Malta: Selected Issues

February 21, 2017

Preview Citation

Format: Chicago

Malta: Selected Issues, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2017) accessed November 21, 2024

Summary

This Selected Issues paper examines the vulnerability of firms in Malta and investigates the effect of their balance sheets on investment in innovation. The results indicate that, while the financial health of medium and large firms has improved in recent years, vulnerabilities remain in the construction sector and for small and medium enterprises. Firms with weaker balance sheets tend to invest less in innovation, even during good times. Policy implications call for (1) accelerating the restructuring of corporate balance sheets of highly leveraged but viable firms, (2) improving the insolvency framework to allow a fast exit of nonviable companies, and (3) expanding corporate funding options for small and medium enterprises, including via nonbank financing alternatives.

Subject: Economic sectors, Financial conditions index, Financial institutions, Financial sector policy and analysis, Financial statements, Housing prices, Mortgages, Prices, Public financial management (PFM), Services sector

Keywords: Constructed FCI, CR, FCI component, Financial condition, Financial conditions index, Financial statements, Firm, Global, House price misalignment, Housing prices, Intra-company debt, Investment response, ISCR, Mortgages, Price, Services sector, Southern Europe

Publication Details

Pages:

30
Volume:

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DOI:

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Issue:

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Series:

Country Report No. 2017/057
Stock No:

1MLTEA2017002
ISBN:

9781475580082
ISSN:

1934-7685

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