The Country and its Plus-Points
Geographical Location
Located between Europe and Africa, Malta's geographical position is enhanced by an enviable climate of short mild winters and long warm summers. Its history, rich culture and famed friendliness of its people have charmed its visitors through the centuries and have transformed the island into a cosmopolitan meeting point of cultures and languages: the ideal location for efficient international business contacts.
Accessibility
Malta has excellent flight connections. The airport is easily reached within minutes from practically any part of the island and the national carrier Air Malta operates to numerous European and a number of North African destinations. There are also a large number of international carriers operating to and from Malta.
ICT
With a sophisticated ICT infrastructure that is well connected to the international backbone, a high broadband penetration and a competitive market with the latest technologies, Malta offers a premium environment for business.
Infrastructure and Standard of Living
High standards of living as well as comparatively low daily running costs offer a refreshing change from other busy, chaotic and high-cost business centres. The diverse range of shopping, cultural events and leisure activities and well-equipped public and private hospitals and clinics, as well as high quality homes and apartments satisfy the most demanding requirements. State-of-the-art office space is available at reasonable rates.
Other Incentives
Specialised personnel, high production skills, meticulous QC standards, low effective tax rate (the lowest in Europe) and government incentives all provide significant opportunities for the establishment of profitable industrial undertakings in a low cost and convenient location.
Education
English, a joint official language with Maltese, is universally spoken and written and is the language of education and business. The high level of education and training level of the Maltese labour force is a key competitive factor with 60 per cent of students remaining in education to tertiary level.
In order to ensure support services remain top class, the regulator has established an education consultative council formed by the main stakeholders in finance and education. Professionals such as those in audit, legal and other support services are of the same calibre as you would find in the main financial services market such as London and Geneva, although services are considerably better value for money.
Political Stability
Malta is an independent parliamentary republic with a parliament-elected president as head of state and a prime minister leading an elected government for five-year terms. The country has a long-established and strong democratic tradition with high levels of voter participation. It is a member of the European Union, the Council of Europe, the United Nations and the Commonwealth. The Maltese Government has a tradition of encouraging foreign investors to establish operations in Malta and has always adopted policies that favour an open economy and direct investment.