With reference to the recent consultation document on family businesses, Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson, Prof. Arnold Cassola, said: “Giving a legal definition and basis to what constitutes a family business, together with facilitating the transfer of the business amongst family members inter vivos (during the lifetime) rather than waiting for the founder of the business to pass away before transferring’ is certainly laudable. The proposed Bill is meant to strengthen the administrative and management skills of the business, which have been quite lacking until now.”
“It is good that the newly established regulator’s role has been given a wide definition to ensure that he acts as a facilitator in assisting the businesses in their transfers and successions”.
“Positive factors of the proposed Bill is the financial aid proposed for the training of both owners and employees, and also the fact that, with the proposed legislation, an audit trail is clearly established and therefore the possibilities of tax evasion are reduced.”
“It is also essential that the new law incentivizes the participation of women in family business something which, up to now has been quite an exception since, as the consultation document states, ‘In family businesses women often play an invisible role, or act as figureheads, and do not have their job or salary status appropriately recognised’.”
“It is important that family SMEs are given all the necessary aid to grow in such a competitive and monopolistic environment, dominated by big multinational companies, as this would contribute to enhance the diversity and specificity typical of small Maltese businesses”, concluded Prof. Cassola.
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L-għajnuna lin-negozji tal-familja pass pożittiv
B’riferenza għad-dokument ta’ konsultazzjoni reċenti dwar in-negozji tal-familja, ic-Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika, il-Prof. Arnold Cassola, qal: “Għandna nfaħħru l-fatt li qed jingħataw definizzjoni legali u bażi legali lill-kunċett ta’ business tal-familja, flimkien mal-iffaċilitar tat-trasferiment tal-business bejn il-membri tal-familja tul il-ħajja (inter vivos) pjuttost milli wieħed joqgħod jistenna lil min kien waqqaf il-business imut. Il-liġi proposta għandha l-ħsieb li ssaħħaħ il-kapaċitajiet amministrattivi tal-business, li s’issa kienu kemmxejn nieqsa.”
“Huwa tajjeb li l-rwol tal-kariga l-ġdida ta’ regolatur qed jingħata definizzjoni wiesgħa biex tiżgura li huwa jaġixxi bħala faċilitatur fl-assistenza lill-businesses fit-trasferimenti u fis-suċċessjonijiet tagħhom.”
“Fatturi pożittivi oħra tal-liġi proposta huma l-għajnuna finanzjarja ta’ 1000 Ewro għat-taħriġ kemm tas-sidien kif ukoll tal-impjegati, kif ukoll il-fatt li, permezz tal-liġi proposta, ser tiġi stabbilita audit trail ċara, u allura l-possibbiltajiet ta’ evażjoni fiskali jitnaqqsu.”
“Huwa ukoll essenzjali li l-liġi l-ġdida tagħti inċentiv lin-nisa biex jieħdu sehem fil-business tal-familja, haġa li s’issa kienet pjuttost eċċezzjoni bili, bħalma jgħid tajjeb id-dokument: ‘Fil-business tal-familja,in-nisa ħafna drabi għandhom rwol inisibbbli, jew jaġixxu ta’ figureheads, u m’għandhomx l-istatus tax-xogħol jew is-salarju tagħhom rikonoxxut kif dovut'”.
“Huwa importantili l-SMEs tal-familja jingħataw kull għajnuna biex jikbru f’ambjent tant kompetitti u monopolistiku, dominat mill-kumpaniji multinazzjonali kbar, għaliex dana jgħin biex iseddaq id-diversita’ u l-ispeċifiċita’ tipika tal-businesses żgħar Maltin”, ikkonkluda l-Prof. Cassola.
