Despite being a small island nation, Malta's
influence on the wider European financial sector is a significant
one. Michael Imeson looks at how the country so consistently
punches above its weight.
Malta continues to have more influence in the international
financial markets than its size might warrant, with financial
services accounting for 11% of its gross domestic product (GDP) and
more than 90% of its foreign direct investment.
With a population of 436,000 crammed onto an island of 316
square kilometres, Malta’s financial sector is necessarily
outward looking. Its reliable regulatory and professional
environment attracts firms from Europe and the rest of the world,
which use it as a tax-efficient Mediterranean launchpad to passport
services throughout the EU.
