(From left to right: Ms Evelyn Mary Chetcuti, Notary Dr Alexia Sceberras Trigona, Prof. Alfred J. Vella, Mr Benny Borg Bonello, Chev. Prof. Renald Blundell)
The Consumer Association Malta, which is currently in the process of closing its operations after 40 active years of service to Maltese consumers, will be donating its remaining funds to the University of Malta.
The funds, which amount to just above €13,000, will go towards funding the final year project research of two University students, willing to explore a topic related to consumers, once every year until the resources are depleted.
A selection board to be made up of the University’s Academic Registrar, its Pro-Rector for Research and Knowledge Transfer, and Chev. Prof. Renald Blundell, who has previously served as the President of the Consumers’ Association and represented Malta in Brussels at the European Consumers Consultative Group (ECCG), will choose the awardees based on the topics proposed. A dissertation that includes practical implementations of the studies being conducted with the aim of helping Maltese consumers, will receive special consideration.
For the best undergraduate dissertation, the award shall amount to €100, whereas for the best masters or Ph.D. level dissertation, €300 shall be awarded during an annual ceremony.
Mr Benny Borg Bonello, the President of the Association, expressed his personal gratitude for all the work being already done by members of the UM community to improve several aspects of the society we all live in, and explained the purpose behind the decision of the Association to donate the funds towards consumer research.
“We need more in-depth information about the needs, behaviour and expectations of consumers, because their ever-changing status and evolution are something that helps all practitioners build an arsenal of knowledge to better defend consumers’ rights. This will not only help consumers but it will result in higher standards of both products and services produced in Malta”, he said. He was present for the signing alongside General Secretary, Ms Evelyn Mary Chetcuti.
The Consumer Association Malta, or Għaqda tal-Konsumaturi, which operated from South Street Valletta, was set up on 3 April 1982. Back then, it was the only consumers’ association on the island. It was mainly involved in consultation processes for a number of new or revised related legislations, in dealing with longstanding unresolved issues such as competition in various sectors, and it directly represented individual consumers in cases of disputes or unfair treatment. At EU level, it safeguarded Maltese consumers’ interest within the Single Market Framework. It was also a member of the Consumers’ International Organisation, BEUC and ANEC.
Upon thanking Mr Borg Bonello, Ms Chetcuti and Chev Prof Blundell for their generous donation, UM Rector, Prof. Alfred J. Vella, said it is the University’s civic duty to help shape decisions that affect the people in the Maltese community and ultimately have a local as well as global impact.