Mr Paul Mifsud B.A. (Hons) Accty., MIA, Dip. Tax is an independent Certified Public Accountant (CPA) based in Mellieha, Malta. Establishing himself as an independent CPA in January 2007, Paul Mifsud operates from his offices in Mellieha, providing professional accountancy services to Maltese and international clients including audit and assurance, taxation, secretarial, VAT consulting, ICT assistance and payroll services.
Paul Mifsud has gained extensive experience from his work with clients from the public to private and industrial sectors in Malta. His consultancy services focus on respect and honesty, delivering a personal and integral service in human resources, ICT, business restructuring and cash flow management. His work begins with the assessing of the project and the sector it involves, to investigative analysis, regular support and assessments as well as future assistance in the financial needs and achievements of all his clients.
Malta is a small island in the centre
of the Mediterranean Sea, about 90 kilometres South of the island of
Sicily. Covering just over 316 square kilometres, Malta is one of
Europe’s smallest states, yet is also one of the most densely
populated, having a population of just over 452,515 (2011
estimate).
The British make up for a large percentage of the 1.2
million tourists who visit the island every year, and British
nationals residing permanently on the island make up about 1.6% of
the population (the Maltese account for 95.3% and the remaining 3%
various nationalities).
Malta is characterised by a low lying
and rugged terrain dispersed with areas of scrubland. It has an
intricate coastline of rocky beaches, sandy beaches and fantastic
natural harbours which have allowed Malta to serve as a maritime
base, military base and trade route for many centuries. Typically
Mediterranean, Malta boasts a glorious year round climate, with an
average annual temperature of 23°C during the day.
Malta has
been populated for approximately 7,000 years, and has seen numerous
empires from the Arabs and Carthaginians to the Knights of the Order
of St. John, the Spanish, French and British land on its shores. Due
to its strategic location in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea,
Malta was the ideal destination for seafaring traders and settlers,
and today enjoys a rich heritage and culture that reflects its
lengthy history.
Malta gained Independence from the United
Kingdom on 21st September 1964, and assumed Neutrality in
1980. After joining the European Union in 2004, Malta adopted the
Euro as its currency instead of the Maltese Liri, and following the
European Council of 21st-22nd June 2007 became
part of the Eurozone in 2008.
Today, Malta is a thriving
modern island, well connected via air and sea, with its own
International Airport, airline and Seaport. The country is a
parliamentary democracy, has two official languages (Maltese and
English), and offers free and private education and healthcare
services.
Malta is an advanced economy, dependant on foreign
trade, manufacturing and the tourism industry. The 1869 opening of
the Suez Canal greatly boosted the country’s economy, and resulted
in a huge increase in shipping entering the port.
The Maltese
government invests highly in education and healthcare, offering some
of the best services in Europe. Education is based on the British
model, in which children go to Primary school for six years, and then
enter a secondary school at aged eleven. School is compulsory up
until the age of sixteen, after which students may continue studying
at various sixth form colleges before applying for University.
Malta
is highly renowned as a popular destination for tourists from across
the world, thanks to its stunning climate, beautiful beaches and rich
history. Malta boasts numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites (including
its capital city, Valletta) and also offers a vast array of water
sports activities, diving and recreation centres, nightlife areas and
natural beauty spots.
Main Economic Indicators
• Registered unemployed (as of January
2012): 6,714 persons
• Labour supply (as at 2nd quarter 2011):
354,645
• Persons Employed in Financial
Intermediation as at November, 2011: 6,542
• Average gross annual salary for
employees in Financial Intermediation as at November, 2011: €46,810
• GDP at current prices (annual 2011) (€
millions): 6,393.2
• GDP at constant prices (annual 2011) (€
millions): 4,792.7
• Inflation rate 2010 (12-month moving
average): 2.0%
• Merchandise exports (annual 2011) (€
millions): 3,739.6
• Goods and Services exports (as at 3rd
quarter 2011) (€ millions): 1,595
• Merchandise imports (annual 2011) (€
millions): 5,271.1
• Goods and Services imports (as at 3rd
quarter 2011) (€ millions): 1,397.1
• Internet users (2010): 245,480 (persons
aged between 16-74)
Mellieha is the beautiful and idyllic
village located in the most north-western corner of the island of
Malta, just across the bay from the sister islands of Gozo and
Comino. Mellieha boasts a population of approximately 7,000 and is
the destination of choice for sun seekers, beach and water sports
lovers, as well as hosting a vast number of ex-patriot
residents.
The area of Mellieha is a relatively new locality
in the state that it exists today. Before development and leasing of
the land during the British rule, Mellieha was a small settlement
that had been all but abandoned for 200 years previously, for fear of
attacks from corsairs and Saracens. Today, Mellieha is a thriving
modern town that is self-sufficient and increasingly popular as both
a pleasure and business destination.
Bordering St. Paul’s
Bay and Mgarr, Mellieha comprises of 22.6 square kilometres of
hillside and low lying land sloping towards the beach. The area is
sparsely populated, with stretches of flat scrubland and farmland
between the settlements.
The locality, including Manikata,
Cirkewwa, Ghajn Tuffieha, Paradise Bay, Anchor Bay and Marfa, was
voted as European Destination of Excellence in 2009 for the promotion
of Tourism and Protected areas. Mellieha offers a host of benefits to
its residents, including Malta’s longest sandy beach at Ghadira, a
range of stylish hotels and guesthouses. Mellieha boasts a historical
town centre, characterised by narrow roads, traditional townhouses
and stepped alleys, whilst the suburbs are characterised by large
luxurious villas with their own private pools.
Mellieha is
also home to many of the islands top facilities and nightlife and
entertainment area. The town centre is equipped with retail shops,
banks, pharmacies, fine dining and casual restaurants, and in the
locality one can also find pet shops, supermarkets, garden centres,
care homes, schools, music schools, scuba diving schools and
facilities, water sports centres, internet cafes, bars and even
nature reserves, in which many protected and rare bird species can be
observed.
In terms of history, Mellieha offers a
wide range of fortifications built over the last few centuries,
including towers, pillboxes and even a fort. The area was always
vulnerable to attack thanks to its northern location and ease of
access from the beach, and so it was always necessary for the area to
be well defending in case of attacks.
This coastal region is a fertile
paradise throughout the seasons, and whether in spring or summer,
Mellieha has a rich array of natural beauty to be adored, from
wildlife and breath taking sunsets to sun-drenched beaches and cool
morning breezes.
For those tourists and residents
looking for the religious culture of the island, the town of Mellieha
annually hosts one of Malta’s finest villages ‘festas’; a week
long spectacle of traditional music, religious celebrations, and
spectacular fireworks displays over the cliffs. Every year on the 8th
September Mellieha celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Victories,
commemorating the overthrow of the Ottoman Empire during the Great
Siege of 1565.