The government believes that it should offer practical help to small and medium enterprises to allow them to compete in the European market by developing their products and services.
Competitiveness and Communications Minister Censu Galea was speaking during an annual meeting to discuss the Open for business report compiled by the parliamentary secretariat for small and medium enterprises and the self-employed.
He said that all financial aid should be focused on teaching, educating and guiding those in the field to offer value-added services or goods. One of his ministry’s main tasks was to ensure fair competition – and therefore, this year the ministry was going to focus on ensuring that businesses were more in conformity with legislation and their financial obligations. “This would guarantee fair competition across the board,” he said.
He said the government was close to the self-employed sector as it kept in contact so as to ensure good and fair policy drafting. Mr Galea also said the ministry issues a constraints report on a regular basis so as to identify the challenges which small businesses face.
Once these reports were published, the ministry then coordinated with others so as to plan activities to address these difficulties.
He also mentioned the setting up of the Better Regulation Unit which was set up to complement the development of the Lisbon Agenda so as to remove excess bureaucracy. He said that such measures were bearing fruit, and there were many others in the pipeline.
However, he said, this line of thinking – which is also encouraged by the EU – should not be there to shackle small businesses, but to ensure fair and just trading.
“We also wish to announce the setting up of the European Enterprise Award which will recognise and reward initiatives to support entrepreneurs on both a national and regional level,” said Mr Galea.
This European Commission-sponsored award aims to identify entities or people that successfully promote enterprise and the entrepreneur and show the best way forward in terms of policies and practices within the business sector. The award also recognises those who promote the concept of added value as well as inspire and encourage potential entrepreneurs.
Mr Galea also said that Malta – after winning the main prize in a competition drafted by the European Commission responsible for Enterprise and Industry – would be organising a national competition which will see two winners taking part in a further contest in Porto, Portugal in December.
The local contest will be split into five winning categories: Pioneering Entrepreneurship, Support to Enterprise, Reducing Bureaucracy, Investing in People and Entrepreneurial Responsibility.