level. Traders must realise that now there is competition and they must therefore work hard to provide higher quality and a more efficient service.