The Maltese government has actively started looking into the
possibility of setting up a Development Bank in Malta. A task force
has been appointed to carry out the necessary studies outlining the
viability of this initiative. The progress with regards to this
project was also mentioned in the Maltese Central Bank's annual
report presented by CB's governor Josef Bonnici.
The aim of setting up such a bank would be to complement rather
than compete with commercial bank activity. The government would be
able to delegate certain tasks to this body, particularly ones
related to funding and development, including social housing.
Particularly in view of the pressing issue that SMEs currently have
limited access to funds, as pointed out by DBRS in their report
about the
Maltese economy, the bank would also serve as the ideal
platform to facilitate small businesses' access to available
funding as well as other projects related to strengthening the
Maltese economy through
