Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1117384
16.05.19 3 NEWS MELITA has a record number of subscribers which now stands at nearly 140,000 and has once again been confirmed as Malta's fastest growing mobile operator. Latest official statistics by the Malta Communications Author- ity show that more than 21 per cent of customers in Malta now use Melita Mobile. Harald Roesch, CEO at Melita Limited, said, "e subscriber growth results are very positive especially when considering Melita was the third operator in the Maltese market. We are grateful to our customers for their loyalty and support. Meli- ta's success in attracting a grow- ing number of mobile customers is the result of a focused effort to provide the best possible cus- tomer experience and value for money. Among other initiatives, major investment went into a brand new - and Malta's only - 5G ready mobile network, as well as a significant increase in mobile roaming agreements that are giving customers access to faster and cheaper roaming ex- perience." e launch of mobile plans with unlimited data starting from as little as €35 per month pushed Melita's subscriber growth by 16 per cent in 2018. A similar growth trend con- tinues in the first part of 2019, putting Melita's subscriber base close to 140,000. Apart from growth in the res- idential market, Melita has also grown significantly in the busi- ness segment with more and more business opting for cor- porate plans by Melita that give better value and transparency supported by a reliable network and dedicated customer sup- port. More information on Melita's mobile services is available from www.melita.com KURT SANSONE NEW players in the banking and credit market will help unblock problems faced by tech compa- nies to open bank accounts in Malta, Joseph Muscat said. e Prime Minister was re- acting to comments given by the founder of the Malta Block- chain Summit Eman Pulis last week on the difficulties being faced by new technology com- panies. Pulis sounded the warning that Malta's regulatory advan- tage in the sector risked being lost to Switzerland and Estonia since companies trying to set up shop here were finding it hard to open bank accounts. Muscat was speaking at the end of a signing ceremony be- tween Bank of Valletta and the Malta Development Bank covering a new loan facility for small and medium enterprises. Asked about Pulis's warning, the Prime Minister said govern- ment understood both sides of the coin as banks were caught up in stringent Europe-wide rules on risk. "We cannot ask local banks to break European rules and a bank like BOV is caught up in this complex situation of being very big for Malta but small on a European level. An important aspect is the attraction of new banks and financial institutions to the market, which estab- lished banks like BOV should not frown upon because they will provide a natural method of de-risking," Muscat said. He noted that the Malta Fi- nancial and Services Authority had a number of licence ap- plications in the pipeline from banks and financial institutions. However, Muscat urged banks to "grow their appetite for new challenges" while still carrying out the necessary due diligence. "A risk management strategy does not mean not accepting anyone as your client but carry- ing out the necessary checks… avoiding risk does not mean it will go away," Muscat said. e answer prompted BOV chairman Deo Scerri to point out that in 2018, BOV grew its new business by 4%, while issu- ing billions of euros in loans to sustain the economic operators. SEE ALSO PAGES 6 & 7 New banks awaiting licensing could provide lifeline to Blockchain companies Malta Blockchain Summit founder Eman Pulis Melita is Malta's fastest growing mobile operator