TOURISM MINISTER INAUGURATES "FOOD AND DRINK FAIR"

The Minister for Tourism, Dr. Michael Refalo, today declared the Sixteenth Food and Drink Fair open at the Trade Fair Grounds in Naxxar. During his opening speech Dr. Refalo said that the horizontal structure of the industry brought tourism into contact with all aspects of human activity and strata of society. "People from all walks of life and interests must become more aware of tourism's impact on their livelihood."

"Tourism is a people's industry. Whether it is services or goods it is people who must see that other people receive what they pay for and deliver on their promises and commitments. In the vast majority of cases this is what actually happens so much so that it is often taken for granted. It is indeed a real shame that the few who default on commitments or are guilty of bad and indifferent service give their peers an undeserved bad name".

The Minister said that catering was one of tourism's main functions. NTOM's study on tourism's impact on the Maltese economy reveals that in 1998 close to a massive Lm 55 million was injected by visitors into the economy and represented tourist spend in catering establishments alone.

Dr. Refalo highlighted that restaurant owners' takings also reflected the share received by farmers, breeders, herders and fishermen as well as that by manufacturers and providers of packed foodstuffs, wines, spirits and minerals. "It is of the essence that for the industry's well being and chances of success that all those involved in the production and sale of produce and foodstuffs understand not only the undoubted benefits which the industry spreads but most of all the duty which it imposes on beneficiaries to protect tourism's interest."

Continuing Dr. Refalo said that the take-away sector alone was calculated to have netted over Lm10 million. "I am sure that my colleague at Finance would be a very happy man if he were assured that at least half of what was due in VAT from these outlets actually ended up in the state's coffers!" quipped Dr. Refalo.

Minister Refalo said that he could not understand why consumers did not ask for fiscal receipts when they knew that the VAT element was actually being pocketed by the seller rather than by the state. "This is masochism of the first order! Had the State since Day One received what was legally due in VAT, Malta's finances would be in much better shape and the Minister of Finance would not have had to resort to raise or introduce new taxation measures as had been necessary in recent years." Dr. Refalo added that he was not singling out tourism or catering as being major transgressors because some practitioners in the trades and professional sectors had "perfected evasion techniques and made them into a fine art!"

Dr. Refalo commented on the vast variety of food outlets which served local and visiting consumers. Malta has a lot of good restaurants and also her share of not so good and bad ones. "I cannot understand the attitude of those who complain about prices, service and quality and then week after week return to the same restaurants for a further share of non-service, indifferent food and Paris scale prices."

Minister Refalo said that while taste and presentation were personal and subjective, matters which regarded public health, hygiene, and compliance with the laws of the land were not. Referring to the current dispute regarding the use of skips by hotels and catering establishments the Minister said that no one was asking food outlets not to make use of the skip service. The point at issue is that it is not conducive to public health and Malta's image for skips containing rotting, smelly, organic waste to be kept outside catering premises. The Minister said that by law catering outlets should make private arrangements with swill contractors to collect their organic and other waste. A warning letter had been sent to all establishments and defiance or non compliance would lead to closures. Minister Refalo remarked that the Police had been requested to take action leading to closure against restaurateurs operating without a licence and warned that "the enforcement tempo will increase and others would be prosecuted as well". "Levels and standards cannot be improved in the atmosphere of near anarchy which I found when I took office this time round".

Catering had made great strides forward and the Institute for Tourism Studies is due credit for much of the improvement achieved. "If year after year we are able to send successive teams of young chef professionals to compete and win against their peers in the international arena then there must be something wrong with the customer's palate not with the chef's ability."

Trade liberalisation and the lifting of levies and controls would bring about a level playing field and more competition said the Minister, and he expected this to work in the consumers' favour."There was a time not too long ago when it was not possible to buy Italian pasta, when people travelled to nearby Sicily and managed to slip in some chocolate and other goodies. Ever since trade was liberalised not only is it possible to buy Italian pasta but Maltese pasta manufacturers have improved their product beyond recognition. One can say the same thing about wine. In recent years Maltese wine had made a quality leap and in many cases is far superior to many imported brands."

Minister Refalo concluded by wishing exhibitors and the Fair's organisers success and hoped that this year's event would signal yet another quality leap for the catering business.

09.02.2000