Malta Enterprise to lead trade missions to China, India, Australia in 2011

Malta Enterprise is to lead trade missions to Europe, China, India and Australia this year, according to its 2011 internationalisation calendar which was presented on Friday.

Launched by Finance Minister Tonio Fenech while on a courtesy visit to steel-maker JS Dimech of Ħal Far, the calendar is aimed at helping local firms broaden their business horizons.

Mr Fenech said ME’s internationalisation events had the objective of assisting local enterprises, particularly SMEs, in their growth strategy by expanding their operations abroad and lessen their dependency on the local market.

The year’s first Malta Enterprise-led business delegation travels to Algieria and Libya on Saturday.

Other trade missions this year will be organised to Belgium and The Netherlands, Israel and the Palestinian Territories, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, Germany, Australia and New Zealand and India.

The China and India visits will follow up on previous, successful trade missions in the last few months.

The calendar also features participation in major international trade events including the International Gaming Exhibition in London later this month, Call Centre World in Berlin next month, the Tripoli International Fair and Libya Build in April and May, and the Anuga Food Fair in Cologne and the Biotechnica in Hanover in October.

Mr Fenech added that the events also sought to promote Malta and increase the awareness about the opportunities the country offered to foreign investors.

The government had allocated €350,000 to the internationalisation events, a substantial part of which would go to participating enterprises.

Business delegations also benefitted from meetings with foreign companies in networking events organised by Malta Enterprise to help participants identify contacts.

Last year, 155 enterprises took part in eight commercial delegations and six specialised fairs. Another 28 companies were given assistance to take part in events in which Malta Enterprise was not represented.

On Friday, the minister had words of praise for JS Dimech which has more than doubled its workforce to 100 in the past two years and was also considering tapping foreign markets, particularly Libya.

JS Dimech, a major player in the steel, aluminium, wrought iron and glass works, had also benefited from investment aid in the form of tax credits and assistance of €72,000 under the ERDF Innovation Grant Scheme.

The funds went towards its most recent investment and new equipment. Mr Fenech said that it was through such entrepreneurs that Malta continued to generate employment; at 6.2 per cent, its unemployment rate was one of the lowest.