Malta Enterprise setting up new Communications Unit

Malta Enterprise is to set up a Communications Unit which will have as one of its duties the liaison with Malta's embassies abroad, ME chairman Alan Camilleri said today.

He was addressing Malta's ambassadors at the second of a three day conference.

Mr Camilleri said Malta Enterprise acknowledged the importance of Malta's embassies to promote and assist investment and wanted to exploit their potential.

Foreign Minister Tonio Borg, who opened the conference yesterday, had insisted that embassies needed to be Malta's showcase in overseas capitals. The embassies this year handled some 50 enquiries per month from overseas companies.

The conference was also addressed by Finance Minister Tonio Fenech, who said that the government was working to raise the visibility of Malta abroad. He also spoke on how the economy was being diversified into new sectors such as information technology, financial services and high value-added manufacturing.

Prof Joe Bannister, chairman of the MFSA, said that despite the international recession, Malta had continued to attract foreign investment and the number of new companies registered by the end of this year was expected to match last year's figure.