Privatisation of the Malta Stock Exchange remains an option and will be considered if and when a proposal that makes sense for the country is received, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said this morning.

He told timesofmalta.com during a visit to the Stock Exchange that it was government's long held policy that a carefully regulated private sector could be more productive and competitive than the public sector.

Dr Gonzi visited the Malta Stock Exchange with Finance Minister Tonio Fenech following the signing of a collaboration agreement yesterday with the Irish Stock Exchange that will see Malta used as a location for new services.

He said that the relatively young Stock Exchange – it is only 20 years old -was an important player in the financial services sector, which last year contributed a fourth of the country's economic growth.

MSE chairman Arthur Galea Salomone said the stock exchange provided an alternative source of capital funding for companies.

He said activity in the primary market experienced difficulties similar to those of other countries and activity was nothing next to what it was in previous years.

However, turnover in the secondary market was not too far off from that of previous years.

In view of the difficulties, he added, the MSE was diversifying its sources of income by offering various services, even to non-listed companies.