In a year of unusual financial recovery, some of the leading financial and economic experts on the island brought a sense of calm from their vantage points at the Institute of Financial Services-Malta (ifs-Malta) Dinner, now regarded as the industry’s foremost annual event.

As the attendees traded notes on the highs and lows of the previous 12 months, Governor of the Central Bank of Malta and the Minister for Finance took to the stage and shared their optimism on the progress made by the Maltese economy despite tumultuous times elsewhere in the European Union.

The evening commenced with a welcome address from ifs-Malta President Simon Grech FCIB, as he thanked the attendees and presented an overview of the Institute’s activities and accomplishments over the past year.

This was followed by a policy speech from Professor Josef Bonnici, the Governor of the Central Bank of Malta, who is also a member of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank. 

Prof Bonnici referred to the importance of the continuing enhancement of the competitiveness of the Maltese economy. The Governor noted that the financial sector stability is essential for a sustainable economic growth and elaborated on the role of the banks in relaying the ECB’s monetary accommodation to meet credit demand in Malta.

“Education and training are fundamental components of a successful and sustainable financial services sector and in this regard, one commends the achievements of the Institute over the past year,” said Prof Bonnici.

The final address was delivered by the Minister for Finance Professor Edward Scicluna who commended ifs-Malta on its activities throughout the year, and underlined the importance of the financial services sector. 

“Although the global environment remains challenging, further opportunities for Malta’s financial sector do exist. The government is confident in the potential of the sector to continue being a major economic driver in Malta,” said Prof Scicluna.

“The financial industry needs to sustain its investment in the human resource element of the sector through constant educational programmes. This will ensure that the high standards within the industry are retained. We are committed to continue facilitating the growth and transformation of the sector, allowing us the reaping of the opportunities ahead of us,” added Prof Scicluna.

The ifs-Malta annual dinner has become an established event in the calendar of bankers and financial services practitioners in Malta and is attended by senior management of financial institutions and the regulators, representatives of constituted bodies, members of the academia, media, diplomatic corps, and the business community.