An economic pillar

One of the main pillars of the Maltese economy is that sector made up of small- and medium-sized enterprises. This sector is also given much importance within the European Union. Not only does such a sector generate new jobs but it is also important in terms of the diversity of products offered to the market.

The European Commission has launched a new portal in this regard. This new tool is aimed to assist SMEs to obtain information on the overall spectrum of EU policies, legislation, programmes and initiatives relevant to Europe's small- and medium-sized enterprises.

The European Union assists SMEs through funding programmes. There are many opportunities available and the new website aims to help entrepreneurs get a more direct and personalised service.

Among the various types of funding offered one finds eContentplus, an innovation programme with a budget of €149 million. It is aimed at eliminating barriers and promoting the use of ICT while, at the same time, improve accessibility in a multilingual environment.

The programme targets areas where development has been slow. Examples of such sectors include cultural, scientific and scholarly content. It also supports EU-wide coordination of collections in libraries, museums and archives and the preservation of digital collections in order to ensure availability of cultural, scholarly and scientific assets for future use.

The European Union has set up offices all over the 27 member states to assist individuals with their queries. The Malta office is the Euro Info Office, which may be found in San Gwann. Another good source where to obtain information related to local SMEs is Malta Enterprise.

Malta Enterprise is the government's exclusive agency focused on attracting inward investment and supporting enterprise in Malta. It also provides professional training to entrepreneurs.

SMEs are considered to be among the biggest providers of new jobs in the EU. Over the past two years, this sector has been the main driver of employment growth in the EU, in particular in sectors like construction, transport, communication or tourism. Entrepreneurship education, even locally, is increasingly becoming part of school curricula.

Activities such as Scoops and Young Enterprise are offering possibilities to our students to get hands-on experience in the entrepreneurship world. Scoops - the schools cooperatives - combines studies at secondary school level with hands-on experience. It also offers students the opportunity to explore options before choosing a career. In addition, students are given the opportunity to develop self-confidence, interpersonal skills and professional work habits.

Young Enterprise targets post-secondary school students. With a vision to inspire and educate young people to understand and value the role of business through practical business projects, Young Enterprise aims to introduce and develop entrepreneurial education programmes in as many schools and organisations as possible.

Setting up an SME is just the beginning. If SMEs are to have a significant impact on the local and the EU's economy, they need to grow. This means they need to take on more employees, expand their product ranges, markets and turnover. To succeed in this sector one must continue to improve the skills. The use of new technologies and the knowledge to implement them are a must for an SME to succeed.

With Malta's accession to the European Union, individuals are being offered training opportunities both at local and international levels. The Employment and Training Corporation (ETC) offers a vast range of short courses to assist in developing one's skills. These vary from business planning to management skills and training schemes where an employer can send employees for training in general or in specific areas, for which expenses are partially refunded.

The Nationalist Party in government has always empowered SMEs and the business sector in general to develop. Among these one finds the Business Promotion Act (2005) aimed at encouraging the establishment of new businesses and the expansion of existing ones.

It was a Nationalist Administration that set up the ETC in 1990. The corporation offers the possibility to employees to expand their employment opportunities while, at the same time, provide professional assistance to employers, including training grants.

The Nationalist Administration is empowering this entrepreneurial force to solidify its market and empower it for future challenges while, at the same time, laying the path for further prosperity.

In such a competitive world we must nurture SMEs so that niche markets can be penetrated. Providing a diverse selection of services and products will further open opportunities for all Maltese society while guaranteeing better lifestyles for all.

This may be achieved through a concrete vision for our country, a vision that offers the tools to expand not only at a local level but also within international markets. Thanks to our country's accession to the eurozone, our aspirations may grow further.

Mr Casa is a Nationalist member of the European Parliament.

www.davidcasa.eu, david.casa@europarl.europa.eu