Regulations to Aid Undertakings Providing Professional Training to Employees

On the 25^th January 2019, the Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Businesses published the “Skills Development Regulations, 2019”, [1] which aim to financially assist those undertakings that offer schemes of professional training to their employees.

The regulations apply to the period between the 1^st September 2018 and the 31^st December 2020. They also repeal the “Assistance for Knowledge Transfer Regulations”, but such repeal should not affect any aid previously awarded by virtue of their past application. [2]

Under the new regulations, Malta Enterprise has been given the power to assist undertakings that provide training to employees “in relation to their employment”. Before doing so, Malta Enterprise must be satisfied that the relevant undertaking is currently carrying out or intends to carry out “an activity that may contribute to the economic development of Malta” and employs at least five (5) persons on a full-time basis.

As for the type of assistance which Malta Enterprise may give to a specific undertaking, this can take one of two forms: either a tax credit or a cash grant. However, the regulations cap the amount of any grant in proportion to the size of the undertaking and a percentage of its “eligible costs” (which shall be established by Malta Enterprise in the relevant Guidelines). [3]

In no case may the total amount of assistance granted to an undertaking exceed the amount of one million euro (€1,000,000). Nor may a tax credit be used to obtain a refund of any tax paid by the undertaking.