25 years of strong alliances This year, the Malta Business Bureau celebrates a quarter of a century of service to the business community, providing support and guidance on European Union policy and legislation, as well as representing The Malta Chamber, and the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association on a European level. Here, Rebecca Anastasi speaks to Malta Chamber and MHRA Presidents, Marisa Xuereb and Tony Zahra, about the strength of their solid collaborations with the MBB. Established in 1996, the Malta Business Bureau (MBB) has been central to the prosperity of local businesses, providing a link between Malta’s corporate communities and the European Union, while also representing The Malta Chamber, and the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) on an EU level. Indeed, over the past 25 years, the MBB, through its head offices in Valletta and Brussels, has connected its members – Maltese companies and entrepreneurs – to opportunities, training and new horizons afforded by the bloc, becoming a crucial node towards internationalisation, particularly in the wake of Malta’s EU accession in 2004. “Over the years, the MBB has developed a team of capable policy experts who have built networking relationships with policymakers in Brussels, and who are, therefore, able to act as lobbyists for the local business community,” Malta Chamber President Marisa Xuereb affirms, praising the MBB’s capable team and noting their vital function post2004. “Ever since Malta’s accession to the European Union, local policy development has been very much EU-driven.
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MALTA BUSINESS BUREAU ANNUAL REPORT 2021
The role of the MBB in anticipating policy developments, communicating them to the Malta Chamber and advising on possible outcomes, as well as assisting in the consultation process on the implications of such developments for local businesses, is of crucial importance,” she continues. “The main goal of the Malta Chamber is to help local businesses improve their competitiveness and grow, not just locally but also beyond our shores, and the MBB is a key partner in achieving this.” This collaboration between the two entities has been thrown in sharp relief over the past 18 months, with the MBB providing support in helping local businesses operate in a new COVID-inflected environment. “The MBB was one of the first organisations to embark on a study on the implications of remote working for businesses and for the environment, and this study provided some very pertinent insights into how the future of work could be in those sectors that lend themselves to remote working,” Ms Xuereb says. Moreover, “the MBB has also been following closely policy developments related to gender equality, adequate minimum wages in the EU, the Energy Tax Directive and
