The entertainment and arts association is urging the government to increase the Arts Council Malta funding and revise the 7.5% tax rate for creative professionals as it prepares its budget for 2025. 

The Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association is also proposing incentives for property owners who rent to creative organisations.

The association said in a statement the creative sector in Malta is a critical driver of economic growth, social cohesion and cultural identity.

"While the government has made notable progress in improving cultural infrastructure, particularly through investments in public cultural organisations and programming, the current resource and budget allocation to public projects and institutions versus the sector at large creates an imbalance that seriously limits the creative's ecology full potential.

"This misalignment has led to significant gaps in funding distribution and necessary operational foundations, leaving Malta's private creative industries struggling to compete," the MEIA said.

Despite their capacity to be key drivers of sustainable economic growth, the island's creative industries remained undervalued, underfunded and lacked a definitive long-term sustainable plan, the association said.

Outdated perceptions about the sector's role in the modern economy and the disappropriate focus continued to constrain its growth potential, it added.

"By ensuring an equitable distribution of resources and fostering a more supportive ecosystem for both public and private initiatives to co-exist and collaborate, these proposals seek to promote long-term sustainability and unlock the economic and social potential of Malta's creative sectors."

MEIA's budget recommendations:

  • €2 million increase in funding for Arts Council Malta to enhance critical programs like the Screen Support Fund and the Arts Support Scheme, ensuring better support for local talent and projects
  • Comprehensive tax reforms, including revision of the 7.5 % tax incentive, removing caps on tax-deductible contributions to cultural projects and expanding eligibility for tax benefits to a broader range of creative professionals
  • Research into wage regulations and a cohesive National Screen Policy to create a long-term sustainable framework for local filmmakers
  • Providing legal and financial advisory services to assist creative professionals in navigating complex regulatory environments
  • Tax incentives for property owners who lease to creative organisations and expanding rent subsidies to alleviate high rental costs that hinder many creative businesses

More information about the proposals here.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.