The maritime industry in Malta has been providing excellent economic value to our society since the beginning of time. This is hardly surprising, when considering that Malta is a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean which witnesses hundreds of vessels passing near its shores and within its waters each month.
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It is of utmost importance for Malta to maintain its lead, and hence high competitiveness in the various fields of the maritime industry.
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Mr Michael Callus, CEO at the Malta Maritime Forum shares with us the issues which are faced and being tackled by the forum and the maritime industry at large.
Set up in October 2015, the Malta Maritime Forum is a non-governmental organisation that serves as a common platform for those Malta-based entities who are involved in the maritime, logistical and transport sector in Malta.
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The Malta Maritime Forum brings together all the stakeholders in the Maltese Maritime industry with the main objective of creating the necessary synergies and expanding Malta’s network as an important international maritime hub.
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Over the years, the Malta Maritime Forum has managed to secure a wide spectrum of members to its initiatives including: Ship Repair, Terminal Operators, Oil & Energy Facilities, Ship Owners & Operators, Shipping Agencies, Marine Surveyors, Classification Societies, Educational Institutions, Federation for Aquaculture, Small Business Representation, Short Sea Promotion Centre, Maritime Lawyers, Stevedores, Ship Management Companies, Naval Architects, Maritime Pilots, Bunker Suppliers, Towage Operators, Cruise Port Operators, Oilfield Services, Hauliers, Maritime Consultants, Freight Forwarders, amongst others.
 With the industry employing close to 12,000 workers, and accounting to an added value to the Maltese economy estimated at €2 billion per year and a contribution of circa 12% of the total domestic economy, it is vital that we build things up again. The maritime industry’s activity dropped more than 50% because of COVID-19 and we cannot risk losing our important position because we isolate our island. Countries are opening, and we need to follow suit, as we do not want to remain behind and lose business. Our main aim as MMF is to work with the authorities so that we are not outrun by other countries such as Cyprus and Gibraltar. We will strive to achieve and build the industry again through the talent, dedication and passion of our great workforce.
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With increased competition in the international industry, Malta has always been a step ahead of its competition. Apart from the natural position and location, Malta has also adopted a solid legal framework, giving peace of mind to those who look at the island for the services offered. It moreover provides state of the art facilities in the maritime sector – all found within easy reach across the island. Malta’s success in the maritime industry is also due to its reputation and high-quality service. It is through the confidence ship owners have placed in the Maltese flag that the maritime industry in Malta is booming, ever increasing Malta’s visibility on the world stage.
With over 8,300 vessels and 700 superyachts flying the Maltese flag, Malta has cemented its position as the largest ship registry in Europe
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With over 8,300 vessels and 700 superyachts flying the Maltese flag, Malta has cemented its position as the largest ship registry in Europe and the sixth in the world. An apt example of this is that CMA-CGM – the third largest shipping company in Containers in the world, having some of the largest container vessels in the world; has all its vessels registered under the Malta Flag.
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Apart from commercial vessels, the Maltese flag also attracts niche markets such as cruise liners. In fact, the popular cruise liner company MSC Cruises has also registered several of its cruise liners under the Maltese flag. This positive development is testament to the trust that this major shipping company has in the Maltese Registry. These statistics are therefore testament to the increased trust vested in Malta, reinforcing Malta’s key’s position on the international playing field.
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Consolidation is bound to happen. Coronavirus has caused demand in the export and import industry to fall – and remain at lower levels for much longer than the market is accustomed to when dealing with downturns. The reason that it is having particularly horrendous effects on the shipping industry is its relationship with China. The financial pressure of COVID-19 is still a major hurdle also for the cruise liner industry. COVID-19 has financially crippled the cruise industry with Norwegian Cruise Line reporting a loss of US$1.9bn, highlighting how much pressure the pandemic has put cruise companies under.
Through my business development experiences spanning decades of working in the Liner Maritime Industry, Operations Management, Freight, Ocean Transportation, and International Shipping, I know that we can garner yet more business towards Malta. To do so, we must create further collaborations with European institutions such as the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA), the European Metropolitan Transport Authorities (EMTA), European Network of Maritime Clusters (ENMC) and by working closely with the Maltese Authorities such as Transport Malta.
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Malta is a service provider in the maritime industry, offering different services such as ship repairs in the international market; the provision of floating docks to fix damages; marine works and salvage operations; oil spill response teams; repairs of all mechanical and steel works; towing vessels and crew boats; taxi services on sea for food and water supplies; and crane barge services. By getting the financial support needed, Malta will be able to continue to optimally offer these niche services and remain one of the very best maritime service providers in the world. With government initiatives such as the development of a Logistics Hub, the industry will retain its past former glory and its status as a strategic hub for international trade.
I know that we can garner yet more business towards Malta
MMF facilitates communication between various sectors in the maritime industry and the government, and assists and promotes the development of the industry. Amongst some of the most successful interventions include the consultation on the Valletta Grand Harbour Regeneration Plan. With the main aim of the plan being maximising efficiency and increasing business flow in Malta’s primary port, members stressed that while the use of, and increasing the number of berths was a priority, storage capacity was equally important.
photo: Mr Michael Callus on behalf of Malta Maritime Forum signing with the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers a Memorandum of Understanding which supports the education of shipping professionals in Malta; part of the country’s maritime growth strategy
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The members highlighted the urgent need to dredge the whole area, to regenerate the Inner Harbour, to upgrade the infrastructure – in particular the roads, and to cater for the increasing energy requirements of the Harbour. Most of our action points were implemented by the government. This provided maximum efficiency to current and potential operators by providing adequate support and facilities to increase business flow.
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The Malta Maritime Forum will continue to promote the interests of the Malta maritime sector and assist in the development of new activities for the maritime sector to remain a natural viable sector, that can remain profitable and contribute positively to the Maltese economy in the years to come. I am confident that the output reductions the local industry too has experienced will be fully recovered over time. The Malta Maritime Forum will continue to work with the government in enhancing Malta’s maritime industry.
MMF facilitates communication between various sectors in the maritime industry and the government and assists and promotes the development of the industry
photo: the 70m charter Super Yacht Martha Ann, docked at a Melita Marine shipyard, undergoing repairs
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That Malta provides a complete range of state of the art services to the world’s maritime sector, all within easy reach across the island; is a primary pillar which supports its international edge.
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