GENERAL ARTICLES
Tax
without tears
Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 26 March 2008The merits
of uprooting regressive taxes have recently hit the headlines prior to
elections mainly in the manifestos of the smaller parties. The new prime
minister contemplates this in a mood to paint our taxes green. In fact
the fair isle of Gozo is destined to be morphed into an ecological paradise.
This calls for a concerted use of renewable energy and better protection
of the environment. This is all very desirable.
Polishing
a jewel
Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 12 March 2008Now that
the euphoria over the general election has subsided it is time to calmly
reflect on the number of electoral promises made by this new team of young
Turks all eager to set the ball in motion under the motto ‘Yes,
together everything is possible.’ The race for the best ideas on
how to regenerate the inner harbour area was championed by both parties.
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Epitaph on
a marketeer
Published on the Business Today, issue 27th February 2008 Little was written
about the loss of Sir John Harvey-Jones in Malta’s financial press
when he passed away on 9th January 2008 at Hereford County Hospital. Sir
John Harvey-Jones, ex-chairman of ICI became a TV business guru associated
with an eccentric look of long unkempt hair, colourful ties and a bonhomie
smile. Undoubtedly, he portrayed himself as a outwardly confident and
charismatic leader.
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The fight
against treaty-shopping
Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 20 February 2008. The
worn out cliché goes that the only inevitable events in our life
are death and taxes. The past 20 years have seen a measured, yet invigorating
growth of the island as a financial centre. I remember clearly how in
1988, the year that ushered the birth of MIBA as a new institution, heralding
the start of an offshore regime.
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Can the credit
crunch hit us?
Published on Business Today, issue 13th February 2008. As an emerging
economy, Malta, within an enlarged eurozone, enjoyed rapid growth in 2007.
This is commendable. But are we set to withstand the spreading global
credit crunch and a possible recession in the US? The answer is given
in a recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) report .
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Are audit firms
over-regulated
Published on the Business Today, issue 6th February 2008. The scandals
that rocked the accountancy profession show no sign of dying away. Over
the last few years public confidence in the auditing of company accounts
was seriously shaken by corporate scandals such as Enron in the US, Dutch
retailer Ahold, Italian Parmalat and Societe Generale in France....
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Democracy for
sale
Published on the Business Today, issue 23rd January 2008. As voters have
gone back to their normal work routine following the Christmas holidays
they are a bit weary from the incessant bombardment of pre-election promises.
Traditionally voters are afraid of losing what is theirs by right and
are always seeking to get the utmost from whatever or whoever is the party
in power. Now, as part of the EU club no effort is spared to make most
of the eligible funds. With equal gusto voters sense that it is a jolly
good time.
Making a euro
cross
Published on the Business Today, issue 9th January 2008. The new year
gave birth to a new form of cynicism precisely that of combating the euro
hype. NECC reminds us that euro is extremely important to us. Its leaflets
assure us of the net benefits that we are going to reap which in the long
term are positive and substantial.
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