Listen: The journey and objectives of the Malta Asset Servicing Association

In the fifth episode of the Ganado Meets Finance podcast, Mark Caruana Scicluna, a senior associate within the investment services and funds team at Ganado Advocates, speaks with Kenneth Farrugia, chairperson of the Malta Asset Servicing Association. 

In 1995, Malta enacted a suite of legislative and regulatory initiatives within the financial services industry, with prominence afforded to the asset management space.

Several banks in Malta began setting up their asset management operations targeting the domestic market, predominately in the retail space. As the industry evolved, we slowly began seeing international operators also setting up funds in Malta – in the wake of which the Malta Funds Industry Association (MFIA) was formed.

Following Malta’s accession to the EU, the country experienced rapid growth, with asset management operators relocating to Malta and setting up business here. During this period, the jurisdiction also saw an influx of fund administrators opting for Malta. With time, the sector advanced from its focus on asset management and began expanding to the asset servicing, custody and brokerage sectors as well. At this point, the MFIA became the Malta Asset...