SmartCity fast-tracking 'should be standard'

The fast-tracking of procedures for SmartCity should not be a one-off, Federation of Industry deputy president Helga Ellul told an investment seminar.

She said a prospective investor will decide which way to go not only on the incentive package presented, but also on a country's procedural effectiveness.

"The recent news about the deal to establish SmartCity in Malta is not only a huge development in Malta's attraction to foreign investment, but also an unprecedented positive story of how government and its agencies managed to fast-track the initial procedural undertaking.

"This is what any investor looks for when dealing with a modern country and I strongly believe that this should not be a one-off case but it should be our standard in all cases," she said.

Mrs Ellul was chairing an FOI-Malta Employers Association investment-related seminar.