IL-MINISTRU GIOVANNA DEBONO ZZUR L-UFFICCJI TA' KUMPANNIJA BARRANIJA LI TTRASFERIT PARTI MIX-XOGHOL TAGHHA F'MALTA

IL-MINISTRU GIOVANNA DEBONO ZZUR L-UFFICCJI TA' KUMPANNIJA BARRANIJA LI TTRASFERIT PARTI MIX-XOGHOL TAGHHA F'MALTA

Nhar it-Tlieta, 27 ta' Gunju 2000, il-Ministru ghal Ghawdex, l-Onorevoli Giovanna Debono, ghamlet zjara fl-ufficcji ta' Blevins Franks, f'Tas-Sliema. L-iskop ta' din iz-zjara kien wiehed precis, cio'� li l-Ministru taghti harsa mill-qrib lejn l-attivitajiet relatati ma' back office operations li jigu esegwiti minn dan l-ufficcju ta' Blevins Franks International. Dan ikompli jibni fuq l-inizjattivi li dig'� ttiehdu mill-istess Ministeru biex Ghawdex jibbenefika aktar minn dan it-tip ta' attivit'� ekonomika.

Blevins Franks International hi kumpanija ta' accountants u financial advisors li jaghtu pariri ta' natura finanzjarja lil numru ta' klijenti mid-dinja kollha. Il-kuntatt bejn il-konsulenti finanzjarji u l-klijenti taghhom isir f'centri finanzjarji internazzjonali fejn din il-kumpanija ghandha front office operations. Per'�, dan il-kuntatt bejn il-konsulent u l-klijent hu biss parti mis-sensiela ta' operazzjonijiet li l-kumpannija jehtiegilha taghmel biex taghti l-ahjar servizz lill-klijenti taghha. Fil-fatt, jibqa' l-bzonn ta' back office operations, cio'� ufficji li minnhom l-kumpanija tipprovdi servizz ta' support u backing ghall-operazzjonijiet li jitwettqu mill-front office. Iz-zamma ta' kotba li juru l-pozizzjoni finanzjarja ta' kull klijent u servizzi ohra ta' word processing u support klerikali huma ezempji tipici ta' back office operations.

Wara studju dettaljat tal-prospetti li diversi pajjizi kienu qed joffru, Blevins Franks ghazlu li jittrasferixxu l-back office operations minn Londra ghal Malta. Dan minhabba l-izvilupp tat-teknologija informatika li gie rregistrat f'Malta u minhabba l-vantagg komparattiv li s-suq tax-xoghol f'Malta joffri meta pparagunat ma' dak f'Londra fejn l-ispejjez huma ferm oghla.

Il-Ministru Debono tkellmet mad-diretturi tal-kumpannija bl-iskop li tiffamiljarizza ruhha ahjar mal-htigijiet ta' din in-natura ta' xoghol li toffri prospetti interessanti ghall-gzira Ghawdxija. Il-bzonnijiet huma varji u jinkludu l-provista ta' nies imharrga fl-uzu tat-teknologija ta' l-informatika u sistema avvanzata ta' telekommunikazzjoni. Il-Ministru emfasizzat il-htiega li Ghawdex ikun aktar aggressiv biex jattira dan it-tip ta' investiment dirett ghal Ghawdex. Fil-fatt dan it-tip ta' attivit'� ekonomika tindirizza b'mod effettiv l-izvantaggi ta' insularit'� doppja li sa minn dejjem xekklet zvilupp ekonomiku sostenibbli fis-setturi primarji u sekondarji ta' l-ekonomija tal-gzira.

30.06.2000

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MINISTER GIOVANNA DEBONO VISITS BLEVINS FRANKS OFFICES IN MALTA

On Tuesday, 27^th June 2000, the Hon. Giovanna Debono, Minister for Gozo, paid a visit to the offices of Blevins Franks International, in Sliema. The objective of the Honourable Minister was to get further insights into strategies and lines of action, which will strengthen the attractiveness of Gozo as a location for the execution of back-office operations. This would build upon the initiatives already taken by the Ministry so that Gozo can benefit further from this specific type of economic activity.

Blevins Franks International provides financial and managerial accounting services, as well as investment advisory services, to a host of international private and corporate clients around the world. Advisory services are executed from a number of front office operations, which the company has established in a number of financial centers around the world. Obviously, the whole chain of operations executed by the company is not restricted to front office contact between the company's professionals and its clients. In fact a host of support activities, ranging from the keeping of financial accounting records for separate clients, to the provision of clerical functions, are executed from the company's offices in Sliema.

After exhaustive comparative studies, Blevins Franks opted to transfer the whole set of back office operations from London to Malta. The relatively sophisticated telecommunications infrastructure, together with the obvious labour cost comparative advantages which Maltese skilled human resources enjoy over their London-based colleagues, were determining factors behind the move.

The Hon. Minister talked to the company's directors and top management team in an effort to get feedback on the factors upon which international companies base their locational considerations. Minister Debono stressed the need for Gozo to stage a more aggressive stance in an effort to market the island of Gozo's comparative attractions. This will also benefit Gozo, since the attraction of back office operations can effectively address the double insularity features which, for too long, have hindered economic development in Gozo.