The financial services industry has been a key pillar of the Maltese economy, contributing to a sizeable and noticeable portion of the island’s GDP.

Malta, as a jurisdiction of choice for numerous promoters of financial services enterprises, provides a perfect forum wherein an ever increasing, highly skilled, English speaking workforce can drive the industry forward through innovate thought and possession of a high level of legal and regulatory knowledge.

The soundness provided by locally based credit and financial institutions, coupled with regulatory certainty through the establishment of lucidly laid out regulations which are applicable to all sectors of the industry, provides the ideal platform for operators to set up shop in Malta and to avail of Malta as a gateway to the provision of services across the European Union.

Legislators have continuously strived to put Malta on the map by providing the financial services industry with innovative products which allow the jurisdiction to stand out when compared to its peers.

The abovementioned is in no way more evidently demonstrated than in the funds industry, through the emergence and firm establishment of the professional investor fund (PIF) and notified alternative investment fund (NAIF) regimes. The coming to the floor of the Virtual Financial Asset (VFA) Act, which specifically regulates the public offering of virtual financial assets and service providers such as brokers and exchanges, could also be said to be evidence of Malta’s efforts to stand out and be a leader in innovative financial regulation.