MFMO affiliates with MDA

The Malta Furniture Manufacturers Organisation (MFMO) has become an affiliate member of the Malta Developers Association (MDA). The agreement was signed this week at St Anthony Woodworks in Mosta in the presence of Economy, Investment and Small Business Minister Christ Cardona.

Dr Cardona praised the two sides for this intelligent move. He said the sector today represented 4% of GDP and employed 12,000. Government is prepared to work with h all the stakeholders and he urged Maltese consumers to recognised high quality local products.

In his remarks at the ceremony MDA President Sandro Chetcuti said the MDA had been set up to safeguard the building industry in the country and to assist the government of the day to achieve its development goals through sustainable projects. Property can be considered a currency and it is important to appreciate how many other industries work within the construction sector.

This is the second industry body to become affiliated within the MDA following the Federation of Building Contractors (FOBC) last year. The MDA is working to be the biggest player in the property and construction sector, including all trades that work so that projects are completed.

Stephen Azzopardi, President of the MFMO, said: “We see this affiliation as a natural step and we are prepared to work jointly for the benefit of the two sides and the workers in this sector.”

The Malta Furniture Manufacturers Organisation (MFMO) was set up in November 2001 with the aim of bringing together local furniture manufacturers in sharing common goals and interests. Today there are some 800 companies operating in the sector employing thousands of people. The organisation seeks to foster closer co-operation between its members and market the ‘Made in Malta’ concept both locally and abroad.

The establishment of MFMO came about as a result of the Sectoral Analysis Report on the Maltese Furniture Industry published in April 2000. The furniture sector report made a number of recommendations that were deemed essential for the sustainable restructuring of the industry. These recommendations not only related to actions that needed to be taken by the individual enterprise but also by the sector as a whole

It was decided that the strategies and objectives as identified in the report would be developed through an action plan outlining the strategy for the implementation of the supporting measures. One objective was the setting up of a furniture trade organisation. The underlying belief is that the industry should assume responsibility for its own destiny.