‘Working in silos is often unproductive’: Malta Maritime Forum and Employers’ Association unveil partnership

The Malta Maritime Forum (MMF) and Malta Employers’ Association (MEA) have announced their signing of a collaborative deal to work together to benefit the country’s business community.

Signing the agreement, MMF Chairman Joseph Zammit McKeon explained the agreement specifically supports the organisation’s initiative to “fly the flag” for the Maltese maritime community with various established instruments, including the online MEA Index platform and popular MEA TV programme.

For the last three years, the MEA Index online toolbox for business entrepreneurs has been a “prime” resource and sign-posting instrument for the business community and potential entrepreneurs, said the MMF.

The Index is a comprehensive resource centre, providing information for businesses at all stages of their development, including on local regulations and the incentives and support measures offered by various bodies.

No less that 15 national entities have partnered with the MEA as main collaborative partners, continuously sharing relevant information for the benefit of its online platform subscribers, it added, and the platform has so far reached 55,000 followers and achieved over 200,000 webpage hits.

Besides the Meaindex.com online platform and various other services, the MMF pointed to the MEA TV Programme, now in its 17th consecutive season of weekly programmes transmitted on Public Broadcasting Services.

Since its’ inception, MEA TV has dealt with 208 different topics, with the participation of more than 800 invited experts for a total length of TV content approaching 5,000 minutes of unique material. It is estimated that the programme attracts a weekly audience of around 20,000 viewers.

In light of the impressive traction achieved by the MEA through its media, Judge Emeritus Zammit McKeon expressed delight at the striking of the agreement and commented that: “Exposure on these established and much-followed channels will allow the MMF to continue to gain traction for its messages in favour of the maritime industry, the importance of which is regretfully often overlooked. 

“Given the MMF’s conscious mission to maintain a vertical focus on the maritime industry, it has found an ideal partner in the MEA which keeps a general overview of Malta’s socio-economic development at a macro level.”

Echoing this sentiment, the MEA’s director general Joseph Farrugia said such an agreement will serve to continue to strengthen the networking capacity of his Association amongst the business community and facilitate their access for information. He praised the professional approach of the forum.

He also commented on the “strong” membership base of the MMF which was made up of the “pioneers” and “prime movers” in the maritime industry and which, in themselves constitute a network of contacts and specialised knowledge which MEA members can now tap into.

Mr Farrugia also emphasized the importance for employers to be continuously kept updated with all business-related developments and reiterated the MEA’s objective to ensure that information and services given by different entities are synergised.

“Given Malta’s scarce resources, the MEA believes there is far more merit in consolidation of effort rather than working in silos which is often not very productive”.