More bald-faced lies
Times of Malta’s online edition, reporting on the prime minister’s speech yesterday:
Dr Muscat said that under the former government, six persons a day were losing their job. This trend had now been reversed. Tourism was at record levels.
Malta Today’s online edition, reporting on new figures released by the National Office of Statistics:
Following years of records, 2013 saw a significant decrease in cruise passengers, statistics which according to a spokesperson for the Tourism Ministry were expected and attributable to an operator’s decision.
Official National Statistics Office (NSO) statistics revealed that between October and December 2013 there was a decrease of 11,450 tourists when compared with the corresponding period in 2012.
Speaking to Sunday newspaper ILLUM, the ministry spokesperson said the drop in figures was mainly due to MSC’s decision to stop using Malta a port of call in its cruises.
The decision of the cruise company sent shockwaves around the industry as an annual drop of 140,000 passengers was reported during 2013.
Despite being expected, ILLUM reveals that several tourism operators, particularly those based in Valletta, have met the drop in figures with uncertainty and worry.
“Tourism operators and stakeholders have become accustomed to increases within the industry, but 2013 saw a significant drop in figures. Consequently, tourism operators hope that the government implements measures to offset these worrying statistics,” a Valletta-based restaurant owner told the Sunday newspaper.
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Saviour Balzan is so fixated that he can’t see sense.
Fuq din tal-cruise liners, minghajr ma noqghodu nghidu tort ta’ wiehed u tort ta l-iehor, l-poplu jrid jifhem illi kuntratti ta’ fejn ser juzaw bhala portijiet dawn l-vapuri kbar isiru minn xi sena ghal sentejn qabel.
Ghalhekk kif qalu l-gazzetti dan kien ‘expected’.
Apparti minn hekk, statistika ta’ cruise passengers tinbidel hafna iktar min dak ta l-airport. Fit-teknika nghidu li ghandha ‘variance’ u ‘skewness’ iktar, dan ghax fejn fl-ajruport jidhlu hafna ajruplani b’ammonti t’a ftit il-fuq min 100 passiggier, fejn jidhlu l-vapuri jidhlu ftit vapuri b’ammonti ta’ eluf ta’ nies fuqhom.
Allura meta jizdid jew jonqos imqar vapur wiehed taghmel differenza ferm iktar minn meta jizdid jew jonqos ajruplan wiehed.
Dan jista ezempju llum isir kuntrat li in-2016 jidhol Malta xi vapur kbir tar-Royal Caribbean u minn Jannar ta’ 2014 diga nkunu nafu li fit 2016 ser jkun hemm zieda qawwija f’dawn it-tip ta’ turisti. Imma l-punt huwa li anki jekk l-kuntratt jigi ffirmat illum, l-vantaggi jittihdu fit-2016.
F’dawn it-tip ta’ affarijiet ma tridx thares sal-ponta ta’ mniehrek.
Daphne, nispera li din l-post tieghi tippubblikaha u napprezza.
Anzi, nirringrazzjaw lil Daphne talli din il-post ta’ mark ippublikatha.
Allura nghid jien, jekk “it was expected,” il-gvern ma kellux jiehu rimedji fil-pront biex jirrimedja l-effett? Jattira linji ohra? Jinnegozja termini ohra mal-MCS jew mal-linji l-ohra halli jikkumpensaw it-telf.
Mela baqa’ ihares, kif jghid il-Malti qisu cappsa, u jghid li ghax telqet l-MCS ? Ixammar il-kmiem u jhabrek biex isib toroq ohra.
Possibli li ma kellu xejn miktub fuq ir-roadmap? Kien ippjana tant affarijiet minn qabel: il-pawerstejxin tal-gass, is-sitizinxipp for sejl – fuq din ma hasibx?
Din vera ma nistghax nifhimha.
Meta fl-2008 id-dinja waqghet go hofra finanzjarja – hafna ikbar minn ta’ Alfred Sant – kien mistenni li kumpanniji barranin f’Malta jnaqqsu n-nies. Izda l-gvern intervjena u ma halliex li dan isir. Mela noqghodu nghidu, ara, naqsu ghax telqet l-MCS.
Prosit! Exactly my thoughts.
Li qed tgħid int jagħmel sens. Imma l-aqwa li (skond Joseph Muscat) “under the former government, six persons a day were losing their job. This trend had now been reversed. Tourism was at record levels.” Mhux hekk, Mark?
Mark, li ikiek kien il PN fil govern, knot tiskuzah billion kien expected? Dik id-different a kola! Mill PN nipper tendu il perfezzjoni, u mill MLP niskuzaw il medjokrita u l-inkompetenza
MSC’s decision to stop using Malta as a port of call: is this all the influence which Norman Hamilton has on MSC ‘s decisions?
Basta lahhaqnieh High Commissioner bla ma jisthoqlu.
What does Hamilton have to do with a Swiss-Italian Cruise company?
Hamilton Travel is the MSC agent in Malta.
Well, I would like to know what steps/ incentives has Muscat’s government got planned to reverse this?
For example:
Has Muscat identified the reason why MSC decided to omit Malta? And if yes, can this issue be addressed?
Has Muscat tried approaching other cruise liner companies to make up for the shortfall?
Has Muscat held talks with MSC with a view of encouraging Malta’s re-insertion in their itineraries?
Under the previous administration’s watch there has always been an increase in visitors, year after year.
What is Muscat going to do? And I don’t mean taking out adverts in Maltese newspapers telling us that everything is hunky dory, and that Malta is Taghna Lkoll either.
What happened to the agreement reached in 2010?
“A five-year agreement to be signed on Thursday by MSC Cruises and Viset Malta will see 150,000 passengers visiting Malta next year, cruise line CEO Pier Francesco Vago said.”
http://www.timesofmalta.com/…/cruise-line-in-five-year-agreement.336386
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20101116/local/cruise-line-in-five-year-agreement.336386#.UuYo1tI1hdg
Did Muscat fail to include something about this in his Memorandum of Understanding with China which he signed in 2010?
I am sure that, on their part, the Chinese did not fail to include something about their naval ships visiting Malta. What about their cruise ships?
I cannot see why the tourism operators and stakeholders should be unduly worried about the substantial drop in tourist arrivals.
The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, which is so keen on the sale of passports, should be re-assuring them that the bonanza from selling citizenship will more than make up for the significant loss of tourist arrivals.
More than that, Tony Zahra should also be telling them and the rest of the many businesses on the island that the scheme to which he gave the nod is so good and foolproof that the government does not even have to strive and work incessantly to create and sustain jobs.
It will do away with our economic problems and we will be wallowing in wealth, because any time the government needs some more money, it will just sell another passport. After all, both the eminent economist Karm Farrugia and GWU chief Tony Zarb endorsed it. Why worry, chaps?
Sur-bloody-prise!
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140127/local/MFSA-chairman-s-term-confirmed.504282#.UuYhgbQ1gvY
We have yet to see him having dinner with Varist.
Bannister!
“Prof Joseph Bannister who was recently asked to mediate between the Labour government and the Opposition in talks on the Individual Investor Programme has been re-appointed to his post as chairman of the Malta Financial Services Authority, notwithstanding previous critisism by the PL. In this clip you can hear Prof Bannister’s comments on the IIP.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3iVF9v6NQo”
Posted in connection with Prof Banister’s involvement in the IIP negotiations. More on: https://www.facebook.com/pages/United-Against-Sale-of-Maltese-Citizenship/743546829003845
“The decision was taken around the same time that Prof. Bannister was asked to mediate between the government and the Opposition on the controversial Individual Investors Programme.”
The above seems to be the most pertinent point. Bannister couldn’t hide the fact that he’s just a Labour stooge now even if he tried.
I’m beginning to think that Minister Scicluna wasn’t so wrong after all, saying Malta lacks people of calibre.
Seeing people I once held in high regard, being bought so cheaply, is difficult to digest, but alas.
And tourism is the best performing sector.
Malta registered a consecutively equal percentage dip in production in the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2013, ca. 8%.
Both events the highest registered amongst 28 member states. That can only mean a structural defect in the system.
The head of the National Office of Statistics had better watch his neck.
What do you mean bald?
[Daphne – Bald-faced. That’s what happens when you’re always in a rush. I’ve corrected it.]
I see you took this for a spot of grammar Nazism, but I was only remarking on the, er, scalp-treated lie.