The Malta Development Bank is proud to announce the signing of strategic agreements with three leading banks to serve as intermediary partners for its two new flagship financing schemes.
Each of these banks brings a wealth of experience in supporting Maltese businesses and shares the MDB’s vision of driving economic growth and sustainability through targeted financing solutions.
By working together, the MDB and its intermediary partners will offer a comprehensive suite of benefits to SMEs, including lower interest rates, reduced collateral requirements and better credit terms.
These partnerships mark a significant milestone in MDB’s commitment to fostering the growth and development of SMEs in Malta. As part of these agreements, the MDB will collaborate closely with the banks to provide tailored financial products and services to businesses. By leveraging the banks’ extensive networks and expertise, the MDB aims to facilitate access to funding, promote innovation, and empower SMEs to thrive in today’s competitive business landscape.
These two schemes, the SME Guarantee Scheme and the Guaranteed Co-Lending Scheme, which together carry a portfolio of up to €180 million in new loans, seek to encourage entrepreneurs to invest in projects that contribute to growth in a variety of traditional and innovative economic sectors.
Access to these schemes is now available through these intermediary banks. The SME Guarantee Scheme supports investments of up to €750,000 while the Guaranteed Co-Lending Scheme can address the financing needs of larger projects up to €10 million.In line with national and European-wide priorities, the Schemes also serve as a tool to mobilise private investment through risk mitigation and will support firms in undertaking the climate and digital transitions required to meet existing challenges and prepare themselves for further growth.
MDB Chairman Prof. Josef Bonnici said: “This agreement is a major breakthrough for business operators and a key milestone for the MDB since it is the first intermediation agreement with the local banking industry, besides the Covid-19 Guarantee Scheme, which sees three major banks on the Maltese islands joining forces with us to offer businesses with simplified and cheaper access to finance, allowing firms to address the current challenges and implement the necessary transformation to keep growing in the years ahead”. MDB CEO Paul V Azzopardi expressed enthusiasm and confidence in the combined expertise and resources these banks bring to the table. “We are thrilled to join forces with BOV, HSBC and APS to drive the growth and prosperity of SMEs via new investment in traditional sectors of the economy as well as the new sectors of climate improvement, digitalisation, and sustainable economic activity. By leveraging our collective strengths and market presence, we will provide SMEs with the necessary financial support to realize their ambitions and contribute to economic development.”
Il-Bank Malti għall-Iżvilupp jsaħħaħ l-appoġġ għall-SMEs bi ftehim mal-BOV, HSBC u APS
Il-Bank Malti għall-Iżvilupp iħabbar li laħaq ftehim strateġiku ma’ tliet banek ewlenin biex iservu ta’ msieħba intermedjarji għaż-żewġ skemi ewlenin ta’ finanzjament tiegħu.
Dawn it-tliet banek joffru esperjenza vasta fl-appoġġ lin-negozju Malti u jaqsmu mal-MDB il-viżjoni li jkun xprunat tkabbir ekonomiku u sostenibbiltà permezz ta’ soluzzjonijiet ta’ finanzjament immirati.
B’ħidma flimkien, l-MDB u l-imsieħba intermedjarji se joffru firxa wiesa’ u komprensiva ta’ benefiċċji lill-SMEs, inkluż rati tal-imgħax aktar baxxi, rekwiżiti anqas onerużi b’rabta ma’ garanziji u termini aħjar ta’ kreditu.
Dawn is-sħubiji jirrappreżentaw mument importanti ħafna fl-impenn tal-MDB li jagħti appoġġ lill-SMEs f’Malta biex dawn jikbru u jiżviluppaw. Bħala parti minn dawn il-ftehimiet, l-MDB se jaħdem fil-qrib mal-banek biex jipprovdu prodotti u servizzi ta’ finanzjament mmirati lin-negozju. Bl-użu tan-netwerks u għarfien estensiv tal-banek, l-MDB għandu l-għan li jiffaċilita l-aċċess għall-finanzjament, jippromwovi l-innovazzjoni u jagħti s-saħħa lill-SMEs biex jiksbu suċċess fil-pajsaġġ kummerċjali mill-aktar kompetittiv tal-lum.
Dawn iż-żewġ skemi, l-SME Guarantee Scheme u l-Guaranteed Co-Lending Scheme, li flimkien joffru portafoll li jlaħħaq sa €180 miljun f’self ġdid, ifittex li jinkoraġġixxi l-imprendituri biex jinvestu fi proġetti li jikkrontribwixxu lejn it-tkabbir f’setturi tradizzjonali u innovattivi differenti.
L-aċċess għal dawn l-iskemi issa huwa disponibbli permezz ta’ dawn il-banek intermedjarji. L-SME Guarantee Scheme tappoġġja investimenti sa €750,000 filwaqt li l-Guaranteed Co-Lending Scheme tista’ tindirizza l-finanzjament ta’ proġetti akbar li jistgħu jlaħħqu sa €10 miljun. B’konformità ma’ prioritajiet lokali u Ewropej, l-Iskemi jservu wkoll ta’ għodda biex jimmobilizzaw investiment privat permezz ta’ tnaqqis tar-riskji u se jappoġġjaw lill-kumpaniji li jinvestu fit-tranżizzjonijiet ambjentali u diġitali li huma meħtieġa biex jindirizzaw l-isfidi eżistenti u jħejju lilhom infushom għal tkabbir ulterjuri.
Iċ-Chairman tal-MDB Prof Josef Bonnici qal: “Dan il-ftehim jirrappreżenta kisba importanti ħafna għall-operaturi kummerċjali u mument fundamentali għall-MDB peress li huwa l-ewwel ftehim ta’ intermedjazzjoni mal-industrija bankarja lokali, barra l-Covid-19 Guarantee Scheme, li permezz tiegħu tliet banek fil-Gżejjer Maltin qed jingħaqdu magħna biex joffru lin-negozju b’aċċess għal finanzi aktar faċli u inqas oneruż, li jippermetti lil dawn il-kumpaniji biex jimplimentaw it-trasformazzjoni meħtieġa u jkomplu jikbru fis-snin li ġejjin”. Il-Kap Eżekuttiv tal-MDB Paul V Azzopardi esprima entużjażmu u kunfidenza għall-għarfien u riżorsi konġunti li joffru dawn il-banek. “Ninsabu ferm kuntenti li qed nissieħbu mal-BOV, HSBC u APS biex nixprunaw it-tkabbir u l-prosperità tal-SMEs permezz ta’ investiment ġdid fis-setturi tradizzjonali tal-ekonomija kif ukoll fis-setturi ġodda bħat-titjib tal-klima, id-diġitalizzazzjoni u l-attività ekonomika sostenibbli. Flimkien se nkunu qed nipprovdu lill-SMEs bl-appoġġ finanzjarju meħtieġ biex dawn iwettqu l-ambizzjonijiet tagħhom u jikkontribwixxu għall-iżvilupp ekonomiku.”
27 ta’ Ġunju 2023