The Ministry for Fair Competition & Consumer Affairs organised a half day seminar “Cooperative Banking – An Alternative model for banking in Malta”. The seminar was held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre with the distinguihed participation of interational guest speakers specialised in the field as well as the Governor of the Central Bank of Malta, and other local experts.

Minister Dr Jason Azzopardi said that the seminar focuses in particular on a vision to pave the way for cooperative banking to be introduced in Malta. Cooperative Banking, something which, though very popular elsewhere, particularly in continental Europe, has for some reason or other never taken root in Malta. “It is, nevertheless, something which the amendments to the Cooperatives Act which I recently proposed for discussion, are intended to encourage, although this is only one of the innovations which the amendments I am proposing would incorporate.”

The seminar was addressed by Bernard Huberdeau, Secretary General of the Confédération Internationale des Banques Populaires (CIBP), Prof Marco Fortis, lecturer on Industrial Economy at the Universiutà Cattolica of Milan; Dott. Giovani De Censi, Chairman of the Banca Credito Valtellinese,; Prof Stefano Zamagni, Professor of Ecomomics at the Università di Bologna, as well as Dr Tonio Fenech Minister of Finance, Economy and Investment, Prof. Josef Bonnici, Governor of the Central Bank of Malta, Prof. Eduward Scicluna MEP.