The issuance of the Companies Act (Register of Beneficial Owners) (Amendment) Regulations, referred to as Legal Notice 247 of 2020 confirms that the Registrar of Companies shall have further powers to investigate the ultimate beneficial ownership of the companies that are to be or are registered in Malta. These new Regulations, which came into force in June 2020, shall require Maltese companies to abide by new annual filing obligation confirming ultimate beneficial ownership of the relative company’s issued shares.

The novel coronavirus has brought about many unforeseen circumstances which have unfortunately led many businesses to end in difficult financial situations. According to the Maltese Companies Act (Cap. 386 of the Laws of Malta), a company which is presently unable to pay its debts, or is very likely that it will be unable to pay its debts in the near future, has the possibility to either dissolve and consequently wind-up the company or recover the company.