ACT No. XII of 2017 AN ACT to amend the Small Business Act, Cap. 512.

I assent.

M ARIE- L OUISE

(L.S.)

C OLEIRO P RECA

President

24th March, 2017

ACT No. XII of 2017

AN ACT to amend the Small Business Act, Cap. 512.

BE IT ENACTED by the President, by and with the advice and

consent of the House of Representatives, in this present Parliament

assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-

The short title of this Act is the Small Business Short title.

(Amendment) Act, 2017, and this Act shall be read and construed as

one with the Small Business Act, hereinafter referred to as "the Cap. 512.

principal Act".

In article 2 of the principal Act, for the definition "public Amendment of

sector entities offering services to business" there shall be substituted article

principal Act.

the following definition

" "public sector entities offering services to business"

means the Authority responsible for Planning, the Authority

responsible for the Environment and Resources, Jobsplus, the

Inland Revenue Department, the Value Added Tax Department,

the Department responsible for Commerce, the Malta

Enterprise, the Regulator responsible for Energy and Water

Services, the Authority responsible for Medicines, the Authority

responsible for Competition and Consumer Affairs, the

Authority responsible for Communications, the Customs

Department, the Authority responsible for Financial Services,

the Authority responsible for Gaming and any other entity as

may be identified by the Minster from time to time;".

Sub-article (2) of article 10 of the principal Act shall be

amended as follows

(a) paragraph (b) thereof shall be substituted by the

following

"(b) fifteen other members representing the entities

or Ministries responsible for enterprise or whose remit is

relevant to the sector namely

(i) the

Department

responsible

for

Commerce;

(ii) Malta Enterprise;

(iii)

the

Authority

responsible

for

Competition and Consumer Affairs;

(iv) the Directorate responsible for Enterprise

Policy within the Ministry responsible for the

Economy;

(v) the Economic Policy Division within the

Ministry responsible for Finance;

(vi) the Authority responsible for Financial

Services;

(vii) the Department responsible for Local

Government;

(viii) the Ministry responsible for Gozo;

(ix) the Authority responsible for Toursim;

(x) the Authority responsible for Planning;

(xi) the Ministry responsible for Rural

Affairs;

(xii) the National Statistics Office;

(xiii) the Commissioner for Revenue;

(xiv) the Ministry responsible for Education

and Employment; and

(xv) the Authority responsible for the

Environment and Resources;"; and

(b) paragraph (c) thereof shall be substituted by the

following

"(c) eleven members nominated by representatives

from constituted bodies, namely the Malta Chamber of

Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, the General

Retailers and Traders Union, the Malta Hotels and

Restaurants Association, the Gozo Business Chamber,

the Gozo Tourism Association, the Malta Employers’

Association, the National Council of Women, the

Maltese Association of Women in Business, the

Foundation for Women Entrepreneurs, the Maltese

Association for the Family Enterprises and the Institute

of Financial Services Practitioners; and".

Sub-article (1) of article 12 of the principal Act shall be Amendment of

article 12 of the

substituted by the following

principal Act.

"(1) The administrative affairs of the Council shall be

managed by the Council Secretariat, and shall fall within the

competence of the Directorate responsible for Enterprise Policy

within the Ministry responsible for the Economy, and the

Council, with the approval of the Minister, may appoint such

officers as may be necessary for the due and efficient discharge

of the functions to the Council.".

Paragraph (b) of sub-article (2) of article 13 of the Amendment of

article 13 of the

principal Act shall be substituted by the following

principal Act.

"(b) sixteen members nominated by Government,

representing the government representatives on the constituted

bodies, namely the Authority responsible for Financial Services,

the Authority responsible for Competition and Consumer

Affairs, the Customs Department, the Authority responsible for

Gaming, the Regulator responsible for Energy and Water

Services, the Authority responsible for Tourism, the Authority

responsible for Communications, the Authority responsible for

Occupational Health and Safety, the Authority responsible for

Planning, the Authority responsible for the Environment and

Resources, the Department responsible for Environmental

Health, the Directorate responsible for Plant Health, the

Directorate responsible for Veterinary Regulation, the

Directorate responsible for Fisheries Control, the Authority

responsible for Medicines and the Department responsible for

Commerce.".

In paragraph (a) of article 15 of the principal Act, for the

word "three" there shall be substituted the word "four".

Sub-article (1) of article 16 of the principal Act shall be

substituted by the following

"(1) The administrative affairs of the College shall be

managed by the College Secretariat, and shall fall within the

competence of the Directorate responsible for Enterprise Policy

within the Ministry responsible for the Economy.".

Passed by the House of Representatives at Sitting No. 496 of the

20th March, 2017.

A NĠLU F ARRUGIA

Speaker

R AYMOND S CICLUNA

Clerk of the House of Representatives

€0.54