‘Malta has proven it is resilient. Now it’s time to plan’ – Malta Chamber unveils election proposals

The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry has presented a wide-ranging set of proposals for the 2026-2031 legislature, arguing that while Malta has already proven its resilience through recent challenges, the country must now shift its focus towards long-term planning, innovation and sustainable growth.

In a proposal document titled LEAD – standing for “Leverage, Excellence, Agility and Delivery” – the Chamber said that the proposals presented were more than a “wish list” and instead constituted “a strategic roadmap” for Malta’s future, insisting that the country must now prove it is “ready to innovate, ready to lead, and ready to build a nation where economic success and societal well-being go hand in hand.”

The Chamber said it launched its internal consultation process on 27 April 2026, immediately after the announcement of the general election date, with a survey circulated among members to identify and rank their business priorities.

Its members are classified under three economic groups: the Importers, Distributors, Retailers Economic Group (IDREG), the Manufacturers Economic Group (MEG), and the Services Economic Group (SPEG).

A substantial portion of the Chamber’s proposals focused on Productivity and Competitiveness, which it said should act as “the engines of sustainable growth” by enabling businesses to operate and compete ethically both locally and internationally while maximising output and efficiency.

On labour migration policy, the Chamber proposed a series of revisions based on what it described as operational realities experienced in recent months, including exempting probation periods and redundancies for a just cause from quota calculations, revisiting mandatory three-week vacancy advertisements for critical roles, shortening response times for quota waivers linked to business growth, and processing applications within shorter timeframes through clearer application requirements.

The Chamber also proposed extending work permit renewal periods to three years and introducing sector-specific frameworks for industries such as aviation, yachting, maritime and shipping.

It said that operational continuity in such sectors depends on the rapid deployment of highly specialised international personnel.

Concern was also raised over the Maltese/EU employee to foreign worker ratio under the Labour Migration Policy, with the Chamber proposing that companies facing high overtime costs due to labour shortages should be allowed more flexibility where they are unable to recruit Maltese or EU workers despite continued vacancies.

It also proposed the elimination of status gaps during immigration appeals, citing lengthy waiting times and an existing backlog before the Immigration Appeals Board.

The Chamber additionally proposed removing the current cap and reducing the tax rate on overtime for full-time employees, adding that overtime taxation should be lower than the rate applied to part-time work to discourage workers from opting for secondary part-time jobs simply to benefit from lower taxation.

The proposal document said that this tendency was particularly prevalent among younger local workers in sectors such as manufacturing and retail.

Among other labour-related proposals, the Chamber called for adults with asylum protection status to be granted work permits, subject to conditions including clean police conduct, competence certification and three-year renewals.

The Chamber also suggested amendments to the current 2% disability quota law so that employers could meet quotas through the employment of both persons with disabilities and asylum protection adults.

It also proposed the introduction of Individual Learning Accounts in the form of “portable skills e-wallets” to encourage lifelong learning and greater employee ownership over career development.

It further proposed the creation of a Vocational Mobility Trades Package aimed at attracting workers and international students into trade-focused education and employment, potentially including English language support, rental assistance and work placements with Malta-based employers, with high-performing students potentially being offered extended stay visas tied to longer-term residency permits.

Mobility and transport also featured prominently in the proposals, with the Chamber calling for mobility e-wallets allowing individuals to access discounted sustainable transport services, adding that annual allocations usable across various forms of shared mobility could encourage behavioural change, reduce emissions and alleviate congestion.

The Chamber also proposed investment in a “state-of-the-art International Logistics Hub,” integrating air, sea and land transport through a possible public-private partnership under the Free Zone Act.

It argued that such a project could establish Malta as a logistics gateway between Europe and North Africa while complementing the planned Freeport expansion and a future dedicated air cargo terminal envisaged in Malta Vision 2050.

The Chamber also called for the strategic importance of the Grand Harbour to be recognised as critical national infrastructure, arguing that industrial, maritime and logistics operations should take precedence over commercial interests in planning decisions affecting the area.

On energy, the Chamber proposed revisiting industrial night-time electricity tariffs by lowering eligibility thresholds to encourage businesses to shift operations to off-peak hours, thereby reducing congestion and easing pressure on the electricity grid.

It also called for reforms to current renewable energy policies at INDIS Malta, including maximising rooftop photovoltaic deployment across industrial estates, ensuring equal conditions for businesses investing in energy upgrades, and clarifying administrative and cost procedures linked to renewable energy projects.

The Chamber further proposed updates to building regulations to make all new developments fibre-ready and equipped for 5G small-cell infrastructure at design stage, while also eventually extending structured retrofitting requirements to existing buildings to prepare Malta’s built environment for the digital economy.

One of the Chamber’s most notable fiscal proposals was a reduction in the corporate tax rate from 35% to 25% for all businesses, falling further to 20% for compliant businesses as a reward for ethical practices, coupled with targeted incentives for export-oriented high-potential sectors.

It proposed measures aimed at retaining and attracting skilled workers, including five-year tax exemptions for highly qualified Maltese nationals currently living abroad to reverse brain drain and address skills shortages in key sectors.

The Chamber also proposed significant reforms within the public sector and education system, including an independent audit of all government departments and entities to identify redundancies, reduce bureaucracy and redeploy surplus public sector workers into the private sector where necessary.

It further called for the elimination of half-day schedules in the public sector and for public service working hours to be streamlined with those of businesses, arguing that the current system creates inconveniences and inefficiencies.

On education, the Chamber proposed a “root-and-branch” curriculum reform shifting the national model from knowledge acquisition towards skills-based learning, while also introducing AI, critical thinking, digital literacy and financial literacy across the curriculum from primary level onwards.

The Chamber also proposed revisiting taxes and stamp duty linked to inter vivos and causa mortis transfers involving family businesses and property, arguing that lower rates on inter vivos transfers could encourage earlier and more structured succession planning.

Another major pillar of the LEAD document focused on what the Chamber described as “Excellence through Quality,” which it said should become the standard for Malta’s future growth model through better planning, stronger governance, enforcement reform and institutional agility.

The Chamber proposed an urgent revision of the Strategic Plan for Environment and Development (SPED) first adopted in 2015 and due for review in 2020, arguing that planning policies require stronger alignment, clearer rule hierarchies and the removal of ambiguity that allows inconsistent interpretation.

It also called for a carrying capacity assessment of Malta’s built and natural environment.

The Chamber further proposed a package of fiscal and regulatory incentives aimed at promoting environmentally sustainable construction and investment practices, including reduced tax rates on profits reinvested into sustainable systems, lower tax rates for landlords renting energy-efficient buildings, increased support and stamp dut exemptions for first-time buyers purchasing energy-efficient properties, and lower capital gains or withholding taxes for developers using sustainable construction materials.

The proposals also included the introduction of a building logbook recording a property’s structural history, certifications, maintenance obligations and subsequent alterations over time.

The Chamber further called for the ‘Malta Business Wallet’ to be extended across all regulatory authorities, professional bodies, corporate service providers and banking institutions.

On tourism, it proposed reforming the Malta Travel and Tourism Services Act to better reflect what it described as the realities of today’s tourism ecosystem, including evolving accommodation models, niche tourism segments and the increasing influence of digital platforms and technology.

The Chamber also called for stronger and more coordinated enforcement across government departments and regulatory authorities, arguing that preventive and unselective enforcement should become the norm.

Public procurement reform also featured in the document, with the Chamber arguing that procurement decisions should move beyond “box ticking” exercises and instead prioritise expertise, labour standards, health and safety obligations and accountability rather than lowest-price considerations alone.

The Chamber additionally called for stronger safeguards to ensure the supply of medicines and medical devices, including procurement frameworks prioritising reliability and quality over purely price-driven purchasing, alongside improvements to the CPSU inventory system to strengthen forward planning and clinical governance.

It also proposed the modernisation of public procurement contracts through automatic index-linked price adjustment clauses during periods of exceptional market disruption to protect service continuity while safeguarding public finances through transparent rules-based adjustments.

On governance, the Chamber urged Malta to implement improvements suggested in the European Commission’s 2025 Rule of Law report, including maintaining a public register of meetings between MPs and lobbyists, eliminating political influence over the national broadcaster, ensuring transparent state advertising practices and strengthening meaningful public consultation processes.