Category: Articles

The Malta Chamber of SMEs, in collaboration with MTCA, organised an informative webinar focusing on the newly introduced tax rates and income brackets, which attracted strong interest from the business community, with over 200 participants in attendance.

The session provided members with a clearer understanding of the changes and their potential impact on businesses and individuals, allowing for an engaging discussion throughout. Special thanks are extended to MTCA officials, in particular Mr Lydon Farrugia and Mr Noel Agius, who delivered detailed presentations, shared practical insights, and took the time to address questions raised by participants, ensuring a valuable and interactive learning experience for all those who joined.

The latest Open Calls from the CYberSynchrony project, funded by the European Union under the Digital Europe programme.  These calls aim to support projects that strengthen cybersecurity across NIS2 sectors.  The calls opened on 01.01.2026 and will remain open until 01.03.2026 (17:00 CET).

A total budget of €3.55M in grant funding is available under this project through three (3) different open calls, with the following participation formats available:

•                 Calls 1 & 2 accept single SMEs or small consortia (of 2–3 participants) with an SME as coordinator for consortia.

•                 Call 3 accepts only consortia of 2–3 participants.

 

Each project may benefit up to Eur200,000 in funding and must have a duration of 8 months.

Who can apply: SMEs & start-ups, research organisations, universities, non-profits/NGOs, public authorities, and cybersecurity professionals.

If you would like more details, including the application process, please visit: cybersynchrony.eu/open-calls/.

For further enquiries, CYberSynchrony may be contacted via the official Contact Us form: cybersynchrony.eu/contact-us/.

Following the 2026 Budget measure, the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) will expand its training programmes to help SMEs strengthen workplace safety compliance and awareness. These training sessions will be offered free of charge.

The Malta Chamber of SMEs, in collaboration with OHSA, is currently conducting an expression of interest for a series of courses planned for delivery to SMEs. Your input in this very brief questionnaire will help shape the courses to better meet the needs of your business.

We encourage you to participate and share your feedback.

Click here to express interest

Following a request by Member of European Parliament Dr Peter Agius, the Malta Chamber of SMEs hosted a meeting with its members at the Malta Chamber of SMEs offices in Floriana to discuss unfair practices affecting Maltese furniture importers.

During the meeting, members outlined the challenges they are currently facing and described the realities of the present market situation. Participants highlighted issues related to competition, pricing pressures and regulatory imbalances, and engaged in an open discussion aimed at identifying possible solutions and recommendations for further action.

On behalf of the SME Chamber, the meeting was led by Council Member Dino Fino.

SMEunited elects Davide Galli as new President

Malta Chamber of SMEs President Mr Paul Abela was re-elected as Director of SME United during its General Assembly which was held in Brussels.

SMEunited, is the European association of crafts and SMEs in Europe with around 65 member organisations from over 30 European countries. SMEunited is a recognised employers’ organisation and European Social Partner and acts on behalf of crafts and SMEs in the European Social Dialogue and in discussions with the EU institutions.

Mr Paul Abela thanked everyone and stated he’ll keep on working for SME’s at this European platform.

During this meeting Davide Galli was elected as the new President of SME United. Mr Galli said “I am dedicated to regulatory simplification as main driver for the competitiveness of our companies”.

Following a consultation exercise with its members across various sectors, the Malta Chamber of SMEs presented its position on the Central Bank of Malta’s proposed amendments to Directive 19 concerning the use of cheques. While the SME Chamber recognised the Central Bank’s intention to encourage the transition towards more modern and efficient payment systems, several of the proposed measures required further assessment to ensure they remained practical, proportionate, and inclusive for the wider business community, particularly when dealing with self-employed individuals and micro-businesses.

Feedback collected from members highlighted concerns that extended beyond any specific industry. These concerns were particularly relevant to SMEs, which relied heavily on flexible and accessible payment methods to maintain stable cash flow, manage day-to-day operations, and serve a wide range of customers, including those who did not have access to local banking facilities or who were not yet fully comfortable with digital alternatives. In some instances, the proposed changes risked creating operational disruptions and increasing operational costs.

Click here to view position paper

The Malta Visual Non-Visual Network, in collaboration with the Malta Tourism Authority, is offering training programmes for tourism and hospitality workers to help create inclusive tourism and catering experiences for persons who are blind or have low vision. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Ian Borg, presented training certificates to the participants’ staff.

SME Chamber Deputy President and Paceville Town Centre Management Chairman, Philip Fenech, welcomed this initiative, highlighting that it enhances service excellence and empowers the industry to adequately cater to the specific needs of persons with disabilities.