Bank of Valletta’s chairman Gordon Cordina, CEO Kenneth Farrugia, directors and executive committee members paid a courtesy visit to President Myriam Spiteri Debono at San Anton Palace in Attard.

The first visit by the bank since the appointment of Spiteri Debono as head of state served as an occasion to renew and strengthen the ties between BOV and the Office of the President, with which the bank crosses paths on several occasions during the year thanks to a number of collaborative initiatives.

BOV is renowned for its support to the Malta Community Chest Fund through the L-Istrina BOV Piggy Bank Campaign which this year sees its 21st consecutive edition, as well as to various other initiatives undertaken in aid of L-Istrina which the bank supports.

During the visit, Cordina stressed the important role that BOV plays in the Maltese economy.

“Considering the size of the bank’s market share, and its direct relationship with the local economy, Bank of Valletta is considered to be of systemic importance, directly supervised by the European Central Bank, with onerous obligations and expectations from a regulatory perspective,” he said.

The bank has been acting as a responsible citizen since its foundation 50 years ago

“This systemic relevance also places a significant responsibility upon us to support society at large and the various communities we serve, be them either personal or business. Fostering our ties with the Office of the President will also help us in being a truly responsible corporate citizen, as we align some of our activities with those of the Office of the President in helping transform Malta’s future.”

Corroborating the chairman’s comments, Farrugia highlighted the bank’s commitment to society through its extensive community programme.

“This year marks a significant milestone for BOV as we are celebrating 50 years since we first started serving customers. We are commemorating this anniversary in several ways, but one important aspect is through major CSR projects that we implement during the year. It is worth mentioning that the bank has been acting as a responsible citizen since its foundation 50 years ago, and a true testament to this is our collaboration with the Malta Community Chest Fund with whom we have been working closely for decades,” he noted.

Farrugia added that last year alone, BOV helped raise over €53,000 from the L-Istrina BOV Piggy Bank Campaign, while collectively, through this campaign and other donations made by the bank over the years, over €3 million were donated to L-Istrina.

“The invaluable work that the Office of the President carries out as part of its nationwide duties, fills us with the additional drive to serve our communities better, both through financial services and philanthropic activities that benefit society and those in need,” Farrugia continued.

The president welcomed the courtesy visit and extolled the ways in which the bank, through its various services, seeks to be of service to Maltese society and underlined the fact that BOV is one of the pillars of the Maltese economy.

She also thanked the bank for the continuous support it provides in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund.