So now even the Bank of Valletta chairman has become a political appointment
Frederick Mifsud Bonnici, who became Bank of Valletta chairman when Roderick Chalmers resigned in the wake of his son’s tragic death, has been asked by the government to step down and make way for its political appointee, John Cassar White, a drydocks man who has never made his fondness for the Labour Party a secret.
This is a bank we are talking about, for heaven’s sake. And it’s a public company, listed on the Stock Exchange. You don’t just move in, chop the chairman’s head off, and put in your own stooge.
It’s patently obvious that this video, and the message it purveys, were blatant trickery. Malta Taghna Lkoll did not mean ‘let’s be apolitical in our dealings’. It’s now obvious that it meant: Malta taghna lkoll, so bloody well get out of our way because it’s our turn now. You’ve had yours.
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FMB’s appointment was wrong in the first place, he was auditing the property fund on one day and chairman of the bank involved in the scandal on the next. I do agree that such a position should not be politicized but that’s new labour for you! On the other hand I don’t agree that Edward Zammit Lewis walks into Bov’s CEOs office demanding information! How’s that for insider dealings
Mr. Doom and Gloom.
Thank you, Daphne – we’re already worried about some surprise decisions that BOV can take on dividends or the employment of more unneeded blue-eyed boys with the bank.
If the government wants to hand out some of its shares to the National Bank of Malta shareholders we don’t mind, but we’re worried that this political appointee Cassar White, is there to syphon our hard-earned investments towards the government coffers, which seem to be in some kind of trouble according to Malta Today.
I suspect that Muscat is putting feelers to see how people will react to this.
By the beginning of May we expect to have an interim dividend. Last year we got an interim dividend of six cents per share gross.
I can only assume that outside fiscal authorities and credit rating agencies are monitoring these proceedings.
Our once sound banking system is about to be controlled by a leftist bunch who consider ‘what is yours is mine’. For the good of all, of course.
Fully understand your concern.
On 13 December 2012 – the National Day remembering the First Republic – Joseph Muscat’s ‘cutting edge’ choice for the top post at BOV wrote an article on the times stating that:
“Our banking system, as remarked by the European Commission, the IMF and also our own Central Bank, needs close monitoring. We must not rely only on standard stress tests that often fail to identify systemic weaknesses in a particular country. Our banks should increase their capital beyond what is required by international regulators like the Bank of International Settlements. The banks’ reliance on property as collateral could be a potential landmine that destroys shareholders and depositors’ value.
The EC has partly justified the inclusion of Malta in the Alert Mechanism Report due to the domestic banking system’s “high exposure to the property market which has seen very dynamic price growth followed by a relatively limited correction over the past decade, and the low level of provisions for loan impairment losses”.”
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20121213/business-comment/The-economic-challenges-ahead.449425
It is time to see what Mr. Cassar White had in mind when he said this just over 3 months ago.
It is clear that the government has the power to appoint the Chairman of BOV, but, based on its shareholding, it has no legal right to dictate the policy at BOV, and the shareholders have the right to reject any change of policy that may affect them and the value of their shareholding negatively. This is the democracy of private enterprise we are talking about here. And the Moviment had stated very clearly that in the case of private enterprise “inhalluwwkom tahdmu.”
As for the dividend, the dividend from the BOV is a very important element of government revenues. Therefore, it would be foolish for the government to suggest any decrease in the dividends below its normal level. It will not only reduce the value of its own (and hence the public’s) shareholding and the government revenues, but it will also reduce the wealth and incomes of many shareholders and will send a negative message throughout the banking sector and the local stock market at a time when it can hardly afford to do so.
That said, Mr. Cassar White’s judgement on dividend distribution still needs to be tested. It’s not like he was distributing dividends when he was Chairman at the Malta Drydocks.
Unbelievable. I am not even sure what to comment here because I am completely nonplussed.
Is this really a Western country? We are beginning to make Venezuela look good.
Although I do not want to become known for being the bloke who ends every comment with a one-liner, just like the fellow on The Times who ends his comments with ‘and the beat goes on and the beat goes on…’, I feel compelled to end this comment with my one-liner too:
The world is watching.
The world, however, couldn’t give a monkey’s fuck.
Actually, it does not matter. No one is watching.
How is this possible? Does the government hold a “Golden share”?
[Daphne – Yes.]
More like a plundered share than a golden one.
This is becoming very dangerous.
In this case, the problem is not so much the appointee (although there is something to be said about that) but the actual move itself.
At a time, when many European eyes are on Malta’s financial sector in light of the implosion of Cyprus, this creates ripples which we certainly don’t need.
When the financial sector of a micro-economy like ours is so dependent on European perceptions this is nuts.
Do we even have an opposition anymore? Hello, PN – please shake off your stupor and do what you were good at.
Hear Hear
And please, please do not accept any government executive posts that Muscat will be offering.
You will be just used and when times are bad the PM will blame you. Get your house in order quickly but in the meantime do you duty as a serious Opposition and show that you mean business too.
Biggest shiver of the last three weeks.
He is doing his best to destabilize our banks now.
I guess the smart money is moving out of BOV and into tinned food and shotguns.
No. The really smart money is moving to Switzerland.
My money aint even smart enough to forge a Form IIC form.
Mine is so smart it laughs at me and calls me skint.
My money is so smart it told me it wants to join the movement. Out of Malta.
Everyone should have been there three years ago.
Oh, I love the Swiss gnomes of Zurich. So far sighted. Pegged the Swiss franc at 1,20 to the Euro when it dropped to 1.07, then watched it go to 1.23. Made billions.
Come on ciccio, we can share our 40 kg baggage allowance. With my bullshit skills and your money, we could settle down comfortable at the antipodes.
Let’s pack up and leave, Baxxter. Shall we take Harry with us? Julia Gillard is waiting for us.
Harry would fit right in. He has the swagger, the tan, and the big droopy moustache.
Alex, you crack me up.
We can ‘show’ our disapproval on this one and I don’t need to elaborate.
A good source hinted ‘issa zmien taghna, l-ohrajn u taghhom ilhom jerdaw 20 sena. Issa imis lil taghna hux’.
I’m so impressed with the choices they are making. Couldn’t they have come up with a better option than a retired stubborn old union man for this vital role? What are his credentials?
I am referring to Bencini not John Cassar White here.
How can they just kick him out? Can’t he just ignore the resignation request?
L-aqwa li Malta taghna lkoll…what a joke.
John Cassar White is an experienced banker and held a GM post at BOV for decades. He is well qualified to act as a bank chairman.
He is also however a diehard Laburist who served the Mintoff/Mifsud Bonnici governments ‘extremely well’.
It has now become very obvious that the Malta Taghna Lkoll slogan is nothing but a sham. It is not as if the recently appointed Mifsud Bonnici wasn’t up to the job.
Cassar White has too many chips on his shoulder.
John Cassar White joined BOV in 1973 and was “fast-tracked” all the way through out his career up to Chief Officer status (just one notch below CEO).
He was seconded to Malta Drydocks as Chairman when the Drydocks was at its last gasp and it was inevitable that it had to be wound down.
On the positive side he has about 35 years banking experience; on the negative side he totally lacks a sense of humour and is a compulsive “doom and gloom merchant”.
I would have waited a few months until next AGM before appointing John Cassar White (or whatever) so as not to rock the boat.
Labour’s past choices as Bank of Valletta chairmen include Danny Cremona, John Buttigieg, Reno Borg and, last but not least. Denis Sammut as Executive Director (he was more powerful than the Chairman of the day).
Objectively I cannot see the fuss here – weren’t past Chairmen all appointed by the government?
[Daphne – The point is not that the chairman was appointed by the government (he always is, because the government has the so-called golden share). The point is that you don’t rush in and chop the chairman’s head off and appoint your yes-man as a political reward – because this is a company listed on the stock exchange, not a state corporation. And it’s a bank, not a water company.]
And isn’t Cassar White an ex BOV executive (i.e. he has experience in banking at high levels)? Hopefully he might sort out the property fund mess which was a real scandal (and which incidentally led to a lot of switching).
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-04-04/news/former-pn-siggiewi-mayor-musumeci-appointed-consultant-on-mepa-1323499520/ another meritokrazija appointment
Why is everyone so surprised?
It was obviously going to happen.
Foresight, people, foresight.
Oh I forgot, all our political commentators are idiots and all our editors, even of the so called independent press, are gullible fools.
Don’t expect the PN to do anything now. They warned enough before the election and were accused of being negative.
Gawdu Issa small shareholders, especially those that voted PL.
As a Bank of Valletta shareholder, I find this political appointment disgusting.
Isn’t it about time that all bank appointments come about through the bank’s AGM rather than through a minority shareholder?
Malta Taghna Lkoll = Malta Taghhom Biss.
So much for appointing people on merit.
By the way you can see from the landscape shots in the video that the ground is still brown – ie video was taken in summer. The PL were well prepared to launch their camapaign with a moment’s notice. Compare to the shambles that was the PN campaign.
Malta Taghna Lkoll – Manifest – pg 154 par 10:
It-taxpayers u l-konsumaturi jinghataw id-dritt li jeleggu raprezentant dirett taghhom f’bordijiet ta’ entitajiet pubblici.
Regular Market closed – April 04, 2013
BOV
Volume Traded 140290
Value Traded 316278.350
Trades 30
High Price 2.300
Low Price 2.250
Open Price 2.295
Close Price 2.260
Change -0.039
Twap 2.254
http://www.borzamalta.com.mt/
This is the vote of trust in the new politically appointed BOV Chairman.
A modest middle class investor holding 4,000 shares in BOV lost €120 at one go today there were some who lost 5cents per share ,that would be a loss of €200 on 4,000 shares. The volume was not low.
Is this how Joseph will create the new middle class?
Don’t wish to set off a second Wall Street Crash but how about we all withdraw our savings from BOV and switch to HSBC. At least they’re not political puppets.
Careful what you wish for.
Malta’s a lost cause anyway. If the economy goes bust, it’ll only encourage the brighter ones among us to leave. It’s no place for normal people anyway.
In Mintoff’s time quite a few did leave. And some stayed to fight it out. But not all of those who stayed remained clean.
I have been thinking whether all those who didn’t really and truly fight it out, even though they may have said and voted otherwise, were amongst the first switchers approached by the Joseph Muscat system. After all, all the old MLP ministers knew exactly who they were and what made them tick?
When the mountain didn’t come to Mohammed, Mohammed went to the mountain. For some, it wasn’t a new experience.