National Productivity Board Publishes 2024 Report: Twin Transition Key to Boosting Malta’s Productivity and Competitiveness
The National Productivity Board (NPB) has officially launched the National Productivity Report 2024 titled Malta’s Twin Transition: A Roadmap for Sustainable Productivity and Resilience.
The report, launched during a business breakfast attended by social partners, policymakers, and industry stakeholders, provides a critical assessment of Malta’s current productivity performance. It offers a serious and tangible set of recommendations aimed at ensuring that Malta remains competitive through improved productivity, grounded in the country’s specific opportunities, strengths, and areas for improvement.
The report presents the twin transition, the simultaneous shift towards digitalisation and environmental sustainability as a single, coordinated transformation. This transition is viewed as a strategic response to evolving global and local challenges, offering a pathway to modernise Malta’s economy and improve the quality of life through smarter use of resources and innovation.
The report proposes clear and tangible directions across several key areas, including the modernisation of infrastructure, strengthening of workforce skills and adaptability, support for SMEs in adopting green and digital practices, better coordination of government policies guided by reliable data, and improved access to sustainable finance mechanisms to support long-term change.
NPB Chairperson Perit David Xuereb described the report as “a call to take productivity seriously as the foundation for Malta’s long-term sustainability and economic strength.” He noted that productivity is not just an economic measure but a tool to guide the nation’s response to complex challenges and to build long-term resilience.
The report was compiled by SEED, consultants to the NPB, and presented by JP Fabri, who emphasised that while Malta has made economic progress, it still faces challenges in fully realising its productivity potential.
The Parliamentary Secretary for Social Dialogue, Dr Andy Ellul, welcomed the report as “a strong and honest reflection of where we are and where we need to go.” He highlighted that it complements Malta’s Vision 2050, launched for consultation earlier this week, and reaffirms the Government’s commitment to inclusive growth.
The event also featured Dr Filippo di Mauro, founder of CompNet, a European research network focused on productivity and competitiveness, who underlined the importance of data-driven policymaking to guide the twin transition effectively.
The conference was attended by Members of Parliament from both sides of the House, social partners within the MCESD, Permanent Secretaries, academics, and CEOs from major public and private sector organisations. A panel discussion followed, with insights from Kenneth Farrugia (CEO, Bank of Valletta), Prof. Simone Borg (Ambassador for Climate Action), Ms Roberta Dalli Albanese (Ministry for the Economy), and Ms Donna Cardona (entrepreneur and founder of My Mama).
The National Productivity Report 2024 does not claim easy answers but offers a clear and locally grounded framework to help Malta navigate a more complex and competitive global environment. It is both a reflection of Malta’s current position and a call for action to act decisively on productivity as a national priority in the face of long-term change.
- Access the Full Version of the NPB Report 2024 here
- Access the Short Version of the NPB Report 2024 here
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Prior to the official launch of the National Productivity Report 2024, invitees were welcomed with an impactful presentation by Mr Jason Degiorgio, Food & Beverage Manager at The Westin, highlighting the venue’s commitment to reducing food waste. Mr Degiorgio shared how his team is taking concrete steps, from smart portioning and creative ingredient reuse to using AI technology to monitor and reduce waste, all working toward a bold target of cutting food waste by 50% by 2025. Access the presentation here.
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