The contribution provided by tourists is reinvested into ancillary and important tourist products such as beaches,
roads, heritage sites, and more.
have you, we make sure that all rel-
evant permits are in good order,
and we subsequently conduct an
inspection. Here we would check
total floor area of the proposed
project so we make sure that the
relevant Planning Authority per-
mit is actually adhered to,” he ex-
plained.
“We guide the applicant to the re-
quirements of bedrooms since not
all rooms make proper bedrooms,
and we also check the floor space
available. We remind applicants
that before advertising themselves
or promoting their project on
booking portals and other such
now the two applications
can happen simultane-
ously, thus reducing bu-
reaucracy yet further
HOSPITALITY MALTA
sites, the law requires them to have
the relative operating licence and
that they have to show this relevant
reference number on their adver-
tising” said Andre.
Setting up a restaurant might have
to involve six separate components
that need the Directorate to hand-
hold the client so the licence will
become a gathering of all these
separate operations. At the same
time the Directorate has to en-
sure that restaurants leased out of
hotels do actually have their own
licenses. And we continuously
collaborate with the Planning Au-
thority (PA) and the Food Safety
Unit (FSU) to guide the appli-
cant as thoroughly as possible.”
On another level, the MTA
prompted the change on when
one could apply for the setting
up of tables and chairs externally
from their property; now the two
applications of actually obtaining
a “catering establishment” licence
and that of “tables and chairs” can
happen simultaneously, thus re-
ducing bureaucracy yet further.
“We are now practically a one stop
shop; guiding as well as assisting
hands-on in the requirements of
the governmental bodies, being
mainly the MTA itself, the Plan-
ning Authority, Transport Malta,
the FSU...eventually I reckon that
the Lands Authority too will be
part of this one stop shop system,”
he explained.
At the same time, there is an on-
going need to identify unlicensed
rooms in hotels as well as cater-
ing outlets that have been leased
to third parties. The directo-
rate has to visit them and reas-
sess or reconfirm their position.“
Andre underlined the fact that for
the Directorate, the acquisition
of required operating licensing
is far from viewed as a source of
income, or an indirect Govern-
ment tax, but factual assurance
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