Were any of you at this meeting? And if so, will you write in, please?
Published:
September 25, 2012 at 7:53pm
Posted by Lomax (somebody I know) earlier today:
At a recent business breakfast Joseph Muscat had with retailers, somebody remarked that small retailers are losing lots of business to online trading.
Guess what he promised: that he would stop access from Malta to international online trading sites (such as ebay, play.com and so on). Some actually liked the idea.
My friend (who was present) was disgusted. Sadly, nobody recorded him.
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VPN? Encryption?
Or is he going to intercept all our mail?
Dickhead.
They won’t need to prevent us from ordering stuff – that would be next to impossible unless they put in place a Chinese/Iranian style of internet control.
All they need to do is prevent us from getting the stuff we ordered, or at best making it very difficult and inconvenient. Not much point in ordering stuff on the internet if in the end you can’t get your hands on it.
They already know exactly what needs to be done – they just need to re-implement the system they had in the eighties.
Just needs a few changes to the rules complimented with the re-introduction of gross inefficiency at the post office and customs.
Not even. All he needs to do is increase VAT on inbound (residential) shipping. They’d control the MCCAA so there is no risk in the Minister involved requiring an independent investigation.
Oh come on! This cannot be true. Not even KMB would suggest something so outrageous.
[Daphne – Because it came from somebody I know (though I cannot vouch for the friend who was there), and because the meeting was closed to the press, I find it necessary to check it out before deciding that it isn’t true. Attempts have been made to get a couple of my friends, who are in retail, to go to these meetings. The person doing the ‘recruiting’ makes a point of saying that there will be no press (in other words, you needn’t be embarrassed to be shown in public as being at a Labour meeting and you can say what you like).]
Easy. Just phone up Muscat’s press officer and ask him or her. In any normal country…
[Daphne – Kurt Farrugia and I are not on speaking terms, and his other press officer is too busy sleeping with Cyrus Engerer to do his job (it’s on Facebook…).]
Your colleagues in the press then — Oh forget it. This is Malta, right?
Do you (Baxxter) think that anybody would own up to such preposterous statements?
I mean, there MUST be a reason for these meetings to be, literally, behind closed doors, now, mustn’t there?
Will someone at least ASK them?
I was reading the online version of Kullhadd , sorry it was Saviour’s Illum and found out that this impartial paper was telling its readers that Lejl at Casal Fornaro was postponed!
https://newspaper.maltatoday.com.mt/booklet/371
Dan bis-serjeta’?
Maybe this is what he means by “we will let you work”.
He will only be able to do it if he tries to withdraw Malta from the EU, which no can rule out.
He knows it, but he is not going to say it so clearly.
And that is why il-Guy said they want to revise the Treaty of Accession. Otherwise that goes against EU free market regulation.
I know he is a dumbo.
However I do not think that this allegation is plausible.
If it were proven to be correct then it will become resignation material.
And you think the dumbo would ever resign? The dumbo is nothing other than a glove puppet manipulated by il-Guy, AST, Leo Brincat, Debono Grech, Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, and all the slag brought down from the golden years for which time they still hanker.
EU membership was never on their agenda, it is not now, nor will it ever be. Read between the lines. Malta’s exit from the EU is firmly on the cards.
At this point, I expect Karmenu ‘Lady Jo’ Vella to be Minister for Trade, and Professor Edward Scicluna to be Minister for Import Substitution.
It could be one of the moves promised to the Chinese, if certain conditions which necessitate a revision of ‘the agreement’ with the EU, aren’t accepted.
He did say he has no issue with using the veto.
When and where was the meeting held?
Didn’t he say that his is going to be the most transparent administration ever. So why was the press not invited?
“In his concluding remarks, Dr Muscat said if given the trust of the people, this would be a government that listens and transparency will be the order of day.”
http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=151101
But he said that whilst keeping his fingers crossed behind his back, so it doesn’t count. Joseph smaart ta !
On our way to becoming the North Korea of the Mediterranean. Way to go, Joseph, really progressive and liberal.
Thank God we are part of the European Union. This will never be allowed.
If it is true, and I sincerely hope that there has been a gross misunderstanding on someone’s part, then I predict very busy weekends in the not too distant future, taking to the streets again after a quarter of a century of calm and serenity.
Could it be that he was just cracking a joke? It’s quite an extreme thing to say. Could he be that stupid?
Some time ago he said it was time to implement the novel concept of the living wage. Now he is arguing for the freezing of the minimum wage.
It’s quite an extreme thing to say, in both cases. Could he be that stupid?
Still, best wait to see what Muscat has to say about it before we jump to too many conclusions.
If he did say it, but has now thought better of it, then we can judge him in that light.
If he did say it and stands by it, everyone can start packing their bags now.
If he didn’t say it, then he didn’t say it. There will be no proof to claim otherwise.
@ Edward Caruana Galizia
I am sure Marlene Mizzi will oblige and enlighten us. In the meantime, may I borrow her last sentence from one of her Facebook’s comments.
“Did I understand correctly that the PN is promising the gozitans an undersea tunnel , as an electoral banana ? Imma dan bis-serjeta’ ? The new PN slogan must be : ” If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit”
The man IS stupid. What is worse is that he is convinced that he is clever.
Worse still, is that voters are convinced that he is clever.
Yes, he IS that stupid.
This is technically impossible since it goes against the freedom of movement of goods and services across EU member states.
As technically impossible as our hunting regulations, that is. EU member states can more or less flaunt EU rules, because there’s nothing the EU can do.
Good point, however, much more, than less. The EU is in such deep shit due to nearly all of them flaunting the debt to GDP ratio rule, including Germany.
Little Joey, now an evil dwarf, could get away with this for years before he gets his pudgy little hand slapped.
Ghidilhom, ‘the other kev’!
They’re dehydrated to the bones, yet there’s no sign of thirst anywhere.
What else is he promising behind closed doors, in the absence of the press?
Meetings behind closed doors with no press invited, or even allowed?
So what’s happening behind these closed doors? Is Muscat offering the world to everyone in a way that he will be able to deny it when the crunch actually happens?
It can’t be stopped as this is a democratic country where people are very free to do what they want. Its not illegal after all, but is it conducive to the democracy and transperancy they themselves are accusing the government to be lacking in?
Since my friend was so taken aback and since he didn’t want to stick out like a sore thumb, he didn’t have the audacity to ask Muscat to repeat what he had said.
He told me about it and I was angry that he did not have the presence of mind to record him saying this.
My friend is certain. I asked whether he had heard the exact opposite. However, he was quite certain. I was not present, so I cannot vouch for it but he’s neither given to hysterics nor into making things up.
So, I have no reason to believe he was indeed making this up.
‘Some actually liked the idea’ strongly suggests that everyone heard the same comment.
Who else was at this meeting? Surely someone can verify it.
Was the impact of PL’s supermarket, as proposed by Toni Abela, discussed?
With Caqnu, maybe?
I do not find this allegation credible. He can’t possibly be so daft as to say something like that publicly ….and at such a meeting .
Why daft … and at such a meeting?
Isn’t it possible that he would have thought that such a statement would be MUSIC TO THEIR EARS?
And wouldn’t this corroborate the perception that he’s promising everything to everybody?
He says – and has said – equally daft things quite publicly, so why are you surprised?
History might well repeat itself. The shame of being Maltese, after the normailty of the last 25 years, amd the pride of being EU citizens.
Rocket man again.
The beauty of Labour is that they always manage to place a rocket in their pants.
And a kaxxa nfernali in ours.
I just cannot understand their mentality, and their gaffes.
Imma kif, I mean over 25 years have passed and the LP movement/party, call it what you will, have not changed a bit. Jesus wept, and so shall we.
What about the Maltapost employees and shareholders?
Maltapost had a boost in business with online trading.
Sometimes a get a scare when the doorbell rings in the afternoon to find a uniformed man with a parcel for my daughter.
Gahan, in my time it was a bomb on the door step, no ringing of the doorbell, and no accompanying man. Happy days will soon be here again.
And, oh yes, I clean forgot. There would be a uniformed man, usually more than one, who would come round after the explosion to take you into custody for having had explosives in your possession.
sorry, but I’ll never believe this.
With such tactics Joseph Muscat is going to destroy the country.
It’s typical of Labour – rather than seeing online trading as a new opportunity for Maltese traders to break out the of the very limited Maltese market they see it as a threat because ‘foreigners’ are taking away Maltese business.
Stop e-bay and people will flock to the catamaran to Sicily. Maltese retailers need to face up to the new realities and to brush up their act. Spending patterns have changed – irrevocably.
This mentality is disastrous for Malta. If these Igaming companies and online companies based in Malta leave the island it would be catastrophic for the whole country. It really wouldn’t take much for these companies to leave and set up elsewhere.
This was a glimpse of the future and it’s looking very, very bleak indeed.
Daphne, what you’re quoting here is an outright lie. I was present for the meeting for the Sliema business community and what Joseph Muscat said was exactly the opposite and your informer must have misunderstood him. Muscat clearly stated that nobody should expect a govermnment to control online shopping. I admire your writing sometimes but i must tell you that you have got this really wrong and it’s just unfair to attribute words he never said.
Daniel read the post again. It is not something Daphne wrote. If anything she is asking if anyone out there can verify it. So it is wrong for you to attribute it to Daphne. Even Lomax makes it clear in his/her comment that he/she was not personally present. Secondly how do you assume that the meeting you attended is the same one being referred to?
I’m sure that Lomax’s friend can point out a few other persons who attended that meeting (i never get invited…) and they can be approached to confirm or otherwise whether they heard the same statement.
On what basis were the invitations issued? Who else from the Labour camp was in attendance? If Joseph doesn’t speak we can always turn on the others who make up his ‘team maqghud’.
Was this important meeting minuted?
Yes – come on Lomax, add some beef to the bones. This is just too way out there to believe.
Where is the press? Have they all gone into hiding?
Where is Saviour Balzan’s investigative journalism? Just imagine Gonzi holding a meeting behind closed doors. All hell would break loose condemning Gonzi and the PN for wanting to hide things from the Maltese electorate.
No wonder everyone feels that the Maltese press is laham mibjugh.
Yes, our local, somewhat incompetent, media have been silent on this controversy. I have just read an article in The Economist that termed it ‘Journalistic Deficit Disorder’.
It appears our Maltese media have been infected. What newspapers don’t print matters as much as what they do.
That’s why we have Daphne.
I doubt he can do that – the free movement of goods between amongst EU countries (including online retailers) is a core principle and protected by a number of EU laws. It’s obvious he is taking those retailers for a ride.
http://www.europeanlawmonitor.org/eu-policy-areas/eu-free-movement-of-goods.html
It also shows his lack of strategy and ingenuity – opting for protectionism instead of offering strategic ways to compete. His progressive and liberal credentials are just skin deep. Hope someone will uncover him for what he really is – this has gone too far now
Jason Tanti, exit from EU and all things are possible.
We have had 16 years of that under the Labour governments of the 1970s, 1980s and yes, remember, 1990s too. Golden for the select few; hell and hardship for all others.
The main protagonists of those unforgettable years are still alive and well, and firmly holding the steering wheel in Joseph Muscat’s Partit Laburista.
Jason, do not forget that Joseph seems to be desperate to win the election and become PM. He is promising the impossible to everyone.
Il-Bambin biss jaf x’inhu gej ghal Malta taghna.
Given the seriousness of this unbelievable statement, i would suggest that Joseph Muscat be asked to confirm or refute the allegation at the next press conference organized by the PL. I cannot believe it’s true, but nothing will surprise me.
A serious leader of a political party that is the government in waiting would not wait for the press to ask him the question.
A serious leader would call a press conference and unequivocally declare his party’s position on the matter and set the record straight.
Don’t anyone hold their breath on that happening though with PL Joseph.
We must wait and see what he has to say first. You may be right about how most politicians would react, but until there is a reaction we can’t assume much since there is no recording of the actual statement.
Since the issue is now in the public domain, if there is no action on the part of Joseph Muscat or of the PL to set the record straight as regards the PL position on the continuity of Malta’s membership in the EU, the only logical conclusion that may be drawn is that EU membership would be in serious doubt should Joseph Muscat and the golden years brigade be voted into government.
This is no time, if ever, to play Russian roulette with the destiny of our nation.
The only tangible results so far of Joseph Muscat’s leadership of the PL are the pointless name change, PL logo ditto, the construction of a stand and wave balcony over the red-house main entrance, the straggly transplant of his short and curlies, and an expanding layer of pot round his waste – hardly qualifications to navigate the nation through the turbulent waters that prevail.
That should have read ‘waist’ – pesky pre-emptive spell checker gone wild.
Waste works too, as in a waste of time.
We should all get used to the idea of having daring and shocking policy decisions should Labour be in government! So typical. It was the order of the day in Mintoff’s times.
I expect little foresight politics from Muscat. Like his predecessor I predict a return to the impulsive and ad hoc management by crisis style.
Such a pity the statement wasn’t made on Facebook – The Times and Maltatoday would have run with the story.
I just want to believe it is a joke, a lame one (bhal t’Alfred Sant u l-Gonziiii tieghu…). Otherwise it would only mean that Joseph is a communist or an ignorant person (u dan gej dirett mill-EU!)
If Muscat did actually say this then he is emulating Mintoff’s hopeless attitude towards business (basta bil-PhD in business management).
Rather than urging these small retailers to innovate and become more competitive, JM is telling them that it is ok to set unfair prices, keep low stocks and maintain the status quo. He will protect them. Is this the Neo-Mintoffian progressive open attitude towards a competitive economy?
Simon Busuttil is right – Labour = Bailout
Jaqaw! ergajna gejjin fi zmien Mintoff?
Secondly, who is going to protect the customers who save plenty of time and money from internet commerce.
He is worse than Alfred Sant.
Obviously, Daph, we’ll take your word for it.
Why shouldn’t we?
[Daphne – I forgot for a minute there that Labour voters all failed comprehension class at school. It’s not ‘my word’. Read it again. I’m actually asking for feedback on somebody else’s word.]
Do you think he will admit saying this?
He will deny it for sure but that doesn’t mean that this won’t be implemented in some kind of way if PL is in government.
There are many ways and means of denying us online purchasing. A few lost parcels here and there. In no time sellers overseas will put us down as one of their restricted countries.
Totally mental. Would Mish still be able to sell her jewellery??
No problem, the Lady Jo could be pressed back into service I suppose.
Someone really did remark that small retailers are are losing lots of business to online trading during a meeting with Muscat, (could be a different meeting than the one mentioned here) and Joseph Muscat’s reply was that there was nothing that could be done and surely no one can expect that he would copy the North Koreans.
Taking measures to strengthen the retail business (GRTU), might weaken the service industries which are keeping our country’s reserves and cash flow high. The retail business should be questioned on their ability to retain feasibility, particularly the hoteliers who are bad enough when it comes to paying their suppliers. Why should we keep on sacrificing our country’s resources in favour of unfeasible business.
Technology, gaming, and accountancy are attracting foreign direct investment towards Malta, and, this keeps our banks healthy. Skilled professionals earned a good standard of living and employment within these industries has been maintained in a good state, which is a positive economic indicator. What have we to say about the retail industry?
I am sorry but if they are not fit, you cannot run for the Olympics.
Could anyone from the trade union confirm or denies this ?