The employment of persons with disability is regulated by the Persons with Disability (Employment) Act (Chapter 210 of the Laws of Malta) and the Equal Opportunities (Persons with Disability) Act (Chapter 413 of the Laws of Malta), which among others, prevent employers from discriminating against employees with disabilities. On 1st May 2019, the European Commission…

Malta’s shipping register is the largest shipping register worldwide of superyachts, having over 850 vessels larger than 24m.Over the last five years, the shipping register has seen a 50% increase for yachts, with 7% increase in 2020 alone, despite the effects of Covid-19. Registering a yacht in Malta has the following advantages: Yachts may be…

On 9th March 2021 the Government issued new regulations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act titled Use of Cash (Restriction) Regulations,2021. It is now against the law to make or receive payment in cash amounting to €10,000 or more (or its equivalent in another currency), whether in a single transaction or in several linked…

In December 2020, amendments to employment legislation have clarified that the Industrial Tribunal now has jurisdiction to determinate cases related to fixed term contracts. Furthermore, recent amendments have increased the cost of living for 2021, and hence, full time employees’ wages have increased by €1.75 weekly.This increase has also been reflected in the minimum wage….

Through the SME programme, the EU will be making available a number of initiatives to aid SMEs in countering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. One such initiative, is a fifty percent (50%) discount on the application fees payable to the Malta IP office or the EUIPO for the registration of trademarks, logos, slogans and…

A Malta Professional Investor Fund is a type of collective investment scheme which providesa lighter regulatory regime and more flexibility than traditional UCITS and AIFs. They are ideal forinvestors   who want toventure out into non-traditional or specialist investments,such as private equity or immovable property.The Malta Professional Investor Fund regime is targeted at certain investors who…

A Malta Captive insurance undertaking (also known as an affiliated insurance undertaking)is an entity owned either by a financial undertakingor by a non-financial undertaking, the purpose of which is toprovide insurance cover exclusively for the risks of the undertakingor undertakings to which it belongs or of an undertaking orundertakings of the group of which it…

Malta Trusts have gained momentum since the enactment of the Trusts and Trustees Act in 2004. Prior to this date, trusts were not recognised under Maltese law, since the Maltese private law is largely based on the Civil Law tradition. The key players in a Malta Trust are (i) the Settlor being the person or…

In its latest review, Fitch forecasts Malta’s real GDP will contract by 6.9 per cent in 2020, ‘a moderate downward revision’ from its April review (5.9 per cent), saying declining net exports played a significant role in the change. The credit ratings agency said Malta’s tourism sector suffered a large contraction in the While there…

A number of incentives are available to entities registered as a family business in terms of the Family Business Act, Chapter 565 of the Laws of Malta (“the Act”). Such incentives are available up to the end of 2020 and include reduced stamp duty of 1.5% on the transfer of the business from the parents…