Security printing company De La Rue will be investing €33 million in its currency printing facility in another step towards the creation of its Centre of Excellence for Identity and Security Print in Malta. As a result of this investment in equipment, factory upgrades and skills, the company is expected to increase its workforce up to 500 from the current 440.
Aurobindo Malta, the Indian-owned pharma company which earlier this year inaugurated an expansion of its Malta plant, has entered into an agreement with the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) to provide students with practical training in the pharmaceutical industry.
This move will help the company achieve its expansion plans which will see its workforce grow substantially over the next two years.
A number of support measures designed to further assist commercial and industrial operations were announced in the Budget 2017 speech. These shall be rolled out over the coming months.
The measures cover a variety of sectors and activities and include:
Nine out of ten foreign investors interviewed in EY’s Malta Attractiveness Survey 2016 consider Malta as an attractive location to opearte in, while slightly more than half of them also have the intention of expanding their Maltese operation further in a year's time. From a long-term perspective, four out of five respondents believe they will still be operating in Malta in a decade’s time.
Malta is the only country in Europe where all public services are available online, according to a report carried out for the European Commission by Capgemini, IDC, Sogeti, and Politecnico di Milano.
The EU study took into consideration key life events both from a business perspective (such as starting a business, early trading operations and regular business operations), as well as from a personal point of view (such as losing and finding a job, studying, starting a small claims procedure, moving, or owning and driving a car).
Updated 01.02.2017
The Privatisation Unit, acting on behalf of Malta Enterprise, has issued a second public Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Concession to Design, Construct, Finance, Operate and Maintain an International Logistics Hub (ILH) at a site in Hal Far.
The 45,000 square metre site has been specifically earmarked for the project for a number of reasons, particularly in view of its immediate proximity to the Malta International Airport, the Malta Freeport, as well as one of the country's major industrial zones.
The Global Competitiveness Index 2016-2017 released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) shows that Malta has improved its overall competitiveness performance. In the latest edition Malta ranked 40th out of 138 countries included in this publication. This represents an improvement on the 48th place attained by Malta in the previous release.
The latest figures issued by the Malta National Statistics Office in its Labour Force Survey point to an increase of 3.5% in employment when compared to the corresponding quarter in 2015.
On average, out of every 100 persons aged between 15 to 64 years, 66 were employed with self-employed persons accounting for 13.5 per cent of all persons with a main job. Results show that, on average, full-timers work 41.6 hours while part-timers work 22.4 hours per week.
Crane Currency, the world-class banknote printing company, has chosen Malta for its latest $100 million investment in a new plant that will create over 200 jobs. This was announced during the signing of an agreement between Crane CEO Mr Stephen Defalco and the Prime Minister of Malta Dr Joseph Muscat.
The Sustainable Energy and Water Conservation Unit within the Office of the Prime Minister and Malta Enterprise have launched a new Energy Efficiency Scheme for the local industry intended to support the initial capital costs through a system of tax credits.
Successful applicants may benefit from tangible economic benefits within reasonable timeframes when system design and operating modes are optimised, enhancing the investors’ competitiveness especially in international markets.