PN calls for the Social Enterprise Act to be brought into force without further delay
The Act was approved by Parliament in 2022, with the full support of both sides of the House. However, more than four years later, this important law remains on the shelf. This is unacceptable for a sector that can make a tangible difference in people’s lives and in our communities.
The Government has spent four years dragging its feet over a law that could make a real difference in people’s lives
The Partit Nazzjonalista is calling on the Government to bring the Social Enterprise Act into force without further delay.
The Act was approved by Parliament in 2022, with the full support of both sides of the House. However, more than four years later, this important law remains on the shelf. This is unacceptable for a sector that can make a tangible difference in people’s lives and in our communities.
Social enterprises are not simply businesses like any other. They are economic initiatives with a clear social purpose, where success is measured not only by profit, but also by the value created for society.
This can include, among other things, employment and training for people who find it difficult to enter the labour market, community services for older persons or persons with disabilities, initiatives supporting people at risk of poverty or exclusion, projects that provide skills to young people and adults, and businesses that reinvest a substantial part of their resources in their social mission.
Therefore, when we speak about social enterprise, we are not speaking only about legal structures or technical terminology. We are speaking about a way in which the economy can also work for those who are too often left behind. We are speaking about employment opportunities, inclusion, dignity, services closer to people, and stronger communities.
The PN believes that Malta needs a clear, robust and credible framework for social enterprises. This framework should provide certainty to those already working in the sector, offer direction to new initiatives, and ensure that the term “social enterprise” is used correctly and consistently, and is linked to clear criteria.
Social enterprise can serve as a bridge between the economy and the social sector, between wealth creation and the creation of value for the community.
The Partit Nazzjonalista is therefore calling on the Government to publish a clear timetable setting out when the Act will come into force and to ensure that its implementation takes place following full consultation with all stakeholders in the sector.
The Partit Nazzjonalista stresses that our country cannot continue to leave such an important law on the shelf. Those working to create social impact should be given a clear framework, not uncertainty. Those who wish to invest their time, skills and resources in initiatives that support people and communities should find a State that understands and supports this value.
The PN remains committed to an economy that rewards initiative, while also recognising and supporting those who work with a clear social purpose. The Government must therefore stop dragging its feet and give this sector the seriousness it deserves.
Michael Piccinino
Shadow Minister for the Self-Employed, Small Enterprises and Cooperatives
10.07.2026