The Malta Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises (GRTU) has expressed its concern about the attitude of the Students Maintenance Grants Board with regard to retailers. It said this is not only arrogant and unacceptable but verges on the abusive.

This SMGB Board handles the Lm8 million a year in grants offered to students by the government.

It said that, despite persistent demands by GRTU for a direct representation on the SMGB Board on behalf of participating retail outlets, a representative has not been appointed. As a result, the board operates in complete disregard of the needs of retail outlets and imposes unacceptable costs on retailers participating in the system.

In effect, the basis of the system, as imposed by the SMGB without consultation, is an increase of two per cent in the price of all items purchased by students. In monetary terms, said the GRTU, this equates to over Lm40,000 a year.

Furthermore, the GRTU said, the board is also planning to limit internet business payments to only one e-commerce portal managed by the same board. “This is not acceptable to GRTU, which contends that e-commerce sites should be given free access to use the smart-card system immediately. A government that believes in fair competition should not invent monopolies and stifle competition,” it said.

The GRTU furthermore insisted that any equipment needed in order to offer a better service to government should be paid for by the board and not be imposed as a cost to the retailers. It said it is informed that various operators, including leading banks, are interested in operating smart-card systems at a very low cost, or even free of charge.