Over €70 million is currently being spent every year by Maltese consumers through PayPal alone and 39% of the total spent by Maltese consumers are cross-border transactions, more than double the EU average. It is therefore essential for the Maltese private sector to adapt to the new consumer demands and avoid missing out on such opportunities.
During a consultative meeting with the Minister for Economy, Investment and Small Business Chris Cardona about the impact of consumer online shopping on local businesses, GRTU presented a set of proposals that aim at encouraging SMEs to develop their online potential and address shortcomings in the local market. The five proposals offer a comprehensive solution that seeks to solve the current deadlock.
GRTU expressed the belief that helping SMEs to compete in the online sphere should be of national interest with millions of euros being exported every year by Maltese consumers. The proposals consist of incentives to educate SMEs about, the potential of the digital economy and the changes that are required, tax incentives to encourage the necessary investment, solutions to tackle unfair competition, addressing distribution issues and high postage fees, as well as more customer oriented e-Government services.
Minister Cardona welcomed GRTU’s proposals and stated that the Ministry is committed on this salient issue and it will do its utmost to fully support SMEs. GRTU’s priorities are in line with the sentiment expressed in the Government’s Digital Malta and eCommerce Strategy, two essential documents that outline Government’s digital strategy for Malta. The Government is already working on implementing these policy documents in close cooperation with stakeholders, through the Digital Malta board amongst others.
GRTU also announced that it has developed two learning tools, a guidebook and an online e-learning tool, that are specifically targeted at small businesses. These will be launched within the coming days.
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Quelle/Source: The Malta Independent Online, 05.12.2015
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