Whistleblowing is one of the largest forms of detection of occupational, fraud, bribery and corruption and one of the best methods for the prevention of commercial crime. Yet, there are still individuals who, due to fear of retaliation, do not report any wrongdoings as there is a perception that these whistleblowers are not afforded enough protection. With the implementation of Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law (also known as the “Whistleblower Protection Directive”, the EU is sending a strong message that those employees seeking protection or retribution from exposing and disclosing wrongdoing, will receive it. The Directive, which was entered into force on 16th December 2019 with an implementation deadline of 17th December 2021, sets out the requirements for EU members states regulations in relation to the protection of whistleblowers and disclosures. Amongst other things that will be impacted by the Directive and its transposition into local legislation, the Directive will be applicable to various entities in the public and private sector. This course is intended to provide some insights on what to expect with the upcoming local legislation, which entities would fall within scope and what procedures should be put in place to ensure entities remain in compliance of the legislation.

Securitisation legislation was introduced in Malta under the Securitisation Act of 2006 but has recently become a fast-growing niche within the country’s financial sector. This course will give participants an understanding of securitisation as a means of alternative finance and the basics of a securitisation transaction, the relevant Maltese and European Union legal framework and examples of how Maltese securitisation structures have been successfully used in practice.

Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) concepts will be covered extensively within financial services entities. This course is designed to familiarise attendees with techniques to detect money laundering. Robust AML policies are necessary to safeguard a business’s reputation. The MLRO (money laundering reporting officer) is a key member of an organisation’s management team and has serious responsibilities to manage and supervise anti-money laundering activities. This course will enable participants to design and influence a compliance culture within an organisation. 

This course aims at providing attendees with the  necessary tools and techniques aimed at identifying  money laundering machinations and in combating the  funding of terrorism. The course has been developed  in an engaging and comprehensive format in order to  provide attendees with the appropriate training to meet  the regulatory requirements of subject persons whilst  providing a practitioner’s insight. The course shall focus  both on the applicable legislative framework as well as  on practical case studies.

Students will learn how trusts are legal relationship created by one party and places assets under the control of another party referred to as the trustee for the benefit of the beneficiary. Participants will learn the intricacies of trusts, and the legal and tax ramification of their setup. There will also be discussions related to how to properly craft trust deeds and articulate the powers of trustees. Also students will learn why trusts are formed such as for the protection of assets or estate planning and why trustee independence helps avoid any suggestion that the settlor  continues to have control of the trust assets.  

Participants will learn the basic investing concepts, the many different variations of traditional investments available and which type of investments are most suitable for their needs. The course will delve into the history of the capital markets, their role in the economy, the different types of markets, and the activities of exchanges. Participants will also learn about the difference between bonds and equities, what they are, their special characteristics and terminology, how they are priced and the risks of owning such investments. Students will also learn about various investment styles such as value, growth, and fund investing. Students will be taught how to and why they should take a critical look at all investing options based on sound risk/reward assumptions.

All organisations, whether complex multi-nationals or  SMEs, rely on technology and IT systems to run their  businesses. Management needs to set information  security policies, standards and practices and employees  need to be trained to adhere to them. The subject of  Information Security (IS) can be quite complex and  generally costly. In this session, we aim to clear the  fog around this subject and provide you with a sound  understanding on how to manage Information Security  efficiently within your organisation. This will also be  supported by an overview of what an IT and Cyber  Security Internal Audit entails and the importance  of maintaining such systems. By the end of the  course, attendees will have a sound understanding  of the positioning of Information Security within any  organisation and best practices on how to manage such a function – scaled for size and scope to best suit their company needs. They will also understand the role of the Information Security Auditor and be able to prepare for IS audits. 

The Compliance Officer is the regulator’s invisible arm  in that it ensures that the institution’s business is being  conducted in line with regulations, internal policies and  procedures.  Checks are carried out primarily through compliance  monitoring programmes; be they on-site or desk  based reviews. The fulcrum of the findings prompted  by the reviews is in bringing these to the attention of  senior management. Senior management is ultimately  responsible for the establishment and maintenance  of the compliance function and in ensuring that  the business is carried out in line with regulatory  requirements.

The aim of this course is to provide participants with an overview of the fundamental precepts of Maltese company law. Following an analysis of the distinction between the various types of corporate vehicles available in terms of Maltese law, the course will focus on private and public limited liability company, from creation to dissolution. Fundamental doctrines such as separate legal personality, limited liability, and the lifting or piercing of the corporate veil will be analysed. The various types of share capital, the increase, reduction and transfer of share capital, and the doctrine of capital maintenance will also be discussed. This is followed by an analysis of the regulatory and practical implications of the governance of companies, in the context of a global trend towards more regulation and the need of companies to adhere to strict ethical and legal business practices so as not to jeopardize their corporate brand and business in general. Particular focus will be laid on the duties and responsibilities of directors and, specifically in respect of listed companies, the need to instil a governance culture aligned with the Code of Principles of Good Corporate Governance set out in the Listing Rules. In the final part of the course the substantive and procedural aspects of dissolution, winding up and insolvency, as well as the procedures of company rescue and corporate recovery will be examined.

This course covers the fundamentals of securitisation and key features of structures typically adopted, following a brief introduction setting the context for the prevailing state of affairs over a decade after the global financial crisis from which securitisation as an alternative method for financing emerged severely bruised. The course will delve into the different types of securitisation transactions and the players involved, as well as provide an overview of the relevant regulatory framework at both European and local levels. The lecturer will then explore the more intricate elements of securitisation, including the advantages inherent in securitisation transactions, such as true sale, bankruptcy remoteness and the possibility of forming securitisation cell companies and innovative structures, such as reinsurance special purpose vehicles. The course will conclude with a commentary on what the future holds for securitisation in Malta.

This course will be interactively run online through Zoom allowing active participation. Applicants will receive joining instructions by email and may join the course through their computer, tablet or mobile phone. An internet connection is obviously required.

The course will examine the key VAT considerations which are relevant for businesses operating in the financial services sector, specifically banks and financial institutions and investment services providers. Most, but not all, services supplied by operators in the financial services sector are exempt from VAT. This requires analysis of definitions and scope of the exemption, and understanding the treatment of outsourced services as well as mixed transactions. In the absence of legislative definitions, these have evolved through case-law of the CJEU, as well as domestic practice and guidelines. As a result of the broad scope of the exemptions, VAT is, to varying degrees, a cost to operators in the sector, with the restrictions on input tax recovery potentially resulting in a competitive disadvantage, in particular for those operating on a cross-border basis.

This course covers material relating to structured products also known as market linked investments or synthetic investment instruments which are designed to facilitate highly bespoke risk and return objectives. Students will learn how investment banks pre-package financial instruments using derivatives, a basket of securities, single securities, and other capital market products. Participants will learn that structured products are normally used as a low cost alternative to a direct investment as part of the asset allocation process or to hedge risk found within an investment portfolio.  

Have you ever wondered on how to measure and test  a business resiliency to cyber security or assessed the  soundness of your company’s posture to information  security? This course will provide attendees with an  understanding on what is the difference between  the different assessments, how each assessment is  conducted and what each one entails. Attendees will  also be able to discern which assessment is most  suitable for which outcome. With cybercrime on the  increase, it is essential to start understanding the basics  of such activities in order to help prevent such incidents  not only in an organisation but also at home. This course  will provide a basic understanding of cyber security and  social engineering with the necessary knowledge of  simple preventive measures that can be used on a daily  basis to safeguard personal and company data.

This course aims to offer participants an overview of the regulatory and compliance landscape by introducing elements of the AIFMD, MIFID, and UCITS directives. Students will be provided a foundation to be able to understand financial regulation and compliance requirements of an MFSA licensed company. The course will explore the optimal compliance structure of a fund or management company including their basic legal structure, the fiduciary duties of a board of directors, investment committee, MLRO, and compliance officer. Furthermore various AIFMD policies will be discussed including risk management, remuneration, valuation, insider dealing polices, etc. 

Open-ended funds and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) have become a very popular, cost effective and efficient way for investor to build diversified portfolios. Funds are widely used by investors and include a wide variety of assets including bonds equities, real-estate and commodities. This course will focus primarily on the different types of funds available to investors ranging from Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), to open-ended and closed-ended funds. The course will contrast ETFs versus traditional funds, differentiate between active and passive management, explain the prospectus, expense ratios and other key points.

This course will be interactively run online through Zoom allowing active participation. Applicants will receive joining instructions by email and may join the course through their computer, tablet or mobile phone. An internet connection is obviously required.

Participants will gain a clear and focused understanding of the key role of directors and corporate secretaries in the management and administration of the company. Today, directors are being constantly evaluated and scrutinised by regulators and shareholders and is therefore essential directors appreciate the responsibility of the office, their duties, rights, obligations and the relationship with other stakeholders within the company. Participants will also be exposed to the liability directors face in the event of a breach or non-compliance with any applicable law. Recent judgments will also be considered. this course will also emphasize on corporate governance principles, best practices and the interpretation of various provisions of the Companies Act.

This course offers students an introduction into the exciting and complex world of derivatives, securitisations and asset-backed securities. Students will learn about the pros, cons and structure and operations of the securitised bond markets. Fixed-income securities, credit risk, securitised lending, and asset-backed securities will be covered extensively. The basic processes of structuring ABS deals, including how to value them as well as the risk management process required to manage a portfolio of these instruments, will also be covered. 

This course is an introduction to understanding how to use financial information to value and analyse companies. The course focuses on the practical application of financial statements analysis. Students will learn how to create and analyse financial ratios such as debt to equity, profit margins and more. Participants will gain analytical skills involved in reading and interpreting the financial health and profitability of a company through quantitative and qualitative techniques. A number of case studies and financial statements of actual companies will be analysed.

This course covers material relating to the understanding of the theoretical foundations that underpin modern investment and risk management techniques. Participants will gain a solid foundation in risk management by learning how to identify, asses and to mitigate risks. They will learn how risk managers manage risk relating to equity, fixed income and other financial products, and appreciate the evolution of derivatives as risk management instruments. Financial and operational risk will be covered extensively as will hedge techniques using futures, forwards and options. 

The Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD) is an EU Directive regulating managers of Alternative Investment Funds which are either licensed in, or marketed into, the EU. This course seeks to de-mystify the AIFMD, giving a practical account of the Directive, Maltese rules and regulations transposing the Directive, and structural and operational considerations for AIFMs.

This course aims to offer participants an overview of  the regulatory and compliance landscape in relation to  Company Service Providers (CSPs) in Malta. Attendees  will be provided with a foundation to be able to understand  the plethora of requirements imposed by law, regulations  and other rules in force. This course will tackle the duties  of key officers of a CSP such as the Compliance Officer  and the Money Laundering Reporting Officer. The course  will suggest approaches as to how one may draw up a  sustainable CSP practice.

Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) concepts will be covered extensively within financial services entities. This course is designed to familiarise attendees with techniques to detect money laundering. Robust AML policies are necessary to safeguard a business’s reputation. The MLRO (money laundering reporting officer) is a key member of an organisation’s management team and has serious responsibilities to manage and supervise anti-money laundering activities. This course will enable participants to design and influence a compliance culture within an organisation. 

This course will only be run at the Malta Stock Exchange if we are able to do so depending on the pandemic related circumstances at the time.  If the course is held at the Exchange, it will also be available online.

The Compliance Officer is the regulator’s invisible arm  in that it ensures that the institution’s business is being  conducted in line with regulations, internal policies and  procedures.  Checks are carried out primarily through compliance  monitoring programmes; be they on-site or desk  based reviews. The fulcrum of the findings prompted  by the reviews is in bringing these to the attention of  senior management. Senior management is ultimately  responsible for the establishment and maintenance  of the compliance function and in ensuring that  the business is carried out in line with regulatory  requirements.

Whistleblowing is one of the largest forms of detection of occupational, fraud, bribery and corruption and one of the best methods for the prevention of commercial crime. Yet, there are still individuals who, due to fear of retaliation, do not report any wrongdoings as there is a perception that these whistleblowers are not afforded enough protection. With the implementation of Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law (also known as the “Whistleblower Protection Directive”, the EU is sending a strong message that those employees seeking protection or retribution from exposing and disclosing wrongdoing, will receive it. The Directive, which was entered into force on 16th December 2019 with an implementation deadline of 17th December 2021, sets out the requirements for EU members states regulations in relation to the protection of whistleblowers and disclosures. Amongst other things that will be impacted by the Directive and its transposition into local legislation, the Directive will be applicable to various entities in the public and private sector. This course is intended to provide some insights on what to expect with the upcoming local legislation, which entities would fall within scope and what procedures should be put in place to ensure entities remain in compliance of the legislation.

Transition is an Erasmus+ funded project that is designed to help entrepreneurs to develop fundamental competencies that they require in order to start a business or to turn an entrepreneurial idea into business reality. Transition also researched information available about Blockchain and developed a website to disseminate the project deliverables and results available to the public for free.

This free event will showcase the Transition project and will enable attendees to understand how to make best use of the entrepreneurial start-up kit.

The Malta Stock Exchange, a member of the World Federation of Exchanges, will  hold a bell ringing ceremony during World Investor Week (WIW) 2019 (30 September to 4 October) to promote the importance of financial literacy and to raise awareness of WIW 2019.

The third  World Investor Week is a week-long, global campaign to raise awareness about the importance of investor education and protection, and to highlight the various initiatives of securities regulators in these two critical areas.

The President of Malta, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, together with the Countess of Wessex and the Hon Minister for Civil Liberties and Equality Helena Dalli, will visit the Exchange on the occasion of International Women’s Day. The President and the Countess are expected to ‘ring the bell’ to commemorate this occasion.

This Forum is going to focus on the Investment Managers’ role in the fund and asset management industry, and will seek to highlight the challenges and opportunities that currently exist in the Financial Markets. The changing role of the investment management industry will also be discussed. The Forum will be addressed by the Hon Minister for Finance Prof Edward Scicluna, and boasts a very distinguished array of speakers coming from Thomson Reuters, Interactive Brokers, AQA Capital, Heptagon Capital, BOV, HSBC, and AUM Asset Management.

Early booking to attend this high profile event is strongly recommended.

Companies that have a more diverse board and leadership outperform in their industry. Amanda Pullinger will discuss trends and research in leadership and why diversity matters, as well as the issues and some practical solutions at the company level with remarks from Joseph Portelli and Hervé Delpech on successes in boosting gender diversity and women’s advancement in Malta. Bring your questions and what if scenarios to learn what best practices are. Review the discussion with your colleagues while networking over drinks.

This annual dinner is an opportunity for the stakeholders in the Maltese capital markets to meet and network in a relaxed environment. The dinner will be held under the Patronage of the Hon. Minister for Finance and attended by the Heads of the Regulatory bodies, Members, professionals in the financial services sector, representatives of the many listed organisations, amongst others. It is planned that this event will be used as an opportunity to recognise outstanding performance by selected stakeholders.

Announcing the 3rd MSE Investor Education Conference that will be held on Saturday 4th November at the Corinthia Palace Hotel in Attard. Listen to expert practitioners and speakers, and learn more about the investment world. Attendance is just EUR12 per person including coffees and standing lunch.

The MSE will be organizing a morning conference in order to officially launch the new Institutional Financial Securities Market (IFSM). The Conference will include a keynote speech by the Hon Minister for Finance Prof. Edward Scicluna as well as a panel involving significant stakeholders from the legal, capital and banking sectors. Key speakers will be Mr Richard Ambery, from the Managing Partners Group, who have significant experience in this line of business, and Dr Nick Curmi, from Ganado Advocates, who are considered to be experts in this field and were heavily involved in the creation of the new legislation governing this interesting area of the capital markets. The event will explore the opportunities created by this first fully Maltese operated securities market.

The Malta Association of Small Shareholders (MASS) and the European Federation of Investors and Financial Services Users (Better Finance), with the support of the European Commission Representation in Malta, will be organising this conference about the New EU Shareholder Rights Directive. ((EU) 2017/828) which was adopted by the EU Parliament on 14 March this year and by the European Council on 3 April. This Directive has been described “a milestone in the EU corporate governance framework” helping to bring up to date corporate governance in the EU. The event is supported by the Malta Stock Exchange.

The Malta Stock Exchange (MSE) attended the 21st Annual Global Asset Backed Securities Conference in Barcelona.  The 2-day conference held between June 6-8 was attended by over 3500 professionals in the global ABS market, making it the largest annual European structured finance gathering. A contingent of Maltese professionals participated in the event led by Finance Malta and Ganado Advocates. The Malta Stock Exchange will soon be unveiling the Institutional Securities Market (ISM) which will cater to the listing of whole sale ABS securitized products. Mr. Cliff Pace Head of Compliance and Market Operations represented the Exchange at the conference and noted the real interest many participants had in Malta as a capital markets destination. The MSE is again expecting to participate next year, this time as Associate Sponsor, with a number of MSE staff participating.

Participants will learn how the Malta Stock Exchange offers a well-regulated and highly cost effective listing solution. The seminar will offer an opportunity for iGaming executives to delve into the regulatory, tax and financing aspects of listing and raising capital in Malta. Participation for this seminar is free, however advanced registration is required.

Thompson Reuters, in partnership with the Malta Stock Exchange, is pleased to invite you to attend a breakfast briefing to discuss the implications of MiFID II.

MiFID II represents a fundamental change for financial markets across a range of areas, requiring major implementation efforts, and a combination of comprehensive data and powerful analytics to comply.

Join Thompson Reuters to examine their leading solutions available to answer the key challenges around MiFID II

For the second year running the Malta Stock Exchange, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility obligations is sponsoring an art exhibition within the Exchange building at the Garrison Chapel, Castille Place in Valletta. The Exhibition was officially opened by the Hon. Edward Scicluna MP - Minister for Finance on Friday 10 March 2017. The event was also addressed by the Chairman of the Exchange, Mr Joseph Portelli and by the Artist Curator, Mr Adrian Scicluna.

The Exhibition will run through to Friday 21 April 2017 and is open free of charge to the General Public on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 16:00hrs until 19:00hrs.

Following the enormous success of the first Art Exhibition organised at the Exchange between April and June 2016, the Malta Stock Exchange shall be repeating this on an annual basis, creating a unique and prestigious venue through which artists may exhibit their creations in line with the theme that will be chosen for the exhibition.

This event will be an opportunity for stakeholders in the fund industry to get together and identify options that will lead to a better value-creating framework for the listing of funds on the Malta Stock Exchange.

If you would like to be kept informed about the events organized by the Malta Stock Exchange please send an email to events@borzamalta.com.mt

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