Economy of Malta
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The strengths of the economy of Malta are its limestone, a favourable geographic location, and a productive labour force. Malta produces only about 20% of its food needs, has limited freshwater supplies, and has no domestic energy sources. The economy is dependent on foreign trade, manufacturing (especially electronics and textiles), and tourism; the state-owned Malta drydocks employs about 3,800 people. In 1999, over one million tourists visited the island. Per capita GDP of US$19,900 places Malta in the ranks of the less affluent European Union (EU) countries. The island has joined the EU in 2004 despite having been the divided politically over the question earlier. The sizable budget deficit remains a key concern.
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[edit] Economic history
Until 1800, Malta had very few industries except the cotton, tobacco, and shipyards industry. The dockyard was later used by the British for military purposes. At times of war, Malta's economy prospered due to its strategic location.
During the Napoleonic Wars (1800–1815), Malta's economy prospered and became the focal point of a major trading system. In 1808, two-thirds of the cargo consigned from Malta went to Levant and Egypt. Later, one-half of the cargo was usually destined for Trieste. Cargo consisted of largely British and colonial-manufactured goods. Malta's economy became prosperous from this trade and many artisans, such as weavers, found new jobs in the port industry.
In 1820, during the Battle of Navarino, which took place in Greece, the British fleet was based in Malta. In 1839, the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company and East India Companies used Malta as a calling port on their Egypt and Levant runs.
In 1869, the opening of the Suez Canal benefited Malta's economy greatly as there was a massive increase in the shipping which entered in the port. The economy had entered a special phase. The Mediterranean Sea became the "world highway of trade" and a number of ships called at Malta for coal and various supplies on their way to the Indian Ocean and the Far East.
From 1871 to 1881, about 8,000 workers found jobs in the Malta docks and a number of banks opened in Malta. By 1882, Malta reached the height of its prosperity.
However, the boom did not last long. By the end of the 19th century, the economy began declining and by the 1940s, Malta's economy was in serious crisis. This was primarily due to the invention of large ships which had become oil-fired and therefore had no need to stop in the Grand Harbour of Malta to refuel. The British Government had to extend the dockyard.
At the end of World War II, Malta's strategic importance had reached a low point. Modern air warfare technology and the invention of the atomic bomb had changed the importance of the military base. The British lost control of the Suez Canal and withdrew from the naval dockyard, transforming it for commercial shipbuilding and ship repair purposes.
[edit] Modern economy
Possessing few indigenous raw materials and a very small domestic market, Malta has based its economic development on the promotion of tourism and labor-intensive exports. Since the mid-1980s, expansion in these activities has been the principal engine for strong growth in the Maltese economy. Investment in infrastructure since 1987 has stimulated an upswing in Malta's tourism economic fortunes.
Tourist arrivals and foreign exchange earnings derived from tourism have steadily increased since the 1987 watershed, in which there was growth from the previous year of, respectively, 30% and 63% (increase in terms of U.S. dollars). Following September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack, the tourist industry has suffered some setbacks.
With the help of a favourable international economic climate, the availability of domestic resources, and industrial policies that support foreign export-oriented investment, the economy has been able to sustain a period of rapid growth. During the 1990s, Malta's economic growth has generally continued this brisk pace. Both domestic demand (mainly consumption) boosted by large increases in government spending, and exports of goods and services contributed to this favorable performance.
Buoyed by continued rapid growth, the economy has maintained a relatively low rate of unemployment. Labor market pressures have increased as skilled labor shortages have become more widespread, despite illegal immigration, and real earnings growth has accelerated.
Growing public and private sector demand for credit has led -- in the context of interest rate controls - to credit rationing to the private sector and the introduction of noninterest charges by banks. Despite these pressures, consumer price inflation has remained low, reflecting the impact of a fixed exchange rate policy and lingering price controls.
The Maltese Government has pursued a policy of gradual economic liberalization, taking some steps to shift the emphasis in trade and financial policies from reliance on direct government intervention and control to policy regimes that allow a greater role for market mechanisms. However, by international standards, the economy remains highly regulated and continues to be hampered by some longstanding structural weaknesses.
There is a strong manufacturing base for high value-added products like electronics and pharmaceuticals, and the manufacturing sector has more than 250 foreign-owned, export-oriented enterprises. Tourism generates 35% of GDP, with Malta attracting more than 1.2 million visitors in 2000. Film production is another growing industry (approx. 1,400,000 euros between 1997 and 2002), despite stiff competition from other film locations in Eastern Europe and North Africa, with the Malta Film Commission providing support services to foreign film companies for the production of feature cinema, commercials and television series.[1]
In 2000 the economy grew by 7% in nominal terms and 4.3% in real terms. Unemployment was down to 4.4%, its lowest level in 3 years. Many formerly state-owned companies are being privatized - and the market liberalized.
Fiscal policy is now directed toward bringing down the budget deficit. Public debt grew from 24% of GDP in 1990 to 56% in 1999. The target is a deficit-to-GDP ratio of around 3% in 3 years. In 2000 deficit-to-GDP ratio was 6.6% of GDP, down from 11% last year.
[edit] Economic statistics
GDP: purchasing power parity - $5.3 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $19,900 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3%
industry: 26%
services: 71% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.8% (1999 est.)
Labour force: 143,700 (October 1997)
Labour force - by occupation: industry 24%, services 71%, agriculture 5% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5.5% (September 1999)
Budget:
revenues: $1.32 billion
expenditures: $1.76 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
Industries: tourism; electronics, ship building and repair, construction; food and beverages, textiles, footwear, clothing, tobacco
Industrial production growth rate: NA
Electricity - production: 1,620 GWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 1,507 GWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut flowers, green peppers; pork, milk, poultry, eggs
Exports: $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, manufactures
Exports - partners: France 20.7%, US 18.1%, Germany 12.6%, UK 7.7%, Italy 4.8% (1998)
Imports: $2.7 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; food, drink, and tobacco
Imports - partners: Italy 19.3%, France 17.8%, UK 12.4%, Germany 10.5%, US 8.9% (1998)
Debt - external: $130 million (1997)
Economic aid - recipient: NA
Currency: 1 Maltese lira (LM) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Maltese liri (LM) per US$1 - 0.4086 (January 2000), 0.3994 (1999), 0.3885 (1998), 0.3857 (1997), 0.3604 (1996), 0.3529 (1995)
[edit] See also
[edit] References
Members
Austria · Belgium · Bulgaria · Cyprus · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Ireland · Italy · Latvia · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Malta · Netherlands · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · United Kingdom
Candidates
Croatia (status) · Republic of Macedonia (status)1 · Turkey (status)
Potential candidates
Albania (status) · Bosnia and Herzegovina (status) · Montenegro (status) · Serbia (status)
1 Referred to by the EU as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
1 All twenty-seven member states of the European Union are also members of the WTO in their own right:
Austria • Belgium • Bulgaria • Cyprus • Czech Republic • Denmark • Estonia • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Hungary • Ireland • Italy • Latvia • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Malta • Netherlands (— For the Kingdom in Europe and for the Netherlands Antilles) • Poland • Portugal • Romania • Slovakia • Slovenia • Spain • Sweden • United Kingdom
