In a conference organized by Servizzi Européis Malta (SEM) which was attended by the business community, the progress made and the way forward for the simplification of the European Funds process was discussed, where the unnecessary bureaucracy.
The new European Funds schemes for small and medium businesses were also launched, amounting to €16.5 million. These new schemes will also be simplified as the Government promised last January when it announced the 2021-2027 operational programs and committed that businesses have the easiest possible access to these funds.
Among the concrete changes that have already been made in the last months are the reduction in the application from 90 to 25 pages, the removal of the need for a business plan in certain applications and the strengthening of communication and services of support with language that brings the funds closer to the business community.
The Minister for the Economy, European Funds and Lands, Silvio Schembri said “as a country we worked hard so that Malta could obtain the largest package of funds ever obtained by our country, that of €2.2 billion euros. But the work does not stop there, rather that is the beginning. Our job now is to see that the best use is made of those funds and for this to be done we want above all to see that the commercial community is applying to make use of them. Therefore we believe in simpler processes, so that we can maximize the advantages that European funds have.”
The Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds Chris Bonett said that this work shows a change in perspective, where more trust is being shown in the knowledge of businesses, with a sense of justice and inclusiveness, with the priority being that they help and not excluding those who deserve access to European Funds. “These changes will open a new era where processes help and not hinder progress. In the management of European Funds, the Government must serve as a catalyst for economic and social development, where an environment is created that not only provides financial support but also ensures that the full potential of every business we help is reached. We are looking forward to a future where European Funds will have less obstacles than ever before so that your ambitions will be given new strength,” Chris Bonett concluded.
It was explained that the next step in simplification is the digitization of all systems in the field of European Funds. Among them with real-time tracking of applications, continuous notifications with updates on applications and access 24 hours a day for guidance to applicants. The number of consultation meetings and information sessions will also be increased so that all voices are heard before decisions are made.
