Prime Minister announces review on effectiveness of Malta Enterprise support schemes

Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that a peer review is ongoing to determine the operational effectiveness of support schemes managed by Malta Enterprise, as well as an analysis on how competing jurisdictions approach such measures.

“This analysis is in its advanced stage and the next step is for the government to meet up with the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development to discuss the analysis and face the challenges”, Dr Abela said.

The announcement was at a pre-Budget 2025 meeting between Prime Minister Robert Abela, Finance and Employment Minister Clyde Caruana and Economy, Enterprise and Strategic Projects Minister Silvio Schembri, and senior officials at The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry.

The meeting was carried out as part of the government’s outreach programme with Malta’s social partners ahead of the 2025 budget presentation, which usually takes place in October, however the exact date is yet to be announced by the Prime Minister.

In a statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister, Dr Abela said that the country must be more selective in the investments it attracts, concentrating on value adding activities.

Dr Abela noted that last year, the Malta Enterprise approved 43 projects which are valued at €36 million. This year however, the Malta Enterprise approved only 12 projects which are valued at €144 million. The Prime Minister went on to say that among value-adding investments in Malta, which require fewer workers but more employees with quality careers, there are investment projects such as those of ST Micro Electronics, Gimas, Seifert, Pharmadox, Hope Fertility, Keyworld Studios, and Eurobindo.

In the meeting, The Malta Chamber presented its proposals for the upcoming budget, which included points on infrastructure, sustainable tourism, and planning, among others. In a recent press brief briefing, The Malta Chamber chastised the government for only implementing a “meagre” 1.8 per cent of proposals submitted over the previous years.