On Monday 26 October, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana presented Malta's Budget 2027. There was plenty in it for households, from the €1,000 Super Bonus to pension increases. But for business owners, one message stood out above the rest.

The Minister said Malta needs an economy that invests in technology, digital tools, modernisation and skills, rather than one where the first answer to growth is to employ more people.

In other words: if your business wants to grow in 2027, the government expects you to do it by working smarter, not just by hiring more.

So what does that mean for you in practice? Let's break it down.

What the budget says, in plain words

Malta's economy is still growing fast. The government expects growth of 4.1% in 2026 and 3.8% in 2027. But growth built mainly on adding more workers is putting pressure on roads, housing and public services, and the budget is clearly trying to shift direction.

To support this, Malta Enterprise will continue several of its schemes on digitalisation, automation and quality investment. Full details of each scheme are usually published in the weeks after the budget, so keep an eye out for updates.

Hiring from abroad is getting more expensive

The other side of the story is cost. From next year:

• The fee for a new single work permit application for non-EU workers rises from €600 to €800.
• A new €400 yearly "infrastructure contribution" applies to every new application and every renewal.
• Third-country nationals without long-term residence will no longer have access to free public transport or free childcare.

Business groups, including the Malta Chamber and the Malta Chamber of SMEs, have warned that many of these extra costs are likely to end up with employers. And this comes on top of an existing problem: in a recent EY survey, 69% of Maltese firms said they struggle to find skilled workers.

Put simply, adding people to your team is becoming slower and more expensive. That makes it a good moment to look at where your current team's time is going.

The real question: how much of your team's day is admin?

In most of the small and medium businesses we work with, a surprising amount of time goes on tasks like:

• Typing the same information into two or three different systems
• Checking stock by hand and placing orders when someone notices a shelf is empty
• Creating invoices one by one and chasing late payments by email
• Copying hours and employee details into payroll every month
• Building reports in spreadsheets that are out of date the moment they're finished

None of this work grows your business. But it often takes up hours every week, and when things get busy, it's usually the reason people say "we need to hire someone."

Before you do, it's worth asking: could a system handle this instead?

How Odoo helps you do more with the team you already have

Odoo is an all-in-one business system. Instead of separate tools for sales, stock, invoicing, accounting and HR, everything lives in one place and talks to each other. Here are a few examples of what that looks like day to day:

• Automatic reordering. Set a minimum stock level for each product and Odoo creates the purchase order for you when stock runs low. No more surprises.
• Faster invoicing. Turn a confirmed sale into an invoice in one click, and let Odoo send polite payment reminders automatically.
• WhatsApp built in. Send quotes, order updates and reminders to customers on WhatsApp straight from Odoo.
• Payroll without the copy and paste. Centric built Malta's first Odoo to Talexio payroll integration, which sends employee data from Odoo to Talexio automatically, on a schedule or whenever you need it.
• Smoother tills. For retail and hospitality, Centric is certified to connect Cashlogy cash management with Odoo's Point of Sale.

Each of these takes a repetitive task off someone's plate. Together, they can free up enough time to let your existing team focus on customers, sales and growth.

Don't forget the support that's already available

Digitalising your business doesn't have to mean paying the full cost yourself. Alongside the schemes Malta Enterprise will continue in 2027, several measures from last year's budget are worth checking:

• Faster tax deductions on investment in digitalisation, automation, AI and cybersecurity, spread over two years.
• Micro Invest, where the maximum benefit was raised to €65,000 in Malta and €80,000 in Gozo.
• Digitalise your SME (Call 2), offering grants of up to €128,400, covering up to 50% of eligible costs in Malta and 60% in Gozo, with rolling deadlines until the end of 2026.

Eligibility rules and deadlines vary, so it's always worth checking the latest guidance from Malta Enterprise, or asking an adviser, before you plan a project around a grant.

Three things to do before January

1. List your manual tasks. Ask your team to note the jobs they repeat every day or week. You'll quickly see where time is being lost.
2. Check what support you qualify for. Look at the schemes above and watch for new Malta Enterprise announcements following the budget.
3. Talk to an Odoo partner. A short conversation can show you which of those tasks can be automated, and roughly what it would take.

Why Centric

Centric is a Malta-based Odoo implementation partner. We reached Odoo Silver Partner status in under a year, and our team includes six Odoo v19 certified experts. We work with local businesses every day, so we understand Maltese payroll, VAT and the way companies here actually operate.

Whether you're just starting to think about an ERP system or you want to get more out of the one you have, we'd be happy to help.

Book a free consultation today.

📞 Mob: +356 7746 9333 ☎️ Tel: +356 2746 3333 ✉️ info@centricmt.com