well received enticing the

interest of many visitors.

This increased visibility

and accessibility has

helped Malta achieve new

records in its tourism in-

dustry throughout 2012.

As we draw closer to-

wards the end of the

year, I would like to take

this opportunity to extend

my best wishes for the

festive season to all the

Maltese community and

their families who live in

England and to all the

students who are com-

pleting their studies after

having won a Government

scholarship. My thoughts

also go out to all the pa-

tients and families who

are undergoing medical

treatment in England.

Lawrence Gonzi

It gives me great pleasure

to write to the Maltese

community in England at

the end of what has been

a challenging yet im-

portant year especially

with respect to Anglo-

Maltese relations.

On a political and eco-

nomic level, relations be-

tween our two countries

remain excellent. English

investors have continued

registering their interest in

Malta as an investment

destination and in ex-

panding their current op-

erations in Malta. This

interest continues to con-

firm our attractiveness

and job creation potential

as a country.

However, 2012 will be

remembered for its im-

portant anniversaries

which further strength-

ened Anglo-Maltese rela-

tions between country

and its people. It remind-

ed us all of our shared

history as we celebrated

both the Queen’s Dia-

mond Jubilee and the

70th anniversary of both

the George Cross Award

and Operation Pedestal.

This common history of

our two people was cele-

brated at Harrods

through the exhibition

‘This is Malta’ which will

remain a landmark for

Malta’s publicity in the

United Kingdom. The

unique exposition on

Malta’s history, culture

and economy was very

Message from the Prime Minister of Malta, Dr Lawrence Gonzi

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 I S S U E 8

I N T H I S I S -

S U E :

Message from

Prime Minister

Gonzi

Christmas Greet-

ings from the High

Commissioner

President Abela

visits Maltese

patients in UK

Maltese oranges

for the Queen

Prime Minister

Gonzi launches

special report on

Malta and lectures

at the London

School of Econom-

ics

World Travel

Market

Commonwealth

Fair

Remembrance

Sunday

Tour of Remem-

brance

Malta Business

Network Page

Moving to Malta

Forthcoming

Events

Christmas Charity

CD

Students’ Recep-

tion

Tiers of Truths

Malta High Commission London

P A G E 2

Season’s Greetings from the High Commissioner Dear Newsletter readers

I hope you are all doing

well. As another year comes

to an end, I thought it is

appropriate to review the

past 12 months together.

2012 has been one of the

most hectic years for us at

the High Commission – as

you can tell from the in-

creasing number of pages of

this Newsletter from one

edition to the next.

Perhaps the biggest event

this year was the extensive

promotion of Malta at Har-

rods during the whole

month of March. The cam-

paign covered diverse areas

of the store, from impres-

sive displays in shop win-

dows, the airing of Malta

clips on display screens,

exhibition of Maltese arte-

facts and paintings, to Mal-

tese flags on the façade of

the store.

2012 also marked the 70th

Anniversary since Malta was

awarded the George Cross.

Malta High Commission

celebrations culminated

with Holy Mass of Thanks-

giving at Westminster Ca-

thedral. For the Diamond

Jubilee celebrations I repre-

sented Malta when the

Prince of Wales awarded

The Queen’s Diamond Jubi-

lee Medal to all living hold-

ers of the George Cross.

For the first time ever, a

senior royal, HRH The Earl

of Wessex was welcomed

at the Official Residence of

the High Commissioner as

he attended a fundraising

reception and private dinner

for The Duke of Edinburgh’s

Award International Associa-

tion and The President’s

Award.

I am a firm believer in net-

working, be it socially, for

business or politics. The Mal-

ta Business Network which I

set up a year ago is going

from strength to strength. All

MBN events organised this

year were aimed at maximis-

ing networking amongst Mal-

tese and UK business per-

sons. A few months ago I

initiated a gathering of Mal-

tese students who are cur-

rently studying in the UK.

This took on so well and the

second gathering took place

earlier in December.

The British All-Party Parlia-

mentary Group on Malta has

been reconstituted earlier

this year and generated a lot

of interest within parliamen-

tary circles. Tax related

agreements were signed at

the Malta High Commission

with Guernsey and Gibraltar.

This year was memorable for

sports in the capital with the

event of the Olympics and

Paralympics. I was behind

Team Malta by supporting

them during their competi-

tions. The athletes sure

made us all proud and in

recognition, I held two re-

ceptions at the High Com-

mission to honour the Mal-

tese Olympic and Paralympic

achievements.

The High Commission’s cul-

tural calendar for 2012 was

packed. Events peaked in

September with the most

eagerly awaited Malta Day

and later in the month the

Independence Anniversary

concert which this year also

featured some of the best

Maltese talent currently in

the UK.

2012 wasn’t only the year of

new initiatives and beginnings

but also of ends and passing

away: in February, former

High Commissioner Francis

Cassar; in March, former

President of Malta Censu

Tabona and in August former

Prime Minister Dom Mintoff.

This is probably the last year

for me to address you as

High Commissioner, as my

posting to London comes to

end mid next year. It has

been a truly amazing experi-

ence to represent the Mal-

tese Government and people

whilst here in the UK. I can

assure you that with a great

sense of pride, I flew the Mal-

tese flag for whatever duties I

was carrying out, the same

pride which I am sure you

demonstrate as you continue

to make a name for your-

selves and Malta in the UK.

As I bid you farewell, my wife

Susan and I would like to

wish you and your loved

ones a very peaceful Christ-

mas and a prosperous New

Year.

J Zammit Tabona

“Il-Festi t-Tajba

lill-Maltin kollha

residenti fir-

Renju Unit u lill-

familji u hbieb

taghkom”

M A L T A H I G H C O M M I S S I O N

P A G E 3 I S S U E 8

the National Hospital for Neu-

rology and Neurosurgery, King’s

College Hospital, the Royal

Marsden Hospital, Moorfields Eye

Hospital and Capio Nightingale

Hospital. President George Abela

and his delegation also called on

patients staying at the accommo-

dation in Sutton owned by Put-

tinu Cares Children’s Cancer

Support Group, as well as the

Augustinian Sisters, Ursuline Sis-

ters, Franciscan Sisters and Fran-

ciscan Fathers.

The President and Mrs Abela

were staying with the Franciscan

nuns in Victoria, where Maltese

patients and their relatives who

are sent to London for treatment

are mainly housed.

On one evening, the President

held a reception at the Corinthia

Hotel London to which he invit-

ed a number of leading doctors

and consultants from various UK

centres of medical excellence,

who treat Maltese medical pa-

tients.

Throughout his visit in the UK,

the President of Malta thanked

the Malta High Commission;

medical staff, doctors and con-

sultants at hospitals; and the Sis-

ters and Fathers for their signifi-

cant assistance and contribution

in ensuring Maltese patients and

their relatives receive the best

possible care during their UK

stay.

HE The President of Malta Dr

George Abela, in his capacity as

Chairperson of the Malta Com-

munity Chest Fund, was in Lon-

don together with his wife Mar-

garet as Deputy Chairperson, to

visit Government of Malta spon-

sored patients receiving treat-

ment in the UK, who are also

supported financially by the Malta

Community Chest Fund.

Accompanied by his staff from

the Malta Community Chest

Fund and L-Istrina Production

Team, the President visited

Great Ormond Street Hospital,

The High Commissioner sends a box of Maltese oranges to

Her Majesty The Queen To keep with Christmas tradi-

tion, the High Commissioner of

Malta in the UK has sent a box

of Maltese oranges as a Christ-

mas gift to Her Majesty The

Queen at Buckingham Palace in

December.

This tradition was revived dur-

ing the High Commissioner’s

presentation of credentials to

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

on 10 June 2009. When Her

Majesty received Mr Joseph

Zammit Tabona in Audience at

Buckingham Palace, she fondly

recalled how the late Mabel

Strickland OBE used to send

her a box of Maltese oranges to

Buckingham Palace every

Christmas. Mrs Susan Zammit

Tabona had proposed to revive

this tradition at Christmas and

together with her husband, has

done so ever since.

This year’s six dozen oranges,

which came from the gardens

of Mabel Strickland’s former

Lija residence ‘Villa Bologna’,

were presented in a hand crafted

wooden chest purposely made in

Malta for this occasion.

President Abela visits Maltese patients in the UK

M A L T A H I G H C O M M I S S I O N

To keep with Christmas tradi-

tion, the High Commissioner of

Malta in the UK has sent a box

of Maltese oranges as a Christ-

mas gift to Her Majesty The

Queen at Buckingham Palace in

December.

This tradition was revived dur-

ing the High Commissioner’s

presentation of credentials to

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

on 10 June 2009. When Her

Majesty received Mr Joseph

P A G E 4

PM Gonzi at the London School of Economics

PM Gonzi launches special report on Malta

Prime Minister Lawrence

Gonzi was in London on

Friday 26 October to

launch the special report

on Malta in FIRST Maga-

zine, titled ‘Malta – Bridg-

ing continents for shared

prosperity’. This report is

a special issue which high-

lights Malta’s many trade

and investment opportuni-

ties, particularly in the

financial services, technol-

ogy, gaming, manufacturing

and pharmceutical sectors.

Prime Minister Lawrence

Gonzi was presented with

the special edition of

FIRST Magazine by Lord

Hurd of Westwell CH

CBE, Chairman, Advisory

Council, FIRST, and Mr

Rupert Goodman, Chair-

man and Founder of FIRST

magazine.

The launch took place at

the Corinthia Hotel,

Whitehall and in attend-

ance were many leading

global personalities from

financial, legal, trade, diplo-

matic and political fields.

After the launch, Prime

Minister addressed those

present and highlighted

Malta’s investment attrac-

tiveness. He said that

‘British companies have

believed in Malta’s creden-

tials and potential, and

Malta has consistently of-

fered to British and global

companies a home away

from home’.

FIRST Magazine is widely

distributed with a reader-

ship of over 150,000

worldwide. The readers

comprise of international

opinion formers including

Government and business

leaders and major interna-

tional investors.

that it faces. He made par-

ticular reference to the

second 5 + 5 West Medi-

terranean Forum Heads of

State summit, which was

hosted a couple of weeks

ago in Malta.

Prime Minister Gonzi said

that the opportunity for

political reform in the

M e d i t e r r a n e a n i s

‘unprecedented’, however

such reforms need to be

paralleled with economic

reforms. Macroeconomic

and financial stability are

key but they are facing

challenges such as the lack

of private sector develop-

Prime Minister Gonzi ad-

dresses students at the

London School of Eco-

nomics

On 26 October, Prime

Minister Gonzi was invited

to deliver a public lecture

at the London School of

Economics, as part of the

LSE European Institute –

APCO Worldwide Per-

spectives on Europe se-

ries.

In his address titled ‘The

Mediterranean – an oppor-

tunity?’ Prime Minister

Gonzi shared reflections

on the Mediterranean re-

gion and analysed the op-

portunities and challenges

ment and unemployment,

particularly amongst the

young and women. The

Prime Minister was hope-

ful at the benefits the Med-

iterranean can reap from

opportunities such as the

expansion of renewable

energy projects and the

flourishing of SMEs and the

private sector in general.

After the very well-

attended public lecture,

Prime Minister Gonzi had

the opportunity to meet

with a number of Maltese

students currently follow-

ing post-graduate studies

at the London School of

Economics.

Launching

FIRST Magazine

special report

‘Malta – Bridging

continents for shared

prosperity’.

M A L T A H I G H C O M M I S S I O N

The Prime Minister lec-

tures at LSE on ‘The Med-

iterranean—an oppor-

tunity?’

Malta at the World Travel Market 2012

P A G E 5 I S S U E 8

This year, Malta has been very

prominently represented at the

World Travel Market (WTM), the

leading global event for the travel

industry - under the auspices of the

Malta Tourism Authority (MTA).

WTM is a vibrant must-attend four-

day business-to-business event, pre-

senting a diverse range of destina-

tions and industry sectors to UK

and international travel profession-

als. By attending WTM, participants

gain immediate competitive ad-

vantage for their business and stay

abreast with the latest develop-

ments in the travel industry.

The MTA’s stand provided an op-

portunity for a number of Maltese

hotels, destination management

companies, operators and agents to

exhibit at this leading industry event

at the ExCel Exhibition Centre in

London, from 5- 8 November 2012.

The MTA also held key, high level

meetings with leading operators, led

by the Minister for Tourism, the

Environment and Culture, the Hon.

Mario de Marco.

MTA’s UK & Ireland Director, Mr

A l e x I n co r v a j a s a i d t h a t

‘notwithstanding a continued chal-

lenging trading environment in Brit-

ain, our meetings at WTM have

given us extremely positive indica-

tors. Furthermore, current year-to-

date figures show that Malta contin-

ues to perform positively with the

prospects of another record year

set.”

On 6 November, the High Commis-

sioner of Malta, HE Joseph Zammit

Tabona hosted a reception at the

official residence in collaboration

with the MTA’s office in London.

Amongst the invitees were leading

members of the Maltese and inter-

national travel industry, consumer

and trade press, with the Minister

for Tourism, the Environment and

Culture as guest of honour.

The High Commissioner said that:

‘This is an exciting time for Malta’s

tourism with promoting Valletta as

the European Capital 2018 and the

government’s initiative Eco-Gozo.

The latest additions to Malta’s cul-

tural calendar include the first Val-

letta International Baroque Festival

in January and the National Museum

of Fine Arts’ international exhibition

project celebrating the work of re-

nowned artist Mattia Preti. It gives

me great pleasure to see Malta

showcased at its best’.

M A L T A H I G H C O M M I S S I O N

On Saturday 3 November, the Malta

High Commission participated in

the Commonwealth Fair 2012,

which was held at Kensington Town

Hall, London.

The Commonwealth Fair is an annu-

al event organised by the Common-

wealth Countries League (CCL),

and all the member countries of the

Commonwealth, through their re-

spective High Commissions in Lon-

don, exhibit and sell typical prod-

ucts of their countries.

CCL’s aims are to promote the

education and advancement of

women throughout the Common-

wealth as a contributory factor in

the alleviation of world poverty.

The Commonwealth Countries

League Education Fund (CCLEF) is

an arm of CCL and celebrates

‘Commitment to Changing lives

through Education and Friendship’.

All funds raised through the CCLEF

at the annual CCL Fair have provid-

ed education to girls in Common-

wealth Countries for the past 20

years.

This year, the Malta stand was sell-

ing Mdina Glass, silver filigree, Malta

Dairy Products gbejniet, Tal-Furnar

galletti, Twistees, Tastees, Emanuel

Delicata wines, Kinnie and Cisk

beer. The stand generated a lot of

interest and proved to be one of the

busiest. All proceeds were donated

to this worthy cause.

Malta High Commission at the Commonwealth Fair 2012

P A G E 6

Malta Tour of Remembrance 2012

Remembrance Sunday

On Sunday 11 November

2012, High Commissioner

Zammit Tabona laid a

wreath at the Cenotaph in

Whitehall, London on be-

half of the Government

and people of Malta during

the National Service of

Remembrance - as national

homage devoted to the

remembrance of those

who have given their lives

in war.

The Queen laid the first

poppy wreath, followed by

other members of the

Royal family, including the

Duke of Edinburgh, the

Duke of Cambridge and

Princess Royal. Prime Min-

ister David Cameron,

Deputy Prime Minister

Nick Clegg, Foreign Secre-

tary William Hague, other

members of the Cabinet,

Opposition Leader Ed Mil-

liband, former Prime Min-

isters and the Mayor of

London were invited to

attend the ceremony,

along with representatives

of the Armed Forces, Mer-

chant Air and Navy and

Fishing Fleets, and mem-

bers of faith communities.

High Commissioners from

Commonwealth countries

were also invited to attend

and lay wreaths at the

Cenotaph. Almost 10,000

ex-servicemen and women

marched past the Ceno-

taph, followed by civilians

including war widows. The

country observed a two-

minute silence as Big Ben

struck the eleventh hour.

Remembrance Sunday was

originally conceived as a

commemoration of the

war dead of the First

World War but after the

Second World War the

scope of the ceremony

was extended to focus on

the nation's dead of both

World Wars, and in 1980

it was widened once again

to extend the remem-

brance to all who have

suffered and died in con-

flict in the service of their

country and all those who

mourn them.

This year's Remembrance

commemoration is the

first to take place since the

death of the last veteran

to serve during the First

World War on either side,

according to the Royal

British Legion.

ish servicemen resulted in

the award of one Victoria

Cross and seven individual

awards of the George

Cross, the four beautifully

maintained Common-

wealth War Cemeteries

and the various related

museums such as the Mal-

ta At War Museum, The

Aviation Museum, The

Maritime Museum and the

National War Museum.

The highlight was a wreath

laying ceremony at the

Royal Malta Artillery me-

morial on the bastions of

Fort St Elmo. They gath-

ered at that special place

in history, to pay tribute

to the six brave men, who,

This year the annual

“Journey of Remem-

brance” organised by The

Royal British Legion in

association with Leger

Holidays, took place from

3rd – 10th October 2012.

The party of 22 included

John Carrington (aged 88),

a veteran of Operation

Husky – The invasion of

Sicily masterminded from

the Lascaris War Rooms.

Lt Col Joe Falzon BEM

OSJ, a retired British Army

officer with 37 years ser-

vice, led the group.

Special emphasis was made

to visit the locations on

the island where incon-

spicuous gallantry by Brit-

on the 11th June 1940, re-

mained steadfast in the

face of danger, and whose

actions and ultimate sacri-

fice on the first day of the

2nd World War in Malta

established the traditions

our small nation holds so

dear to this day.

The Royal British Legion

would like to thank all

those who assisted with

the success of this tour, in

particular the Malta Tour-

ism Authority, the man-

agements and staff of the

Fortina Hotel and Zarb

Coaches, and the various

enthusiastic guides at the

museums.

M A L T A H I G H C O M M I S S I O N

High Commissioner lays

a wreath on behalf of the

Government and people

of Malta

Journey of Remem-

brance to Malta

organized by The

Royal British Legion

P A G E 7 I S S U E 8

M A L T A H I G H C O M M I S S I O N

Reflections of a British Veteran on the 2012 Tour... witness to a heroism and devo-

tion that will long be famous in

history.” The original medal is

now on display in the newly

refurbished National War Mu-

seum in Fort St. Elmo, Valletta.

Looking back, the twin events

marked a turning point. Within

four months the Convoy of

Santa Marija arrived on 15 Au-

gust, and the islanders, who had

been on their knees, sheltering

below ground and facing starva-

tion, began to see the light at

the end of their underground

tunnels. Fortunately their

darkest days were nearly over.

It was just as well, because the

population was near to giving

in. Food had been rationed to

three boiled sweets, half a sar-

dine and a spoonful of jam a

day – hardly enough to survive

on.

Today, all visitors are welcome,

none more that the British.

There is a deep bond between

the two nations and tourists

will find much to interest them.

For non-military buffs, there is

the warm climate, the colourful

festas, the delicious food and

the genuine hospitality of the

vibrant Maltese.

For those with an interest in

military history, however, the

island is a treasure grove. At

one end of the scale are the

various locations dotted round

the island where inconspicuous

gallantry by British servicemen

resulted in the award of one

Victoria Cross and seven

awards of the George Cross.

At the other end is the steam-

powered 100-ton gun at Fort

Rinella, which dates from the

late1800s - at full range it could

penetrate 12.8 inches of metal

armour. Ironically, it was never

fired in anger.

The island is also the final resting

place for many service people of a

number of nations, chiefly British.

Almost 2,000 from WWI and just

over 1,500 from WWII are buried

in four beautifully maintained

Commonwealth War Cemeteries.

Another 2,298 airmen of WWII

who were lost in the Mediterrane-

an operating area are commemo-

rated on the Commonwealth Air

Forces Memorial at Floriana.

Yet for all the islands reliance on

spiritual help, an exhibit at the Na-

tional War Museum reminds us

that more temporal things are also

important. The front page of the

Sunday Times of Malta from 17

May 1942, sits proudly in a display

case. Among the headlines are;

“Island fighter squadron bags 100th

victim”, “Dardanelles raid on Hit-

ler’s convoys”, “Dock gates and

railways shot up,” and “Mass in

London for Malta”. Yet still de-

manding space on the front page is

one vital piece of information that

could make or break people’s day:

“Football results – see page 7”.

The brand new, already unmissa-

ble, 5D show of Malta’s History

(Old Bakery Street, Valletta) con-

cludes with the following senti-

ment – The Maltese are proud of

their history, content with their

present and excited about their

future. There is plenty of evi-

dence all over Malta and Gozo to

back up that statement; you just

have to be there to feel it.

The temples in Malta predate

Stonehenge by a thousand

years. It is also the location

of an official miracle when St

Paul was bitten by a viper and

suffered no ill-effects in AD 60.

But faith was never more ap-

parent than at the height of

WWII when it reached its

peak at 4.42pm on 9 April

1942; the exact time a bomb

pierced Mosta Dome, the Ro-

tunda of St Marija Assunta.

The bomb came through the

roof and fell among the 300-

strong congregation, rolling

along the floor, without ex-

ploding. Incredibly, no-one

was hurt and it became the

“Miracle of Mosta”

The fact that the Maltese peo-

ple had any faith left by that

point is remarkable in itself,

since the island had been sub-

ject to a ferocious battering

from German and Italian

bombers for the best part of

18 months. During the first

six months of 1942, there was

only one 24-hour period with-

out air raids. Luftwaffe rec-

ords show that between 20

March and 28 April 1942, Mal-

ta was subjected to 11,819

sorties and 6.557 tonnes of

bombs – an intensity that not

even London’s long-suffering

population could match.

Shortly after the Miracle of

Mosta came the award of the

George Gross. In a letter

dated 13 April 1942, King

George VI wrote: “To hon-

our her b rave people, I award

the George Cross to the Is-

land Fortress of Malta, to bear

P A G E 8

MBN: An Effective And Influential Professional Business Network

The Malta Business Net-

work (MBN) is fast becom-

ing established as a highly

effective and influential net-

work within the UK profes-

sional and business commu-

nities, in particular among

those with a Malta interest.

It continues to grow in

membership and is generat-

ing a real interest within

the business communities

shared by its members. Its

calendar of business and

social events include busi-

ness briefings, private

luncheons, receptions and

monthly meetings. Follow-

ing are highlights from re-

cent MBN events.

Business Briefings

The MBN programme con-

tinued in October when we

invited Mr Andre' Zarb,

Tax Partner at KPMG Malta

to speak at an MBN Brief-

ing. He presented a highly

informative insight into the

personal and corporate tax

structure in Malta. During

his talk, he also explained

why the income tax system

in Malta has been a catalyst

in spearheading the country

into a renowned jurisdic-

tion in the global financial

services industry and in

other sectors, particularly

since EU membership. The

event was very well attend-

ed by MBN members and

guests from within financial

services.

This was followed in De-

cember with an exclusive

Gourmet Lunch at Massi-

mo’s Private Dining Room

at The Corinthia Hotel in

London, also hosted by the

MBN. Our guest of honour

was Mr Paul Manduca,

Chairman of Prudential plc.

Community Groups

In the last few months,

MBN established the first

industry-focused communi-

ty group—The Network

Property and Development

Group. This group brings

together professionals in

property and development

and meets in London on a

regular basis on the last

Thursday in February, May,

August and November.

Monthly Meetings

Network meetings contin-

ued to take place through-

out the year. They are held

on the last Tuesday of the

month at Malta House from

6.30pm onwards. The next

monthly meeting is on

Tuesday January 29th, 2013.

Upcoming Events

MBN Business Briefings

continue in the new year

with a series of private

lunches. Our first guest is

Sir Christopher Evans, who

will join us for lunch on

Tuesday January 29th, fol-

lowed by Mr Martin Sciclu-

na on Tuesday March 12th.

Both events have limited

places. We recommend

early confirmation. Details

are on the MBN website.

M A L T A H I G H C O M M I S S I O N

Staying In Touch

www.maltabusinessnetwork.com pro-vides MBN mem-bers and site users with access to events, member profiles, pages, blogs and industry community groups. The MBN also has a LinkedIn group, a facebook page and a Twitter account to promote activi-ties and engage in

dialogue.

Joining the MBN

The MBN wishes to engage

with as many professionals

and business people as pos-

sible and invites new mem-

bers to join from the UK,

Malta and other countries.

There are three different

categories available for

members, including individ-

ual and corporate member-

ships as well as a student

membership. Individual

membership costs £100.

Corporate membership is

available at a fee of £300

for up to 4 nominated

members, while student

membership is at £20. All

membership fees are annual

and cover a year from date

of payment. More infor-

mation can be found on

the website.

Prospective members are

encouraged to fill in the

online form and send it to

the Treasurer. They are

also invited to try out a

monthly meeting before

joining. Similarly, MBN wel-

comes visiting Maltese who

are in London on business

and wish to meet members

over monthly drinks. In all

cases, we advise them to

contact us in advance.

P A G E 9 I S S U E 8

tate, Malta’s leading real estate

group which also focuses on

providing assistance to foreign

nationals acquiring property in

Malta.

Jean Chapelle from Blevins

Franks provided advice on

Cross Border Tax, Integrated

tax, investment planning and

suggested how to maximise

investment income in a tax effi-

cient manner. Further advice

was given on current assets,

transferring pensions and inher-

itance tax planning.

John Huber from John Huber &

Associates gave an overview of

the fiscal implications of taking

up residence in Malta. His talk

focused on the various residen-

cy programmes available and the

tax implications. He took the

opportunity to promote the

recently launched Malta Retire-

ment Programme which was

very well received by the semi-

nar audience.

Grahame Salt from Frank Salt

Real Estate covered Real Estate

and Investment Opportunities

which are available to anyone

interested in settling in Malta.

He remarked that

15,000 UK nationals

have set up home in

Malta over the last 2

decades. Since 2005,

the expatriate popula-

tion in Malta has in-

creased by 65%. He

also discussed the

rental market, particu-

larly the residential

market which has

been recently stimu-

lated by the boom in the com-

mercial market. He said that

90% of properties rented in Mal-

ta are rented by non Maltese.

High Commissioner Zammit

Tabona remarked that he was

very pleased with the outcome

of these seminars and said he

will continue to fully support

companies which promote mov-

ing or investing in Malta, specifi-

cally by offering the space at the

Malta High Commission in Picca-

dilly to other Maltese companies

to hold similar events.

On 15 and 16 November 2012,

three seminars were held at the

Malta High Commission, Piccadil-

ly titled ‘The Mediterranean’s

Best Kept Secret…why you

should move to Malta?’ These

seminars provided key infor-

mation to help those attending to

make the best of their move

or investment in Malta.

In his introduction, High

Commissioner Joseph Zam-

mit Tabona welcomed the

guests and explained why

Malta is a favourite destina-

tion for anyone planning to

move or invest outside the

UK. He mentioned the excel-

lent relations that exist be-

tween Malta and the UK,

both on a political and economic

level, and made reference to sup-

porting statistics such as that 31%

of incoming tourists to Malta

come from the UK market and

the stock of FDI into Malta from

the UK stands at over Euro 460

million.

The seminars were organised by

Blevins Franks, leading tax plan-

ning and wealth management

advisers to expatriates living

abroad; John Huber & Associates,

a Maltese advisory firm that ca-

ters for tax services with special

focus on tax issues related to

relocating to Malta and expatriate

services; and Frank Salt Real Es-

Moving to Malta Seminars

by Blevins Franks, Frank Salt Real Estate and John Huber & Associates

M A L T A H I G H C O M M I S S I O N

P A G E 1 0

Forthcoming Events

Maltese Community

Holy Mass of Christmas

24 December 2012

19.00

St Boniface Church,

47 Adler Street,

Aldgate East,

London E1 1EE

Celebration of the Birth of

Jesus with singing of Tradi-

tional Carols in Maltese and

English followed by a Get-

Together at the Roland

Philipps Scouts Centre, 65

Copley Street (off Stepney

Way) London E1 3DF

Maltese Culture Move-

ment

New Year's Eve Party

31 December 2012

19.30—02.00

Holiday Inn London Re-

gent's Park

Carburton Street

London, W1W 5EE

For more details on Mal-

tese Culture Movement

events go to:

www.malteseculturemovem

ent.com

Maltese Community

Epiphany Holy Mass

6 January 2013

16.30

St Boniface Church,

47 Adler Street,

Aldgate East,

London E1 1EE

Conclusion of the Christ-

mas Celebrations with Holy

Mass in Maltese and English

For more details contact Fr

Victor Camilleri on 07930

198 251 or victor-

camilleri@hotmail.com

M A L T A H I G H C O M M I S S I O N

24 December

Maltese Com-

munity Holy

Mass

31 December

Maltese Cul-

ture Move-

ment New

Year’s Eve

Party

6 January

Maltese Com-

munity Epipha-

ny Holy Mass

2013 General Elections Information If you would like to be kept informed of any travel notices for eligible voters for the 2013

General Elections in Malta, please send an email to maltahighcommission.london@gov.mt

and write ‘General Elections 2013’ in the subject title.

If you qualify to be registered as a voter you might wish to verify that your name and partic-

ulars have been included in the revised electoral register published on the 5th October,

2012 by the Electoral Commission. This also applies to those persons who obtained Maltese

Citizenship through naturalization or registration and certified dual nationals in accordance

with the Constitution of Malta and the General Elections Act (Chap.354). These persons are

urged to verify their inclusion in this Electoral Register.

To verify this, please contact the Electoral Commission

By post: The Electoral Commission, Evans Building, St Elmo Place

Valletta VLT 2000, Malta

By email: electoral.office@gov.mt

By phone: 00356 2122 1994, 00356 2558 3000 or 00356 2124 5086

Maltese singing family present

charity Christmas single to the High Commissioner

P A G E 1 1 I S S U E 8

Christmas Time – a single released

to raise money for charity was pre-

sented to the High Commissioner on

6 December 2012. The cd was pre-

sented by UK based Maltese musi-

cian Mutt Ley, who together with

his wife Gia, also a professional

singer and vocal coach, has formed

a new choir called Angelpop. They

were accompanied by their children

5 year old Paige and 4 year old Wil-

low, also singing with the same

choir. Angelpop is a group of young

children aged between 4-10 years

who have come together to sing the

song Christmas time to raise money

for charity.

The charity benefiting from all pro-

ceeds from this song is "YOU TOUCH

AFRICA" – particularly the project of

building classrooms for a school in

Tanzania. Kiraracha primary school

in Tanzania has been under con-

struction since 2002. The villagers

with the assistance from the You

Touch Africa charity have been able

to construct six classrooms which

accommodate up to 100 pupils due

to lack of more rooms. The school

needs 9 more classrooms to be able

to accommodate all the children

from the surrounding areas. It costs

£3,000 to complete one classroom.

High Commissioner Zammit Tabona

said that it was his pleasure to re-

ceive this very talented family and

praised their noble efforts to help

needy children in Tanzania. He com-

mended their initiative and augured

them every success.

Mutt Ley and his wife Gia said that

this project stemmed from their

strong belief in Anne Frank’s saying:

‘How wonderful it is that nobody

need wait a single moment before

starting to improve the world’. They

are committed to instil this belief in

their children and the rest of Angel-

pop choir, who dedicated time and

effort to release ‘Christmas Time’

for this festive season.

The song can be downloaded from iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/album/christmas-time-feat.-gia-angelpop/id578305880 For further information please con-tact Gia on +447767145821 or email on management@mutt-leymusic.com and donations can be made directly to the charity www.youtouchafrica.org

M A L T A H I G H C O M M I S S I O N

Maltese students invited to the High Commission The High Commissioner and Mrs Zammit Tabona hosted two recep-tions for Maltese students who are currently studying in the UK. A large number of students and recent graduates attended these recep-tions, at the Malta High Commis-sion, Piccadilly, held on 23 October and again by popular demand on 12 December.

High Commissioner Zammit Tabona welcomed the Maltese students to the High Commission and wished them every success in their studies and future endeavours. He also

pledged the High Commission’s sup-port during their time away from Malta.

The students and recent graduates all moved from Malta to the UK, and predominantly to London, to widen their knowledge and gain invaluable experience of living away from home in a large cosmopolitan city. The High Commissioner praised their accomplishments and noted how what they are achieving trans-lates into back bone in attitude and success on the international job market.

The High Commissioner remarked on the exceptional positions being held by those Maltese recent gradu-ates already in employment, who after graduating in Malta in tech-nical areas such as engineering and IT, and furthering their postgradu-ate studies in the UK, they venture into fields such as banking, finance, hospitality and IT support.

Those present were urged to leave their contact details so they can be kept informed of all the events be-ing organised by the Malta High Commission throughout the year.

P A G E 1 2

Honorary Consuls in the UK and Ireland

Maltese artist Rupert Cefai exhibits works in London

Maltese visual

artist Rupert

Cefai exhibited

his collection of

artworks titled

‘Tiers of Truths’

in London during

the first two

weeks of Octo-

ber.

‘Tiers of Truths’

is a collection of

artworks in-

spired by real life events -

scenes the artist has wit-

nessed and experienced. The

subjects, the people and the

backgrounds are all taken

from everyday life in London,

Valletta, Essen and elsewhere.

A private viewing was held on

4 October 2012. The High

Commissioner of Malta and

Mrs Zammit Tabona were in

attendance. The High Com-

missioner said that the ex-

port to London of Maltese

artistic expression such as

‘Tiers of Truths’ gives a high

profile not only to the artist

himself but also to Maltese

art in general. He wished

artist Rupert Cefai all the

success in his artistic endeav-

ours away from the Maltese

shores.

The Exhibition was being held

at The Framers Gallery,

Windmill Street, London

W1T 2JT. All the works ex-

hibited were available as lim-

ited edition prints.

This exhibition was co-

sponsored by the Malta Tour-

ism Authority, the Malta Busi-

ness Network and the Malta

High Commission.

For more information please

visit http://

www.rupertcefai.com/

Hon Consul in Gibraltar Franco Cassar Loporto c/o Barclays Wealth

Regal House Queensway Gibraltar

Franco.Cassar@barclayswealth.com maltaconsul.gibraltar@gov.mt Tel: +350 2005 2340

Mob: +350 5733 9000

Hon Consul Northern Ireland Tom Kelly The NewsRoom

Fountain Centre Belfast BT1 6ET tom.kelly@stakeholdergroup.com

Tel: +44 7767 393 250

Hon Consul in Scotland George Hunter OBE 1 Craiglockhart Crescent

Edinburgh Scotland EH14 1EZ admin@waterofleith.org.uk

Tel: +44 131 443 2533 Fax: +44 131 443 1682

Hon Consul in Wales Sir Brooke Boothby Fonmon Castle Fonmon, Barry

Vale of Glamorgan Wales CF62 3ZN maltaconsul.wales@gov.mt

fonmon_castle@msn.com Tel: +44 0871 716 2357 +44 01446 710 206

Fax: +44 01446 711 687

M A L T A H I G H C O M M I S S I O N

Hon Consul on the Isle of Man John P Conti 17 Circular Road

Douglas Isle of Man IM1 1AF maltaconsul.isleofman@gov.mt

Tel. +44 1624 670003 Fax. +44 1624 612281

Hon Consul in Dublin Terence F Loane 30, Hermitage Grove Rathfarnham

Dublin 16 asitfl@eircom.net Tel: +353 1 494 4220

Mob: +353 8625 73351

Gibraltar

Northern Ireland

Scotland

Wales

Isle of Man

Dublin

Maltese Organisations in the UK Maltese Culture Movement

Mr Bernard Scerri Chairman P.O. Box 2964 London N19 4NS

Tel: 020 7272 9000 Fax: 020 7272 7787

Maltese_Culture@hotmail.com

Maltese Charities Association

Mrs M. Hladnik / Mrs Bernie Jackman Joint-Organisers c/o Pat Troubridge,

90 Troy Court Kensington High Street

London W8 7RE Tel: 020 8244 8491

p.troubridge@hotmail.co.uk

Maltese Community of East

London

Fr. Victor Camilleri c/o Boniface Mission

47 Adler Street London E1 1EE Tel: 020 7247 9529

Mob: 079 3019 8251 camilleri_victor@hotmail.com

George Cross Island

Association

Ms Julia Gaw - Chairman 29, Pigeonhouse Lane, Rustington

West Sussex, BN16 2AY

Tel: 01903 786058 jandmgaw@btinternet.com

The Friends of Malta GC

(Formerly Association of Maltese Communities of Egypt) Mr Herbert Magri Overend President

34 Mills Road Melksham Wiltshire SN12 7DT

Tel: 0122 5708 550 Herbert.magri-overend@dsl.pipex.com

To add your organisation to

this list please contact the

Malta High Commission

In

Pictures

36 - 38 Piccadilly London W1J 0LE

Phone: 0207-292-4800

Fax: 0207-292-4803

General mail: maltahighcommission.london@gov.mt

Passports: passports.london@gov.mt

Visas: visas.london@gov.mt

Events: events.london@gov.mt

http://www.foreign.gov.mt/london

Editor: nerissa.sultana@gov.mt

Malta High Commission