Malta is at the cross roads of contrasting economies, cultures and natural environments. Its strategic location on the cusp of both Europe and Africa has attracted visitors for thousands of years. Since Independence, Malta’s business, social and investment policies, which are both liberal and progressive, have made the island the new trade gateway for the expanding markets of the Mediterranean, the Middle East and North Africa.
Beyond the shores of the wonderful Maltese islands, market conditions going into 2014 remained grim. Bankers and traders continued to face eroding confidence in volatile markets. Yet, despite the global economy, it is an exciting time to do business in Malta, thanks to the opportunities created by public and private investment in various industry sectors. It is therefore important to highlight the concrete business opportunities this affords and indeed the path of change across the Mediterranean region.
In barely two generations, Malta has gone from a sleepy backwater island in the Mediterranean to a nation of diverse industries, a stable financial scenario and exceptional prospects for future growth and development. During this time, Malta has emerged as one of the region’s leading financial centres as both a substantial source of investment capital and an attractive target for foreign direct investment. It now enjoys a sound reputation as an innovative finance domicile and trading hub, coupled with a robust legal, fiscal and regulatory framework.
This hasn’t come about by accident. Malta is uniquely perched between north and south, east and west. As a European finance and business hub, Malta straddles the focal point between the major global businesses and the emerging North African markets. Building on this unique geographical advantage of Malta, we launched our Malta Trade for Growth (MTFG) initiative to encourage Malta-based companies to expand their international business.
Through the initiative, we have offered a range of incentives, discounts and resources specifically designed to help these companies bolster their international trade, particularly with emerging markets. HSBC Malta’s drive to encourage and support international trade continues and we are seriously considering a further multi-million injection to the initial €50 million MTFG fund initiative.
We at HSBC Global Banking and Markets recognise the unique attributes of the Maltese potential. As an emerging markets-led and financing-focused business that provides tailored financial solutions to government, corporate and institutional clients worldwide, HSBC Global Banking and Markets serve our clients by teams that bring together relationship managers and product specialists to develop financial solutions that meet individual client needs.
Additionally, HSBC’s Capital Financing provides clients with a single integrated financing business, focused across a client’s capital structure, while HSBC’s Debt Capital Markets group takes a holistic approach to providing financing and related services to a broad range of corporate, financial institution, and public sector clients globally in the developed and developing world. This is further complemented by our integrated platform which comprises origination, structured finance, syndication, MTN structuring and origination, and transaction management.
As Malta increasingly becomes a globally recognised player in a range of services sectors, we at HSBC appreciate that international connections will be vital to Malta’s future economic growth. Through initiatives such as Malta Trade for Growth, global connectivity and invaluable market insight across continents, HSBC Malta is best placed to help companies in Malta to access opportunities across the globe that previously were out of reach.
As I write this, Malta is ranked as one of the most stable economies in the region. The recognition is a result of prudent, long-term vision of transforming the destiny of the country by positioning it as a strong financial and investment hub. The stability is evident in various aspects of social, economic, and financial realms. Most importantly, it has allowed Malta to reach out and serve as a reliable and trusted centre of excellence on the international stage for years to come.