Proposal for a New Malta Crafts Act

CLOSED CONSULTATION

From:	Ministry for the Economy, Investment and Small Businesses (Commerce Department)
Published:	4 January 2019
Running till:	21 January 2019
Last Updated:	22 January 2019

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Please visit this page again to download the outcome report with reference to this Public Consultation.

Original Consultation

1. Background

Currently the main legislation concerning crafts is the Malta Crafts Council Act (Cap 421) which however focuses more on the operations of the Malta Crafts Council rather than crafts, vesting it with a number of functions, powers and duties related to craft. The Act stipulates that the Council is to be made up of a number of representatives of various ministries and three representatives to be elected by and from among craftsmen registered with the Council.

Regretfully, since the enactment of the Act in question, it has always been difficult to find artisans who were in a position to participate in the Council elections . Moreover since those who got elected practised specific crafts there frequently was an inadequate representation of the crafts spectrum. . This shortcoming resulted, contrary to what was intended, in there never being a proper and effective consultation structure within the Council and it was only with the intervention of the the Commerce Department that consultation has been possible.

In addition to the above, the Malta Crafts Council Act is lacking in that it does not provide the Malta Crafts Council with a formal administrative and operational set up to assist it in the carrying out of its duties. As a result, while the Council meets regularly once a month to register new craftspersons and to put forward proposals in line with its remit, it is the Commerce Department which, over the years, has executed most of the decisions taken by the Council in addition to the planning and implementation of other initiatives which did not emanate from Council meetings.

Finally, the Malta Crafts Council Act does not empower the Council to take any action in the case of transgressions involving products falsely purporting to Maltese crafts, not even when such transgressions are committed by registered craftspersons. Unfortunately, the Act does not empower the Council to strike off its register craftspersons who either violate rules and/or conditions established by the Council or the Department or craftspersons who are in breach of any of the provisions of the Act and/or its Regulations.

The proposed act aims at addressing these shortcomings.

2. Documents

Malta Crafts Act Draft in EN.pdf

Brief on the ACT.pdf

Help viewing documents

3. Submission of input

Submissions were sent in through the following channels:

By filling the online form.

By email: maltacrafts@gov.mt

By post:        Commerce Department
Lascaris Bastions
  Daħlet Ġnien is-Sultan
  Valletta VLT 1933

Submissions were received by 21 January 2019.

We thank you for your input.

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