Today’s Newspaper Cuttings
12 July 2013
Today’s news online TIMESOFMALTA.COM Vodafone offers the new Smart Android for €79 – Vodafone Direct Excise duty on mobile telephony : legal or illegal? – Vodafone Indirect
DI-VE.COM HSBC Malta Foundation supports English-Speaking Union – HSBC CSR GO’s support for L-Istrina 2012 tops €87,000 – GO CSR Direct
GOZONEWS.COM HSBC Malta Foundation supports English-Speaking Union – HSBC CSR
INDEPENDENT.COM.MT An artistic challenge at the Isle of MTV thanks to Vodafone Malta – Vodafone Direct Go wins exclusive Premier League rights until 2016 – GO Direct Bank of Valletta supports ‘Ohloq Tbissima 2013’ – BOV CSR Bank of Valletta children go ‘green’ – BOV CSR President George Abela visits GO premises – GO Direct
JOSANNECASSAR.COM An Artistic challenge at the Isle of MTV – Vodafone Direct HSBC Malta foundation supports English-Speaking Union – HSBC CSR
Vodafone in the news
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VODAFONE DIRECT TIMESOFMALTA.COM 11 JULY 2013
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Vodafone offers the new Smart Android for â‚Ź79 Vodafone Malta has launched the new and powerful Vodafone Smart Android discounted to just â‚Ź79 to all Vodafone customers, making it the most affordable smartphone in the Vodafone range. The smartphone offers everything from simple messaging through to multimedia apps and sophisticated location-based services. The Vodafone Smart Android has a feature-packed design and operates on Jelly Bean 4.1 Android operating system with connectivity to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and high speed 3G UMTS HSPA. With a highly responsive touchscreen, users can use all the popular internet sites and social networking platforms via ready-installed software including Facebook, Google Maps and YouTube.
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VODAFONE DIRECT INDEPENDENT.COM.MT 10 JULY 2013
An artistic challenge at the Isle of MTV thanks to Vodafone Malta
Wednesday, 10 July 2013, 17:53
For the second consecutive year, Vodafone has been chosen as the telecommunications partner for the Isle of MTV held at the Granaries. Numerous people, particularly youngsters tried their luck at Vodafone competitions organised specifically for the Malta Music Week Events. Many participants were declared winners, including the sought after ‘meet and greet’ initiative which meant that two lucky winners, Aidan Vella and Eilieen Spiteri could personally meet artist Jessie J. An initiative that caught people’s attention was the artistic challenge launched by Vodafone on the night. “To celebrate this special and joyous event, we decided to install a backdrop including inspirational messages from popular songs by Rita Ora and Jessie J, “Stop for a minute and Smile” and “Shine your light”,” said Maria Vella Galea, Brand Manager at Vodafone Malta. “All those present had the opportunity to take part in Vodafone’s artistic challenge and draw and fill in the words of the backdrop, whilst entering a competition with a chance of winning 1 of 6 Samsung Galaxy Y. It was great fun to see people putting in their own personal touch on our installation, giving their input in a fun and creative way and colouring away as the night drew to an end.”
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VODAFONE DIRECT INDEPENDENT.COM.MT 10 JULY 2013
During the event, Vodafone promoted their latest Summer offers including the Talk Non Stop Plan at 10c per call to all local Vodafone numbers and a discount of â‚Ź50 off the Samsung Galaxy Y to all local Vodafone customers. The Isle of MTV included international superstars Jessie J, Rita Ora, Rudimental and Afrojack giving 50,000 music fans a night to remember. For the seventh consecutive year, the spectacular locality of Floriana played host to one of the biggest nights in the international music calendar. The show will air across all MTV channels around the world in a 60 minute Isle of MTV Malta programme from 3rd August and it will also be part of the World Stage Franchise.
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VODAFONE DIRECT JOSANNECASSAR.COM 12 JULY 2013
An artistic challenge at the Isle of MTV For the second consecutive year, Vodafone was chosen as the telecommunications partner for the Isle of MTV held at the Granaries. Numerous people, particularly youngsters tried their luck at Vodafone competitions organised specifically for the Malta Music Week Events. Many participants were declared winners, including the sought after ‘meet and greet’ initiative which meant that two lucky winners, Aidan Vella and Eilieen Spiteri could personally meet artist Jessie J. An initiative that caught people’s attention was the artistic challenge launched by Vodafone on the night. “To celebrate this special and joyous event, we decided to install a backdrop including inspirational messages from popular songs by Rita Ora and Jessie J, “Stop for a minute and Smile” and “Shine your light”,” said Maria Vella Galea, Brand Manager at Vodafone Malta. “All those present had the opportunity to take part in Vodafone’s artistic challenge and draw and fill in the words of the backdrop, whilst entering a competition with a chance of winning 1 of 6 Samsung Galaxy Y. It was great fun to see people putting in their own personal touch on our installation, giving their input in a fun and creative way and colouring away as the night drew to an end.” During the event, Vodafone promoted their latest Summer offers including the Talk Non Stop Plan at 10c per call to all local Vodafone numbers and a discount of €50 off the Samsung Galaxy Y to all local Vodafone customers. The Isle of MTV included international superstars Jessie J, Rita Ora, Rudimental and Afrojack giving 50,000 music fans a night to remember. For the seventh consecutive year, the spectacular locality of Floriana played host to one of the biggest nights in the international music calendar. The show will air across all MTV channels around the world in a 60 minute Isle of MTV Malta programme from 3rd August and it will also be part of the World Stage Franchise. For more photos of Vodafone’s artistic challenge visit Vodafone’s Facebook page on www.facebook.com/vodafonemalta.
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VODAFONE INDIRECT TIMESOFMALTA.COM 11 JULY 2013
Thursday, July 11, 2013 by
Mariosa Vella Cardona
Excise duty on mobile telephony: legal or illegal ? The ball is once again in the court of the Maltese judiciary who has to decide whether the excise duty which is imposed on mobile telephony services by the Maltese authorities is permissible in terms of EU law. However, such a decision must now be taken on the basis of the guidance recently provided by the Court of Justice of the European Union in a preliminary ruling that it has given.
The CJEU does not decide the dispute itself but leaves it for the national court or tribunal to decide the case in accordance with the guidance given by the CJEU on the matter In the course of proceedings held before them, the courts and tribunals of each EU member state may make a preliminary reference to the CJEU, requesting guidance as to the interpretation of EU law or the validity of an EU Act. In such cases, the CJEU does not decide the dispute itself but leaves it for the national court or tribunal to decide the case in accordance with the guidance given by the CJEU on the matter. This is precisely what the Maltese Constitutional Court did in a case which came before it. It made a preliminary reference seeking guidance from the CJEU as to whether the EU Authorisation Directive prohibits or otherwise the imposition of excise duty on mobile telephony services. Operators in the telecommunications sector, namely Vodafone Malta Ltd and Mobisle Communications Ltd, claimed before the Maltese courts that the Maltese law imposing excise duty on mobile telephony services is incompatible with the afore-mentioned directive and to this end should be annulled. Member states cannot impose charges or levies other than those specified in this directive, the operators alleged. The contestants maintained that the excise duty on mobile telephony services is not a charge of general application as permitted by the directive but a specific charge which applies only to mobile telephony operators. Such an “excise” duty, levied at the rate of three per cent, is calculated as a percentage of the payments which operators receive from the users of mobile services and operators subsequently pass it on to the tax authorities. The Authorisation Directive makes provision not only for rules governing the procedures for granting general authorisations to electronic communications service providers or rights to use radiofrequencies or numbers but also for rules relating to the nature and scope of the charges related to such procedures which member states may impose on operators in the sector. It permits member states to impose on such operators only administrative charges as remuneration for the total administrative costs incurred in the management, control and enforcement of the general authorisation scheme and of rights of use and imposition of specific obligations. The CJEU explained that a charge, the trigger for which is linked to a general authorisation procedure for access to the electronic telecommunications services market, falls within the scope of the Authorisation Directive. Member states must then ensure that such an administrative charge is levied only for the purposes described in the Directive and complies with the requirements set out therein. On the other hand, the court went on to point out that the charge does not fall within the scope of the Authorisation Directive if the trigger for it is linked not to a general authorisation procedure for access to the relevant market but to the use of mobile telephony services provided by operators and which is ultimately borne by the user of such services. Considering the case before it, the CJEU noted that the charge imposed by Maltese law and referred to as “excise duty”, is not levied on all electronic telecommunications operators holding a general authorisation but only on operators providing mobile telephony services. Furthermore, it observed that such a charge is calculated as a percentage of the fees paid to the latter operators by the users of mobile telephony services on an individual basis, with the charge in question subsequently being passed on to the
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VODAFONE INDIRECT TIMESOFMALTA.COM 11 JULY 2013
Comptroller of Customs. In the light of such considerations, the CJEU concluded that the charge at issue imposed by Maltese law is similar to a tax on consumption. However, this is ultimately a matter for the national court to verify, the CJEU asserted. If that is the case, the CJEU continued, the charge falls outside the scope of the Authorisation Directive and is not precluded by the said Directive since in such a case the trigger for the duty is not linked to the general authorisation procedure for access to the electronic communications services market but is linked to other considerations. The national courts will now therefore have the ultimate say in the matter. Taking into consideration the facts at hand, they need to decide whether the charge under examination can indeed be considered as a tax on consumption, hence falling outside the purview of the Authorisation Directive, or otherwise. mariosa@vellacardona.com Mariosa Vella Cardona is a freelance legal consultant specialising in European law, competition law, consumer law and intellectual property law.
Other stories in the news
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GO DIRECT INDEPENDENT.COM.MT 9 JULY 2013
GO wins exclusive Premier League rights until 2016
Tuesday, 09 July 2013, 15:39
GO’s Chief Executive Officer, Yiannos Michaelides, announced that the Premier League today confirmed that GO has successfully secured exclusive rights to 380 matches per year for the seasons running from 2013/14 until 2015/16. Commenting on this prestigious sports acquisition, Mr Michaelides said: “GO is proud to, yet again, retain exclusivity to the Barclays Premier League. This is a good result for our customers and our business. It means that GO sports remains home of Premier League football and viewers will continue to enjoy their favourite sport for another three seasons.” This, combined with the current rights of Champions League and Serie A cements GO as the undisputed leader in Premium Sports. The exclusive rights include the right to make Live, delayed and repeat transmissions of Barclays Premier League matches in English and Maltese on GO sports channels and over both Digital Terrestrial and IPTV platforms. Customers can subscribe to GO sports premium package of 8 channels on GO Interactive to ensure maximum live coverage of Barclays Premier League with the option to watch GO sports 1 and 2 in full HD quality.
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GO DIRECT INDEPENDENT.COM.MT 9 JULY 2013
The rights also include the Live transmission of selected Barclays Premier League matches to be made in the Maltese language over GO sports channels to mobile devices, that is, the viewing of GO sports channels on the move and over your tablet or laptop. A new service which GO plans to launch in the near future. Mr Michaelides added “GO’s TV venture, which took off in 2007, is a truly outstanding success story especially when considering that today we serve almost 70,000 homes with quality television entertainment. Securing premium content such as the Barclays Premier League is only a small part of the Company’s strategic capital investment which is simply aimed at giving more to our customers”. Premier League Chief Executive, Richard Scudamore, said: “GO has been a Premier League rights holder for several years and has a track-record of delivering excellent coverage to our fans in Malta. “We are pleased they have again chosen to invest in the Premier League and look forward to working with them for the next three seasons.” GO’s acquisition of the Barclays Premier League rights is consistent with the company’s policy to acquire quality content. GO currently holds exclusive rights for various sports including UEFA Champions League, the Italian Serie A, the French Ligue 1 as well as Formula 1, Rugby and Tennis.
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HSBC CSR JOSANNECASSAR.COM 10 JULY 2013
HSBC Malta Foundation supports EnglishSpeaking Union The HSBC Malta Foundation has renewed its support for the English-Speaking Union of Malta’s (ESU) Arm of Support programme, an English language programme for kindergarten and Year 1 children that promotes a ‘language through play’ method of teaching. “ESU Malta is making a tangible difference by offering children the learning opportunities, resources and guidance to ensure that children grow up communicating in English as well as Maltese,” said HSBC Malta Foundation Chairperson Catherine Gonzi. She said the ESU language programme is in line with one of the main objectives of the HSBC Malta Foundation, which is that of supporting educational programmes amongst children. Mrs Gonzi experienced the ESU programme in action by joining a class of Kindergarten 2 children at St Margaret College, Zabbar Primary A, together with ESU Chairperson, John de Giorgio and Head of School, Alfred Debattista. She commented that “learning through play is a very effective tool in education, and it is a joy to see children from Maltese speaking backgrounds communicating so well in English.” ESU Chairperson John de Giorgio said: “It is always rewarding to see the progress students achieve under our wing. HSBC Malta Foundation’s generous sponsorship will go a long way in supporting the programme which is also serving as a test bed for its broader implementation in schools across Malta and Gozo. Arm of Support has been running for four years, however, this is the first scholastic year that the programme is targeting Kinder 1, Kinder 2 and Year 1 students.” More information about the work of the ESU in Malta can be found at www.esumalta.org
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HSBC CSR DI-VE.COM 10 JULY 2013
Last Updated 10 | 07 | 2013 at 09:52
Business & Technology
HSBC Malta Foundation supports English-Speaking Union Article By: di-ve.com news The HSBC Malta Foundation has renewed its support for the English-Speaking Union of Malta’s (ESU) Arm of Support programme, an English language programme for kindergarten and Year 1 children that promotes a ‘language through play’ method of teaching. “ESU Malta is making a tangible difference by offering children the learning opportunities, resources and guidance to ensure that children grow up communicating in English as well as Maltese,” said HSBC Malta Foundation Chairperson Catherine Gonzi. She said the ESU language programme is in line with one of the main objectives of the HSBC Malta Foundation, which is that of supporting educational programmes amongst children. Mrs Gonzi experienced the ESU programme in action by joining a class of Kindergarten 2 children at St Margaret College, Zabbar Primary A, together with ESU Chairperson, John de Giorgio and Head of School, Alfred Debattista. She commented that “learning through play is a very effective tool in education, and it is a joy to see children from Maltese speaking backgrounds communicating so well in English.” ESU Chairperson John de Giorgio said: “It is always rewarding to see the progress students achieve under our wing. HSBC Malta Foundation’s generous sponsorship will go a long way in supporting the programme which is also serving as a test bed for its broader implementation in schools across Malta
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HSBC CSR DI-VE.COM 10 JULY 2013
and Gozo. Arm of Support has been running for four years, however, this is the first scholastic year that the programme is targeting Kinder 1, Kinder 2 and Year 1 students.
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HSBC CSR GOZONEWS.COM 10 JULY 2013
HSBC Malta Foundation supports English-Speaking Union Posted By Gozo News On July 10, 2013 @ 11:32 am In Malta News | No Comments
The HSBC Malta Foundation has renewed its support for the English-Speaking Union of Malta’s (ESU) Arm of Support programme, an English language programme for kindergarten and Year 1 children that promotes a ‘language through play’ method of teaching. “ESU Malta is making a tangible difference by offering children the learning opportunities, resources and guidance to ensure that children grow up communicating in English as well as Maltese,” said HSBC Malta Foundation Chairperson Catherine Gonzi. She said the ESU language programme is in line with one of the main objectives of the HSBC Malta Foundation, which is that of supporting educational programmes amongst children. Mrs Gonzi experienced the ESU programme in action by joining a class of Kindergarten 2 children at St Margaret College, Zabbar Primary A, together with ESU Chairperson, John de Giorgio and Head of School, Alfred Debattista. She commented that “learning through play is a very effective tool in education, and it is a joy to see children from Maltese speaking backgrounds communicating so well in English.” ESU Chairperson John de Giorgio said: “It is always rewarding to see the progress students achieve under our wing. HSBC Malta Foundation’s generous sponsorship will go a long way in supporting the programme which is also serving as a test bed for its broader implementation in schools across Malta and Gozo. Arm of Support has been running for four years, however, this is the first scholastic year that the programme is targeting Kinder 1, Kinder 2 and Year 1 students.” More information about the work of the ESU in Malta can be found at www.esumalta.org
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Photo – Students at Zabbar Primary A, learning English though an educational song and dance known as the ‘The Animal Boogie.’
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BOV CSR INDEPENDENT.COM.MT 10 JULY 2013
Bank of Valletta supports ‘Ohloq Tbissima 2013’
Wednesday, 10 July 2013, 17:50
Bank of Valletta is supporting the 11th edition of Ohloq Tbissima. - a fund-raising marathon organised by the Missionary Society of St Paul (MSSP) to raise funds for St Joseph Home in Santa Venera as well as missions in the Philippines, Peru and Pakistan. “Ohloq Tbissima has become a permanent fixture in Bank of Valletta’s CSR calendar. We trust that our assistance will help ‘create a smile’ on the faces of people that will benefit from funds raised through this initiative.” said Joyce Tabone, Manager Media and Community Relations at Bank of Valletta during a visit to the organisers of the marathon during the set up. The 60 hour marathon will kick off at noon on Friday 12th July and carry on uninterrupted until midnight on Sunday 14th July. The live transmission from the central courtyard of St Joseph Home will feature footage from works going on at St Joseph home as well as projects by the MSSP’s missions abroad. Donations can be made by calling by calling 51602004 to donate €10, 51702007 to donate €15 and 51802009 to donate €25. By sending a blank SMS to 5061 8099 you will donate €4.66. The telephone lines are already open.
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BOV CSR INDEPENDENT.COM.MT 10 JULY 2013
Bank of Valletta children go ‘green’
Wednesday, 10 July 2013, 10:18
Bank of Valletta extends its ‘green’ culture to the children of BOV employees during a funpacked day organised at the President’s Kitchen Garden in San Anton. Throughout the day, a group of fifty children, aged 7 to 12, participated in educational games and activities focused on environmental issues related to waste reduction, energy saving and carbon footprint. The children experienced first hand how they too have a role to play in taking care of the environment, Stephanie Agius, CSR Co-ordinator at Bank of Valletta explained her satisfaction at the outcome of the event and said that, “The environment has become an important aspect for the Bank and through such an initiative, we are extending our green values not only to our people but also to their families.” Bank of Valletta keeps the environment high on its agenda, ensuring that its environmental responsibility features prominently across the organisation, both at strategic and operational levels.
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GO DIRECT INDEPENDENT.COM.MT 10 JULY 2013
President George Abela visits GO premises
Wednesday, 10 July 2013, 15:52
President of the Republic George Abela today visited GO’s premises in Marsa. Addressing GO employees, he said that if the latter part of the 18th century heralded the beginning of the industrial revolution, the last decades of the 20th saw the flowering of another revolution: the communications revolution. “The rapid proliferation of mobile telephony and the emergence of the internet took the world by storm and modern life has become inconceivable without them. “I think you must all be proud of being such an integral part of this global phenomenon,” he said. He pointed out that in his younger days those of his generation were used to the convenience provided by fixed-line telephones and telex machines and the entertainment transmitted by a few television and radio channels. “At the time, it was unimaginable that, in a relatively short period of time, one would not go anywhere without being within reach of mobile phone communication. “It was equally unbelievable that, at the click of a mouse, one could obtain information on any subject under the sun and communicate cheaply and instantaneously by email with any part of the world. “Yet, within our lifetime, we saw this happening and the unthinkable became true and we got used to it very quickly,” Dr Abela said.
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GO DIRECT INDEPENDENT.COM.MT 10 JULY 2013
He added that he considers it to be to our credit that the transformation of communications in Malta was swift and succeeded in being constantly abreast with the latest technologies. “This is certainly thanks to communications services companies such as GO that believed in Malta’s potential and invested considerable capital in the industry. “GO’s investment base was enhanced following the investment by Emirates International Telecommunications – EIT – a Dubai based Holding Company, which acquired a 60 per cent stake in 2006. “GO’s pioneering role in Malta’s communications industry is based on a tradition which goes back to 1975 when Telemalta, the country’s first national telecommunications corporation, was formed. “With its advanced and reliable communication services to the Maltese business community, including Cloud Services, roaming hub services, data networking solutions, business IP services, and managed and co-location facilities, GO is one of Malta’s leading communications services companies delivering a world-class service in terms of infrastructure and customer experience. Since 2007, GO has also been a leading player in Malta’s television market.” Dr Abela thanked GO for always being there when their assistance was requested in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund, “particularly during our most important fund-raising activity LIstrina”.
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GO CSR DIRECT DI-VE.COM 11 JULY 2013
Last Updated 11 | 07 | 2013 at 15:50
From left - GO Chairman Deepak Padmanabhan, H.E. Dr George Abela, President of Malta and GO CEO, Yiannos Michaelides
GO’s support for L-Istrina 2012 tops €87,000 Article By:di-ve.com news GO’s support for L-Istrina 2012 amounted to €87,533.50, CEO Yannos Michaelides announced today.
This was announced during a visit to GO’s headquarters in Marsa by President of Malta Dr George Abela. This support for the annual fund raising campaign in aid of the Community Chest Fund included a €20,000 cash donation plus €67,533.50 of communications services which GO provides for free during the Boxing Day telethon. During his visit to GO, Dr Abela had the opportunity to tour the building and meet with staff. “It is a great pleasure for me to be here today,” said The President. “GO gives tremendous support to L-Istrina in terms of cash and communications services which are essential for the annual fund raising TV marathon. I am also very grateful to all the staff who, every year, give up their Christmas to support our efforts to help the less fortunate.” GO Chairman Deepak Padmanabhan, confirmed that the Company would continue to support L-Istrina. “We are proud to be the only telecommunications provider that has the resources and infrastructure to support such a large scale event which handles over 35,000 calls and over 10,000 SMS messages,” he said. “Putting in place all the infrastructure and systems required to handle L-Istrina is equivalent to setting up the complete system of a 5 star hotel. I must, therefore, really acknowledge and express my gratitude to all GO staff members who are assigned the responsibility of installing all the communications equipment required. This is a huge task, accomplished in very limited time,” concluded Mr Padmanabhan.