We spoke to two expats about their attitudes to learning Maltese, its usefulness in their daily lives here and their experiences learning the language.  Amanda is a British and moved here with British husband and three young daughters. Phil has a Maltese wife and moved to Malta around four years ago; he also has a young daughter. On paper, even working, neither needed Maltese to get along.  But both chose to have a go, with varying degrees of success. Read on for why…and if you want to learn, check the further info at the article end.

Amanda’s Maltese language learning story

Q. Before moving to Malta did you research the language question to work out whether you needed Maltese to get along here?

I just took it as a given that I, and the rest of the family, would learn the language.   I see part of being in a country, and being a good guest in that country, as at least attempting to communicate in the local language.

I did order a CD-rom of Maltese to start learning before we arrived.

Q. Since Malta is officially bilingual, what really prompted you to start learning Maltese? 

I love languages, often they can be a window on to the culture of a country,  but of course when people move to a new country, they have a massive amount on their plate.   I have a deep rooted belief that anyone going to another country should do whatever they can to make themselves feel comfortable in the country.  In the part of Malta I live (Dingli), Maltese is very much the daily language.   But in reality, I hadn’t done anything about it until my kids started at school.  The teacher said that if I learned it would help me to support the kids’ learning.  So, as is so often the case, a mixture of motivations.

Q. What route to learning did you take? Private lessons or group courses? And where did you learn?

Group lessons in the local council offices.  I was the only foreigner; the lessons were Maltese literacy, so in reality, really useful for helping my daughter with homework, much less so for buying groceries and asking for directions (both of which I have attempted on many occasions with people who don’t speak English).

Q. How did you find the teaching material? Outdated or useful? And what about the approach?

The first year of lessons, the material wasn’t up to much – photocopied, very basic, often ancient.  But then some new books came out, Sisien, which were great, targeted at adults, lots of re-enforcement of day-to-day vocabulary, workbook to accompany the  text book, lots of chances for discussion.   Beyond anything else, the lessons were a great way to get to know more about life in Malta, as so many subjects were covered in the books and the discussion.  My teachers have been great; very keen to ensure I get something out of the lessons.

Q. How has knowing some Maltese enhanced your experience of living in Malta?

I have gained a lot of access to the culture, natural history etc of Malta through learning Maltese, but not necessarily through being competent enough to talk or read about it by myself!    Despite many lessons, my level is extremely basic, mostly because it is so easy to get by in English.  I believe the major advantage is being able to follow the side conversations in meetings, at shops etc and not feel totally excluded or paranoid that you are being cheated or talked about.  Usually the side conversations are very pedestrian.  It’s also nice to be able to share a (very simple) joke in the language – it always makes people smile, doubtless due to my appalling accent.

Q. What advice would you give a potential expat about learning Maltese?  

I would always say make the effort to learn the language.  People will tell you Maltese is difficult, but any language is until you put the time in to get to grips with it.  You can live here using only English, obviously, and Maltese may seem of limited use.  But I’ve learnt Spanish (spoken by millions across the world) and Indonesian (spoken by 200 million in Indonesia), and the language I’ve found the most useful over the years is Italian, so it isn’t always a numbers game….

Phil’s Maltese language learning story

Q. Did you feel the need to learn Maltese when you knew you were moving to the Islands? 

I was certainly open to learning Maltese. I lived in Italy for seven years and became fluent after around three, but learning by doing rather than through study, but I lived in a more non-English speaking environment. I lived in Portugal for three years and learned some basic Portuguese by study, it was more difficult as I lived in a more English speaking environment.  I arrived here expecting to learn Maltese, and being curious to do so.

Q. What was your understanding of the use of Maltese vis-a-vis English on the islands and how did that colour your attitude to learning Maltese?

I felt that in my position at work it was useful to learn, as I was managing both Maltese and foreign staff. The Maltese appreciated my trying, and found it amusing. When giving a team briefing, I tried to end with a different Maltese expression each time, and to keep it clean!

Q. Did you start learning Maltese at the start here or later?  

I have tried only a bit – actually I am disappointed at how unnecessary it is, and how little support there is. Many Maltese would rather I didn’t try and just speak English.

My daughter has fun teaching me some things.  I am keen that she speaks good Maltese but we speak English at home (her Mum is Maltese), but she continues to speak Maltese with the family and spends plenty of time with Nana and Nanu. The language would help me to integrate with the rest of the Maltese family; this should act as a motivator !

Q. Were you motivated?

I was motivated, yes. I tried MCAST at Paola and found it difficult to get to in the evening because of the traffic, but it seemed poorly structured and lessons were often cancelled. Some people I know completed the course and were happy, but I dropped out not too long into the course.

I tried to register for a local Sliema course this time starting in October at the local council. The browser I use wouldn’t enable me to register, after five emails a contact there informed me I was registered but Ihaven’t heard anything since.   I have also looked for a decent audio course and failed to find one so far…….

Q. Has your knowledge of the language stood you in good stead so far for life in Malta?  

I am unsure if any Maltese really makes a difference to my life in Malta; I seem to get by perfectly well without. I think this is unfortunate and means that I probably need to make much more of an effort to learn this language than those of the other countries I lived in.

Q. What advice would you give incoming expats about the need to learn Maltese? 

If you want to do it you will need to make extraordinary efforts to learn. I think that the Local Councils need to make it much easier for us to learn.

Further Info:

Where to Learn Maltese as a Foreigner

Local Councils – some offer Maltese literacy (not specifically for foreigners) and others Maltese lessons devised for foreign language learners.  A list of all local councils is on the government website here.  The search function and info on Local Councils  is Maltese even if you opt for ‘English’ when accessing gov.mt! Choose ‘dettalji kif tista’ under the fourth menu header ‘Il-Kuntatjana’ after selecting your local council from the drop down list.

MCAST – we didn’t see Maltese on its course lists for 2011-12, but check by contacting MCAST (Malta Council for Arts, Science & Technology) here.

German-Maltese Circle  offers what seem highly practical evening courses from October. Emphasis is on conversation ‘no grammar, text books or exams’! For students aiming for  basic conversational Maltese for work and leisure.

Photo: Queen Victoria by Leslie Vella. 

Visas: sometimes more months in the waiting than in the using

Wendie Vandenbeusque may have moved to Malta relatively hassle free, but being able to work here legally was a different matter. Her personal insight shows how complex and tiring the Visa process is for nationals of non-EU countries seeking employment here.

When we left Minnesota to move to Malta I really thought I had done my homework. After hours of research figuring out what steps we needed to take so that we were not deported, or kicked out of the EU for up to five years, I really felt confident that I knew what it would take to live and work in another country.

Getting a job
Once we arrived, it took me nearly five months to find a job. Because I am a business professional with a college education, it was very important to show that I had skills that set me apart from a prospective Maltese candidate. This is important in any country of course, including the United States; jobs should first go to the people of that country. Luckily for me, I found a company that needed a US English writer with the defined set of skills that I had to offer.

Getting my Visa
At that time of my job offer, my husband and I had recently returned from a short holiday in Tunisia, so our travel visa had been updated. This was fortunate as my employer would not have been able to apply for a work permit for me if this travel visa had expired.

The paperwork was endless, but was finally completed and submitted. Then I just had to wait for the application to be approved or denied. My job had been due to start almost immediately, so you can imagine how impatient I felt when I found out that the work permit could take up to three months to be approved. It felt like an endless wait. My consolation was that it happened to be summer at the time so I could enjoy soaking up the sun, writing my novel and keeping busy with all the new friends we’d made.

The work permit was approved in a record time – just seven weeks – which is amazing as Americans are third-country nationals. A third country national is someone who is from a country that is not part of the EU. However, the approval was just the beginning of a new roller coaster ride that wasn’t fun at all.

We ended up with a grand total of 12 visits to the office of Citizenship and Expatriate Affairs. I only attended four meetings (having been turned away twice as I did not have the necessary paperwork with me), but by the time the whole process was over, my husband must have talked to every person who works there!

Spousal Visa (not that easy!)
We were quickly educated in the ways of the Citizenship and Expatriate Affairs office. We found out that a spouse of the employed person does not receive automatically a residential visa; it is granted at the office’s discretion. We were told to provide proof of private health insurance (to cover my husband), documentation that he would not work and that I was making enough to support the both of us. Also, the spouse’s visa extension is only for six months, not a year like we thought. Once you’ve been employed for a year, your company then applies for your permit for the next year. And then, and only then, can the spouse apply for a “Spousal Residential Visa”. This is valid for a year, but again, at the office’s discretion. It entails a whole different set of paperwork.

I have to say that my husband spent a lot of time at that office. He paid another €28 (his 90-day extension had expired while we waited for them to approve the six-month extension) because every time you ‘apply’ for an extension there is a fee. He was given a document which showed that he was good for another 30 days while we again waited for a final decision.

He went back three times and was turned away. The week before his temporary extension was to expire, he was there every day. We found out three days before the temporary extension was to expire that he was finally granted the six-month extension, but he was told that he had to come down to the office for another document every time he planned to travel outside of Malta.

He was so relieved that the extension was granted that the implication of what they had told him didn’t fully register. Since his passport already contained a resident sticker with an expiration date, if we traveled, he ran the risk of not being let back into Malta if he didn’t obtain a special document prior to leaving.

One more visit to the office was needed and they finally relented and updated his passport. So now, he is good until 30-June, 2011 which is fine by us. We are planning an extended holiday in the States this summer, so he will return a month before me. When we come home (we considered Malta our home now!), the first week of September, he will be eligible for the spousal visa, and the process will start all over again. With luck and a lot of patience on our side!

(See also: Wendie’s Expat Insights one year on. And you can read more about her experiences living in Malta on her blog here)

Useful Links
Visa Requirements for Foreign Nationals & Application Forms
Central Visa Office, Malta
Directorate, Citizenship & Expatriate Affairs
For more information visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website or contact an official Malta diplomatic representative near you.

Notes:
It is advisable that you check about visa and entry requirements before making your travel arrangements to Malta if not an EU national (use links above). A Malta tourist visa is not required for citizens of United States for a stay up to 90 days.

Schengen Visa Zone
What is a Schengen visa?
A Schengen visa allows a person to temporarily enter the Schengen zone. The Schengen zone refers to the area that encompasses the European states that are members of the Schengen Agreement. The Schengen Agreement is a set of international treaties that abolish physical borders among member states, and effectively synchronizes travel amongst member states under one visa program. If you apply for a visa to travel to one country in the Schengen zone, as long as you have proof of pre-existing travel arrangements, you can enter any other Schengen zone country with the same visa.
See also the Schengen Visa Office website.

Photo: courtesy C.Y. Chow

Wiring is the easy bit. Getting what goes down the pipes to work is another matter!

Here’s a typical technology woe that could face any micro business or SME in Malta, any day. Our resident IT help-desk buff Steve Hall advises.

Business organisations have always depended on the productivity of their human resources to be profitable. Increasingly today human resources depend on information and communication technologies to be productive. Pulling the plug on an office desk reduces the human resource behind it to a huffing and puffing pyrotechnic spectacle. This phenomenon is of course not exclusive to Maltese companies but Malta does (as always) offer a number of uniqueness’s of its own in this area too.

The overview
JustInTime is a ‘typical’ consulting firm with three staff members. Justin secures new business and oversees the operation of the firm, John provides the actual client services and manages the subcontractors and Julie coordinates office facilities.

What goes wrong
Justin’s email hasn’t been working very well lately and today it isn’t working at all. Julie has also been having difficulty accessing the office files. Julie calls their Internet Service Provider and explains the problem. The ISP concludes that the internet connection is fine and that the problem must be on JustInTime’s office system.

John, who is the most tech savvy of the three takes matters into his own hands and begins to investigate possible causes. Justin who is expecting a rather important email is getting anxious to get the problem sorted and decides to call in a specialist to resolve the issue.

The Malta angle on the IT woe
The short local distances are a blessing in these situations, but even though the specialist team happens to be only a few blocks away, due to contractual commitments with other clients they won’t be available for another five hours. That’s five hours of more lost productivity!

Justin leaves the office to meet with clients, John too leaves the office to catch up with subcontractor progress and Julie remains in the office. After contacting a few friends she finds someone who can be there within the hour. The problem gets solved and productivity levels are restored.

But, the SME’s IT woes just keep on repeating themselves
The following week Justin isn’t able to send an email message, Julia can’t print and John is on an overseas assignment. Julia calls the IT specialist who worked on the system last week but isn’t available this time around. I think you can see where this is going.

And now for a real solution…
Your business depends on technology more each day. Issues crop up for sometimes the oddest of reasons. The challenge is to minimize unscheduled productivity destroying issues. The solution is to routinely check for symptoms that lead to critical issues and remedy them before they unleash their worst.

As with all other things that need doing, there’s two ways to get around this one: You can either do it yourself or you can hire a specialist to do it for you. If this decision was an easy one for you to take, read on.

The ‘Do-it-yourself’ option?
At the outset, if you have the skill-set necessary to identify the symptoms leading to critical issues, then you really should be in the business of charging for it rather than using it to keep your own systems in order. In that case, wouldn’t your time be better spent running the business? Get your technical staff to focus on the technical issues and keep your focus on expanding the business.

Or the ‘outsource to a specialist’ option?
Hiring a specialist firm to keep your systems in order is rapidly becoming standard practice for many organizations of varying sizes. This method of system support referred to as IT Support Outsourcing is being provided by an increasing number of IT Support Service Providers world-wide including Malta.

Service Level Agreements and what you need to know
Engaging an Outsourced IT Support Service Provider is done with a clear objective -to maintain your system in a productive, stable and secure state. By defining Routine Pro-active deliverables (note the capital R and P) in the form of a Service Level Agreement (SLA) the provider will identify and remedy the symptoms that lead to critical issues resulting in unscheduled downtime. It is these unscheduled issues which are the highest cause of productivity loss in business organizations world-wide. The provider will pre-empt possible critical issues and schedule downtime when it least impacts your productivity.

What your SLA should include
The essential deliverables to define in your SLA are:- Issue response time, Data backup verification, End User Support and Checking for System Updates.

Taking your SLA to a higher level to ensure you’ve got what it takes to recover, a Disaster Recovery Plan is indispensable. The DRP is crucial for the larger organizations where a total system wipe-out caused by fire, flood or equipment theft could result in bankruptcy. Less essential but equally important to the smaller organizations, the DRP is updated on a regular basis to ensure that the organization’s system could return to productivity in the shortest possible time.

Selecting a suitable Support Service Provider
How do you know you’re getting the support you’re paying for – and when you need it? Start by asking questions based on this article to get a feel for the providers’ skill-set.

Do not go into any issues specifically relating to your system during your first meeting. Sign a non-disclosure agreement with the prospective provider before disclosing any information about your installation. Try to get a reference from one of their existing clients, but bear in mind that they may not be in a position to divulge this information in order to maintain the confidentiality of their clients. If they do so freely consider how comfortable you would feel being used as a marketing lever without giving consent. Ask if they currently service clients in the same line of business. If you’re an industrial operation for example, this may work to your benefit since they would already be familiar with your business needs. On the other hand if the nature of your business is highly confidential, this may be reason to exclude this prospective provider.

Costs are naturally going to fit into the evaluation equation at some stage but I needn’t jog your memory on how to go about this do I?

Photo: Gege Gatt

For more on how to get your SME’s IT running (all the time, not just some of the time), contact:
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Your iTdept 53 Norfolk Street Sliema SLM 2014 Web: www.youritdept.biz Email: info@youritdept.biz Tel: +356 2133 0879 Mob: +356 7932 4522 Skype: youritdept LinkedIn: Your iTdept Facebook: Stephen Hall Twitter: twitter.com/liveITsupport

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There are a lot of steps to climb if you want to import a car into Malta!

This is probably one of the most difficult topics we’ve covered. We can only guide you, provide some personal insights and give you a feeling for what’s involved. We’ll be building on this article, adding to the body of links here. Your insights will be invaluable too.

Basic background
If you are foreign and importing a car into Malta to drive it here beyond the six months deemed permissible as a ‘tourist’ stay, then you will have to pay a vehicle registration tax (though may be eligible for an exemption). If you have a Maltese ID card, you will not be able to drive the car beyond the ferry and home, if that, without having it licensed here. With Maltese ID, you cannot claim to be a tourist visiting.

Vehicle Registration Tax
Malta has among the highest registration taxes for most types of vehicles. Some concessions were made in the 2008 budget, effective from 1 January 2009, that reduced the tax on some small- and medium-sized vehicles but increased them for larger ones. The new system was introduced to encourage us to purchase/import more environmentally-friendly cars so the calculations involve the registered value (RV), car length, carbon dioxide emission volumes and particulate matter volumes (diesel only). Also, under the new system comes a useful exemption – private individuals relocating to Malta will be able to bring in a car they’ve owned for two or more years without having to pay vehicle registration tax here. This exemption is limited to one vehicle per person relocating.

Of key interest to those bringing a car into Malta is the Registration Value (RV). The old system depended on a valuation carried out by the Malta Transport Authority and was a somewhat haphazard affair I’ve heard. But now, to quote the official document: “As of 1st January 2009, the valuation system [is] replaced with a new system which will take into account the depreciation rate (and residual value) of a similar vehicle in Malta, and [is] available online. The system [allows] the user to calculate the tax that would be due if the vehicle were to be registered.”

Vehicle registation tax rates have long been a contentious issue, among both local Maltese and incoming residents – the latter often left facing a nasty tax shock when their six months’ temporary vehicle permit (tourist stay period on the vehicle) is up! It can still be the case, when the RV calculations are done, that you face car registration taxes that are higher than the real value of the car. But, since used car prices hold up in Malta (see photo above for how we keep our cars going!), you might end up selling it here and not losing out too much in the long run, depending on vehicle type and its demand.

If you do end up driving a car with foreign plates for several months here, but within your six-month, temporary permit period (which you should get earlier rather than later in your stay!), you might be pulled over by ADT (Malta Transport Authority) officials doing road-side, spot checks. They can be officious.

Procedures
These are quite long and complicated and we’ve some links to help get you through them.
ADT site Registration, Tax & Documentation page gives you a blow by blow list of the procedures and what paperwork you’ll need.
The Malta Chamber for SMEs – the GRTU – has an unofficial guide that makes for an interesting read, and mirrors the official one step by step.
British Expat Forum – Malta has lots of Q&A threads that are worth spending an hour drilling through.

Official Links:
The ADT is the Malta Transport Authority. Its site has downloadable forms and details of the various, possibly useful, tax exemptions such as for overseas’ students or people taking up fixed-term, contract work in Malta who wish to bring their own car in with them for their stay.
http://www.maltatransport.com/en/

http://www.valuation.vehicleregistration.gov.mt/Car.aspx This is a quick, online calculator of the RV you can expect to pay.

Expat Insights
If expats have friends already here, they know the ropes and often opt to hire or buy in situ in Malta. Average hire car rates, for a family car (Ford Focus) on long-term hire, can be around €10/day.

Here’s one car import tale:
“Bringing the car in was fairly easy as you are given a 6 month visitor’s permit. However, the hassle started once this permit ran out. We were being asked to pay massive duty on the car (I think it was about 60% of the total car value) to get Maltese registration or send it back to the UK. Finally, after many meetings and heated discussions my husband ended up meeting both the finance and transport ministers (eds. note: Malta is small, and if your business has clout or you have connections, it’s possible!….) to get them to agree on an exemption for cars of incoming foreign staff at our firm. This meant we only had to pay a comparatively small fee to get it registered. The ADT seem to have clamped down significantly on foreign cars. Our main issues were: (1) duties and (2) the whole minefield of a procedure for getting the car registered.

Would I do it again? Maybe if laws on duty were relaxed – but at the time? No! It was major hassle and meant we couldn’t drive the car for months on end once the permit had expired. One guy I know in the same firm had his car seized and was told: either pay the duty or put the car on the next ferry out of Malta.

Another person’s experience…
We now have some kind of deal on vehicle registration tax because we have had the car more than 2 yrs and therefore fulfilled another criteria. We paid around €300 to get it registered with ADT, BUT they have our UK plates and logbook – which basically means we can’t sell the car here. Unless of course we pay the import duty, which seems to be assessed also, unofficial word has it, on the state of your car; if it looks a bit bashed up, you are more likely to get a lower rate!”

Photo: Gethin Thomas

Business information in Malta used to be about walking past shop fronts. Now it's more likely found online.

This is a single listing page of the kind of contact details individuals and firms might need when exploring business opportunities or setting up in Malta, or just wanting to forge links with the islands’ business community. This list will serve you well for standard ‘first port of call’ type enquiries about living, working and doing business here in Malta. We’ll be adding to it as we go along so feel free to add comments on what we may have missed out. We’ll be posting more ‘Essential Malta’ listings on specialist areas such as Visas, Personal Tax, Schooling and so on.

Business Associations

Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise & Industry
(encorporates the former ‘Malta Federation of Industry’)
Exchange Buildings
Republic Street
Valletta VLT 1117
Malta
Tel: (+356) 2123 3873
Fax: (+356) 2124 5223
Email: admin@maltachamber.org.mt
Web:www.maltachamber.org.mt

Malta Hotels & Restaurants Association
Nr 2, Gallina Street,
Kappara SGN4111
San Gwann
Malta
Tel: +356 21318133/4
Fax: +356 21336477
Email: mhra@mhra.org.mt
Web: www.mhra.org.mt

Diplomatic & Expat

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malta
Useful for Visa, Expat and advice to third country (non-EU) nationals
Palazzo Parisio
Merchant Street
Valletta
Malta, VLT 1171
E-mail: info@mfa.gov.mt
Tel: (+356) 2124 2191
Fax: (+356) 2123 6604
(see also government portal).

Employment & Education

Employment & Training Corporation
Head Office
Hal Far BBG 3000
Malta
Tel: (+356) 2165 4940
Fax: (+356) 2220 1811
Email: etc@gov.mt
www.etc.gov.mt

University of Malta
Msida MSD 2080
Malta
Tel: (+356) 2133 3903
Fax: (+356) 2133 6450
Email: comms@edu.com.mt
Web: www.um.edu.mt

Federation of English Language Schools Malta (FELTOM)
c/o The Radisson Blu St. Julian’s
St. George’s Bay
St. Julian’s STJ 3391
Malta
Tel: (+356) 2744 5422
Email: executive@feltom.com
Web: www.feltom.com

See also the Malta government portal.

Finance & Banking

Central Bank of Malta
Pjazza Kastilja,
Valletta, VLT 1060,
Malta
Tel: (00356) 2550 0000
Fax: (00356) 2550 2500
Email: info@centralbankmalta.org
Web: www.centralbankmalta.org

Malta Financial Services Authority
Notabile Road
Attard BKR 3000
Malta
Tel: (+356) 2144 1155
Fax: (+356) 2144 1188
Email:communications@mfsa.com.mt
Web: www.mfsa.com.mt

Finance Malta
A non-profit, public-private initiative, set up as an autonomous Foundation in 2007 aimed at promoting Malta as a financial services centre. It has a secretariat based at Malta Stock Exchange (see below).
Web: www.financemalta.org
Email: info@financemalta.org

Malta Stock Exchange
Garrison Chapel
Castille Place
Valletta VLT 1063
Malta
Tel: (+356) 2124 4051
Fax: (+356) 2569 6316
Email:borza@borzamalta.com.mt
Web: www.borzamalta.com.mt

VAT Department
16, Centre Point Building
Triq ta’ Paris
Birkirkara CMR 02.
Tel: (00356) 21 499330-4/6. Fax: (00356) 21 499365
Web: www.vat.gov.mt
Email: vat@gov.mt

Malta Environment & Planning Authority
St Francis Ravelin
Floriana FRN 1230
Malta
Tel: (+356) 2290 0000
Fax: (+356) 2290 2295
Email:enquiries@mepa.org.mt
Web: www.mepa.org.mt

Media & Communications

Malta Communications Authority
Valletta Waterfront
Pinto Wharf
Valletta FRN 1913
Malta
Tel: (+356) 2133 6840
Fax: (+356) 2133 6846
Email: info@mca.org.mt
Web: www.mca.org.mt

Malta Information Technology Agency
MITA has been entrusted by government with executing the Smart Island Strategy 2010, and with promoting the national ICT policy.
Gattard House
National Road
Blata-l-Bajda HMR 9010
Malta
Tel: (356) 2123 4710
Email: webmaster@mita.gov.mt
Web: www.mita.gov.mt

Tourism

Malta Tourism Authority
Auberge d’Italie
Merchants Street
Valletta VLT 1170
Malta
Tel: (+356) 2291 5000
Fax: (+356) 2291 5893
Email: info@mta.com.mt
Web: www.mta.com.mt

Trade & Inward Investment

Malta Enterprise
Industrial Estate
San Gwann SGN 3000
MALTA
Tel: +356 2542 0000
Fax: +356 2542 3401
Email:info@maltaenterprise.com
Web: www.maltaenterprise.com

Transport & Shipping

Air Malta plc
Head Office
Luqa LQA 4000
Malta
Tel: (+356) 2122 9990
Fax: (+356) 2167 3241
Email: info@airmalta.com.mt
Web: www.airmalta.com

Gozo Channel Company
Head Office
Mgarr Harbour
Mgarr – Gozo (Malta)
Tel: (+356) 2155 6114
Fax: (+356) 2155 6743
Email: admin@gozochannel.com
Web: www.gozochannel.com

Malta International Airport plc
Website has all flight arrivals and departures, schedules and more or less ‘real-time’ updates.
Luqa LQA 4000
Malta
Tel: (+356) 2124 9600
Fax: (+356) 2124 9563
Email: mia@maltaiport.com
Web: www.maltairport.com

Malta Freeport Terminals Ltd
Freeport Centre
Port of Marsaxlokk
Kalafrana BBG 3011
Malta
Tel: (+356) 2165 0200
Fax: (+356) 2225 1900
Email: marketing@maltafreeport.com.mt
Web: www.maltafreeport.com.mt

Malta Maritime Authority
Maritime Trade Centre
Xatt L-Ghassara ta’ l-Gheneb
Marsa MRS 1917
Malta
Tel: (+356) 2122 2203
Fax: (+356) 2125 0365
Email: info@mma.gov.mt
Web: www.mma.gov.mt

Yachting Centre Directorate
Ta’ Xbiex Seafront,
Ta’ Xbiex XBX 1028
Malta
Tel: (356) 2133 2800
Fax: (356) 2133 2141
Email: info@mma.gov.mt

Utilities

Enemalta Corporation
Customer Care Section
Triq Belt il-Hazna
Marsa HMR 01
Malta
Tel: (+356) 2122 4600 Fax: (+356) 2122 6637
Email: customercare@enemalta.com.mt
Web: http://www.enemalta.com.mt

Water Services Corporation
Qormi Road
Luqa LQA 9043
Malta
Tel: (+356) 2244 5566 Fax: (+356) 2244 3900
Email: customercare@wcs.com.mt
Web: www.wsc.com.mt

Miscellaneous

Lotteries and Gaming Authority
La Concorde
Abate Rigord Street
Ta’ Xbiex XBX 1121
Malta
Tel +356 21316590/1/3/4
Email: info@lga.org.mt
Web: www.lga.org.mt

National Statistics Office
Web: www.nso.gov.mt

]]> http://www.maltainsideout.com/5543/essential-malta-business-information-links/feed/ 2 http://www.maltainsideout.com/4112/top-5-places-for-a-makeshift-business-meeting/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=top-5-places-for-a-makeshift-business-meeting http://www.maltainsideout.com/4112/top-5-places-for-a-makeshift-business-meeting/#comments Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:49:34 +0000 Alex Grech http://www.maltainsideout.com/?p=4112

Malta has some great places if you want to have a business meeting in an informal setting. Or it may well be that you just don’t have an office, and need to have access to a place where you can meet someone in peace and quiet over a drink and some snacks. These are our personal favourites, but we can always add to this list if there are some hidden gems we have missed.

1. Café Juliani, St Julians. Otherwise known as the lobby cum cafe of the Hotel Juliani. This is anything but your normal hotel lobby – in fact, it’s difficult to actually spot the reception area. Here you get wi-fi, comfortable seating, pastel furnishings and areas for tete a tetes or group huddles in the sofa area hidden at the back of the cafe. The food is pretty decent and you can find parking close by.

2. Café La Rive, 33-34, Tigne Sea Front, Sliema. Just walk past the really busy cafe’s at Ferries and you will get to La Rive. Wi-fi, leather sofas if you want them, and lovely pastas and giant salads. As long as you avoid the very busy lunchtime slots, you’re normally guaranteed peace and quiet. And it stays open late.

3. Prego, 58, South Street, Valletta. If you want to chat over classic ham, egg and mayonnaise sandwiches or pastizzi in 1950s decor, this is the place for you. A throwback to old Valletta, no wi-fi but plenty of atmosphere. More here.

4. Saracino’s, Pjazza tal-Knisja, Attard. Grab a wrap, a baguette or even a pizza in this converted farmhouse in a very charming setting opposite the parish church.

5. Manoel Theatre Café, Old Theatre Street, Valletta. A bit more up-market, if you want to impress your business associates in a cultural setting. And a lovely courtyard to behold.

6. Irrera, Ta’ Xbiex Wharf, Ta’Xbiex. The place to go to if you want Valletta bastions for a view. Food is OK, but it’s really the ambience that sets this one apart, especially on a sunny day. Gets busy round lunchtime.

7. Café Jubilee, 209, The Strand, Gzira. If you walk to the back of the cafe, you get some quiet seating areas. Food is good, the beer is even better and you get wi-fi if you ask for the password from the guys in the bar.

8. The Golden Harvest Bakery, San Gwann Industrial Estate, San Gwann. What it lacks in style it packs in with great value snacks, great cappuccino and fresh bread and confectioneries if you want to take some goodies back home.  Not for everyone, but to be listed under ‘alternative’.

9. German-Maltese Circle, Messina Palace 141, St Christopher Street, Valletta. Grab a soup or whatever’s being served and chat to your heart’s content in the lovely converted arched inner yard.

10. Café Cordina, 244/5 Republic Street, Valletta. The queen of cafés and more. Go inside if it’s cold or want to get closer to the confectionery. Or find an isolated table in the square and put on your shades. Not the most discreet of places. But a great location if you want to impress foreign visitors.

]]> http://www.maltainsideout.com/4112/top-5-places-for-a-makeshift-business-meeting/feed/ 2 http://www.maltainsideout.com/3751/mobile-monday-comes-to-malta/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mobile-monday-comes-to-malta http://www.maltainsideout.com/3751/mobile-monday-comes-to-malta/#comments Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:31:11 +0000 Alex Grech http://www.maltainsideout.com/?p=3751

Mobile Monday, a networking forum for those in to all things mobile

Malta prides itself on having a great mobile network – even if we keep waiting for tariffs to creep down to mainland EU levels. For most of us, the days when calls dropped because of lack of coverage are long gone. There’s also finally some element of competition between the three main mobile providers.

Now, there’s going to be a forum for anyone interested in mobile to talk about these issues and more, whichever operator they advocate or subscribe to. A forum for exchange, intelligent debate and promotion of the best that mobile technologies can bring Malta.

Those of you interested in all things mobile, take note of the launch of Mobile Monday in Malta on 14 September. Mobile Monday is a global grass roots organisation present in over seventy countries / regions, focusing on the mobile industry. It’s a framework for regular live networking events for professionals within the mobile industry, and others increasingly converging with it, such as ICT, entertainment, publishing, and others. People use Mobile Monday to meet regularly to discuss, network, exchange ideas and create value for themselves, and their communities.

It’s free to attend and participate. As well as networking, the major objective of the organisation and all its chapters is to act as a catalyst for innovative companies and new ideas, and to bring fresh global ideas and services to the local market. It’s also there to help local market players – established, and budding entrepreneurs – to find partners across the globe through the Mobile Monday Global network.

The Malta chapter kicks off with Jari Tammisto and MadanMohan Rao, two international mobile visionaries.

If you are an entrepreneur, mobile enthusiast, technology worker, or just plain interested in joining this exciting community, be sure to register your attendance here. There’s further information on the event and speakers at Mobile Monday Malta’s website.

The event on the 14th September is at the Palace Hotel, Sliema. Things kick off at 18.30 hrs.

]]> http://www.maltainsideout.com/3751/mobile-monday-comes-to-malta/feed/ 0 http://www.maltainsideout.com/469/where-you-can-find-free-wi-fi-hotspots-in-malta/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=where-you-can-find-free-wi-fi-hotspots-in-malta http://www.maltainsideout.com/469/where-you-can-find-free-wi-fi-hotspots-in-malta/#comments Mon, 23 Mar 2009 22:32:32 +0000 Alex Grech http://www.maltainsideout.com/?p=469

Wi-Fi waterside, if you trust your laptop so near!

There are Wi-Fi hot spots across Malta now, but not all are conducive to business meetings or quiet working. You can work in most hotel lobbies, for instance – but most expect you to buy a voucher. The list below includes locations we have used in the past to access wireless internet for free. We’ll keep it updated. Please include any others you are aware of in the comments section below and feel free to add info on coffees, snacks and other facilities that go with the Wi-Fi!

PUBLIC places in Malta & Gozo

If you want to connect outside, MCA has a map of its free wi-fi locations in public areas in Malta and Gozo.

OTHER locations in Malta & Gozo

All McDonald’s across the islands

St Julians

Cafe Juliani – lobby of Hotel Juliani (just buy a cappuccino)

Bianco’s – cafe, Spinola Bay

Le Meridien Hotel – public areas

Paceville

Hang around outside the large English Language Schools like EC or EF.  There are wireless zones here, primarily from spillage in the business centres.

Bay Street Shopping Centre

Westin Dragonara

Portomaso

Cafe Nero

Eden Superbowl (next to Eden Cinemas)

Sliema

McCafe at the Plaza Centre

McDonalds by the Ferries

Plevna Hotel in Hughes Hallet Street

St James Capua Hospital – the cafe’ on the ground floor has wi-fi

Café La Rive

Misto

Valletta

Piazza Regina, Republic Street.

Upper Barrakka Gardens – Cafe Deux Baronnes. You need to ask for the password (and then interpret the writing!).

British Hotel, Battery Street.

Marks & Spencer, cafe (entrance: Strait Street)

McDonald’s

Burger King (requires login, ask at the counter)

Cafe’ Jubilee (requires login, ask at the counter)

Ta’ Xbiex

Irrera

Mdina

Outside Xara Palace hotel, by the Trattoria A.D. 1530

At the Carmelite Priory Museum cafe, in Villegaignon Street

Elsewhere

University

South East Cafe in Marsaxlokk

Malta International Airport – where you can see the ‘Open‘ logo in a public place

Luqa – McDonald’s by the airport

Cafe Jubilee Gzira & its Gozo outlet (Victoria) too:  ask the waiters for the FREE pass key.

Melita cafe in Balzan, next to San Anton Gardens

Melita outlets – just park yourself outside a Melita showroom. Their networks are currently open.

Meet ‘N Eat, just outside the University gate (we’re told you can get chicken ftiras there too!)

Pasha, just outside the University gate.

Limestone Heritage in Siggiewi.

Ferdinand’s in Siggiewi Square.

Reflections Bar & Diner, Mellieha

Saracino Cafe & Restaurant – Attard

Del Bogo Wine Bar (open from 17.30 each day) – Vittoriosa (Birgu)

BOV Adventure Park, Ta’ Qali (Kids get to play while you get online)

GOZO

All McDonalds outlets
Cafe Jubilee, Rabat

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Article sponsored by: Stephen Hall, Your iTdept 53 Norfolk Street Sliema SLM 2014 Web: www.youritdept.biz Email: info@youritdept.biz Tel: +356 2133 0879 Mob: +356 7932 4522 Skype: youritdept LinkedIn: Your iTdept Facebook: Stephen Hall Twitter: twitter.com/liveITsupport

[/RAW]

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