Samantha Giltrow
Welcome to our first ever Malta Round Table Debate.
Firstly, I would like to know, as the island bids to increase its
ship management and P&I presence, what kind of an impact will
COVID-19 have on its long-term plans for expansion as a maritime
centre of excellence?
Michael Callus
It is a disaster in my opinion at the moment. Before COVID we
had seen a general increase year on year in the overall local
maritime industry. I think most sectors were registering growth. Of
course, since the ports closed on 15 March, the business has ground
to a halt and crew changes have been a huge problem – it is
the same worldwide. There are an estimated 200,000 seafarers who
are either blocked at home or on the ship, so obviously on a local
basis we have been very much affected and everyone in the industry
is suffering. I am sure my colleagues have seen the same impact, if
not worse. The ports are now open, as of 1 July, but we are, of
course, still impacted by
