Publications

George Mangion has over thirty years experience in accounting, taxation, financial and consultancy services. George is a regular contributor to local newspapers on business, i-gaming and e-Commerce. He writes articles weekly on the Business Times, contributes to a few articles on Sunday Times, Malta Today, The Times, The Malta Economic Update etc. He has also lectured and delivered presentations at numerous seminars and conferences worldwide.

Attracting Funds…the next step forward ---------------------------------------------------------------- Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 19 May 2010 Malta is home to a noteworthy number of Ucits, non-Ucits retail funds and PIFs. The most significant growth over the last years has been in professional investor funds (PIFs). At the moment the total number of hedge funds in Malta is reaching around 500, including 280 alternative funds. Read article..
Middlesea divorces its Italian lover Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 05 May 2010 It is a mystery how very little has been written by financial commentators on the spectacular loss suffered by local insurance flagship Middlesea (MSI) last December. Reading the chairman’s report presented by Joe FX Zahra who replaced Mario C Grech, he explains little what went so wrong after acquiring the Italian subsidiary in 2000 through the Spanish shareholder Mapfre Internacional. Read article..
Another bank bites the dust ----------------------------------------- Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 21 April 2010 It does not rain but it pours when financial scandals are concerned. The bitter paradox is that the bad news about Goldman Sachs comes at a time when the global stock market is at a year’s high albeit the European market is hanging in the balance of the Greek debt crisis which may also spark a new credit contagion. Read Article..
Shipyards redemption -------------------------------------- Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 07 April 2010 It was 1967 when I joined the Drydocks as a commercial apprentice. It was a time when openings for employment were limited; either you worked as a clerk or trained as a teacher. But with no ‘A’ levels I needed to help myself and upgrade my educational status so as a commercial apprentice I opted to study for a five year degree level course in accountancy. Read article..
Insight on Lehman Brothers’ demise ----------------------------------------------------------- Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 17 March 2010 Hot on the heels of the Madoff scandal we now have a damning report issued by the examiner of Lehman’s bankruptcy, and it does not make for bedtime reading. Lehman’s bankruptcy can best be described as the iconic event of this financial crisis just as Enron’s implosion defined the start of the dot.com meltdown. Read article..
German gaming raps Malta ---------------------------------------------- Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 10 March 2010 With over 350 online gaming companies registered in Malta, it comes as no surprise that the other EU Member States may be envious of our success. What started as a feeble attempt in 2001 by the Gaming Board to slightly open the door for issuance of limited sports betting licences has slowly led to a full scale policy structure in 2004, paving the way towards full licensing. Read article..
Fighting fraud ------------------------- Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 03 March 2010 The incidence of financial fraud has increased, probably as a consequence of the amplified pressures due to a dose of recession affecting the commercial world. This has exacerbated the pressures on auditors across the globe to look out for financial fraud which leads to material mis-statements arising out of intentional fraud and sometimes out of unintentional errors. Read article..
Please feed the PIIGS ------------------------------------- Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 17 February 2010 Some optimists argue that this year should see grass shoots and that the world economy is steady on course towards recovery, following the global financial crisis, but volatility remains because of lingering uncertainty. Read article..
EU rulings on remote gaming ------------------------------------------------ Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 10 February 2010 Malta has a nascent yet established industry concerning the online betting and casinos. In the past years this has been developed to become the envy of other EU states. With the enactment of the Lotteries and Other Games Act, 2001 this saw the start of a comprehensive legislative instrument thereby providing the necessary tools to implement effective regulation. Read article..
Taken for a ride (part 2) --------------------------------------- Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 03 February 2010 Last week I published the first part of an article commenting on the reform of public transport. Here is my final and last episode. It appears that no tears were shed by commuters in the direction of the transport workers following the termination of their licences. Read article..
Taken for a ride --------------------------- Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 27 January 2010 It looks like a pitched battle is looming ahead with government wanting to reform public transport and the bus owners wanting more for their business. As always its the poor taxpayer that will foot the bill for whatever compromise is reached. We recall how the Mid-Med bank with its dozens of high street properties and good business record was sold for a song and dance on the pretext that it was loaded with extra workers. Read article..
Accounting for climate change -------------------------------------------------- Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 20 January 2010 Parties on both sides of the global-warming debate have called the UN Climate Change Conference recently held in Copenhagen, a failure. Instead of producing a legally binding treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a majority of participating nations merely agreed to “take note” of the Copenhagen accord as a non-binding agreement to commit to significant emission reductions by next year and to fund environmentally “vulnerable” countries. Read article..
Bridging the gap ----------------------------- Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 13 January 2010 The impression one might get from hearing the New Year resolutions by the ruling party is that of a biblical allegory when a latter-day Moses alias the Prime Minister, has led the Maltese people to the promised lands and defied the raging waters by miraculously providing a means of access right through the turbulent valley of global recession. Read article..
A sunshine year ---------------------------- Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 06 January 2010 Many are still hopeful that the worst effect of the 2007/9 recession is slowly residing and there will be an economic reprieve this year. This shows from the encouraging rally in shares over the New Year and the fact that optimism is linked to fluctuations in dollar value and rising oil prices. Read article..
Halcyon days ---------------------- Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 30 December 2009 Last week I wrote a short article about how to survive Christmas debts and commented briefly on the addictive powers of credit cards that give us ostentatious power to spend beyond our means. Not surprisingly I have not received any feedback from banks. But then again I hardly ever receive any feedback, having written 52 weekly articles on Business Today. Read article..
Coping with Christmas debts ---------------------------------------------- Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 23 December 2009 In the US and Europe, the tradable goods sector of the economy faces a cold shower as growth slows. We may not be heading for a depression anymore but a recovery is weak and may even turn out to be a double dip one. In the US, signs of sluggish growth and low inflation in the economy has discouraged market investors and recently increased the likelihood that the Federal Reserve might cut interest rates again. Read article..
Little cheer in Euroland ---------------------------------------- Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 16 December 2009 With less than ten days to Christmas, it is sad to note that the European financial scene is not geared up for the usual cheer and bonanza associated with the season. Too much turbulence has hit the headlines while political leaders are struggling to steer confidence and shy away from the people’s perception of doom and gloom. Read article..
Accountants lock horns with regulators --------------------------------------------------------------- Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 09 December 2009 Over the last few years, public confidence in the auditing of company accounts has been seriously shaken by corporate scandals such as Enron in the US, Dutch retailer Ahold, Italy’s Parmalat and Societe Generale in France (just to name a few). Read article..
Will Dubai falter ---------------------------- Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 02 December 2009 The news concerning the Dubai debt repayment crisis as announced last Thursday, was certainly not unexpected but few predicted its impact on the world financial markets. Thus, it was not so surprising that the U.S. dollar edged up from 14-year lows against the yen as renewed risk aversion prompted investors to shed riskier assets. Read article..
Mimicking the Irish recovery Published on the Business Today, issue 25 November 2009 Read article..
A budget stimulus Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 11 November 2009 Read article..
Budget to straddle a €4 billion deficit Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 04 November 2009 Read article..
Are remote gaming licences at risk? Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 28 October 2009 Read article..
Problems all round for pensions Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 21 October 2009 Read article..
Remembering the Hedge funds Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 14 October 2009 Read article..
Lisbon Treaty saves Irish bacon Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 07 October 2009 Read article..
Taxing arcade halls Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 30 September 2009 Read article..
Attracting investment Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 23 September 2009 Read article..
A bumpy road ahead Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 16 September 2009 Read article..
Enter the second quarter shrinkage Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 09 September 2009 Read article..
Prices: waxing or waning? Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 02 September 2009 Read article..
Let the buyer beware Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 26 August 2009 Read article..
Fear not recession but dread the recovery Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 19 August 2009 Read article..
Bridging the valley of deficits Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 05 August 2009 Read article..
Till debt do us part Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 29 July 2009 Read article..
An Elephant on Stilts Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 22 July 2009 Read article..
Economy recovery or destabilisation Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 15 July 2009 Read article..
Pension promises Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 08 July 2009 Read article..
Lessons to be learnt from the Madoff scandal Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 01 July 2009 Read article..
Euro to the rescue Published on the Business Today, issueWednesday, 24 June 2009 Read article..
The aftermath of EP elections Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 10 June 2009 Read article..
Brussels calling Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 03 June 2009 Read article..
Captives - Flying the Maple leaf Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 27 May 2009 Read article..
Wind Power - Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 20th May 2009 Read article..
The silver lining - Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 13 May 2009 Read article..
Please use next window -Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 29 April 2009 Read article..
Is the Celtic Tiger in tatters? -Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 15 April 2009 Read article..
Reforming “Fair Value” accounting-Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 08 April 2009 Read article..
Banks to the rescue-Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 01 April 2009 Read article..
Jobs for free- Published on the Business Today, issue Wednesday, 25 March 2009 Read article..

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Publications

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