Every company would be also required to indicate in its memorandum the electronic mail address of the company – article 69(1)(d). Such an address will be used for all official electronic correspondence and notifications to be sent by the Registrar to the company, alongside the physical registered office address. For this reason, it is important that that electronic mail address provided is valid and accessed by the company’s officers on a regular basis.
Article 139 introduces an obligation on directors upon their appointment. It is now a requirement that an applying director signs the memorandum of the company or otherwise submits a declaration in writing to show explicit consent to be appointed director of such company – article 139(1).
Furthermore, when a person is being appointed director, such person is now required to declare to the Registrar whether he or she is aware of circumstances which could lead to disqualification from holding the office of director. Such circumstances need to take into consideration company law provisions in Malta, particularly the disqualification provisions as contained in the Act as well as any other disqualification arising from other Member States – article 139(5).
In order to facilitate the foregoing requirements, the Registrar has published two statutory forms.
Form K is being substituted with an amended version. The improved Form K is now divided into two sections (A and B), whereby Section B provides for newly appointed directors following a change in the company’s directorship, to indicate their consent and confirm their declaration as required by the respective provision in article 139 of the Act.
For electronic filing, Section B of the amended Form K is required to be submitted separately and this will be uploaded under Private Documents – ‘Declaration of Director/s in terms of Law’ as a scanned copy together with Section A. The latter (Section A) is generated through the online system. Every scanned copy of Section B will need to be signed in wet ink or using a qualified digital signature by the respective director/s.
A new Form K(1) is being introduced in order to facilitate the same reporting requirements under article 139 of the Act by those proposed directors upon the formation of companies.
This Form K(1) would then need to be uploaded under Private Documents as a scanned copy when filing a company registration through the online system. Every scanned copy of the Form K(1) will need to be signed in wet ink or using a qualified digital signature by the respective director/s.
Please be informed that only these forms will be accepted as from 1 st February 2022. If any other forms or declarations are used, the proposed companies/documents will be rejected.
A new duty on the Registrar is being introduced under article 140(7) of the Act. In the instance that a director is disqualified or does not hold the necessary license to act as a company service provider, and provided that no exceptions under the law apply to such a case, the Registrar shall inform the company accordingly. The company is then to remove such a director and submit the necessary statutory form within 14 days from such a removal. If the company fails to proceed according to this provision, the Registrar may apply before the competent court asking for the removal of such an officer.
Act LX of 2021 amends also the provisions relating to the disqualification of directors The amendment introduces a new disqualification in those cases where a director would be acting and providing the services of a company service provider without the necessary authorization from the Malta Financial Services Authority – article 142(1)(e). The second amendment is related to the consideration which is to be taken by the Registrar when a person applies for the position of director. Apart from the disqualifications under the Act, the Registrar may take into account any disqualifications that already bar the respective person from being appointed to or from holding the office of director in another Member State.
The duties of the Registrar are also being widened and include the responsibility to take any measures granted under the law to ascertain the individuals’ identity and correctness of information; to co-operate with competent authorities and provide free access to the website maintained by the Registrar; and to deal with any aspect of digitalization of processes in company law procedures and consult with the Minister responsible for commercial partnerships in issuing guidance notes to the public.
Further guidance will be issued in due course following the coming into force of other provisions constituting the amendments contained in Act LX of 2021.
Dr Geraldine Spiteri Lucas
Registrar of Companies
L-Att LX tal-2021 jintroduċi diversi emendi lill-Att dwar il-Kumpaniji (Kapitolu 386 tal-Liġijiet ta’ Malta) hawn iktar ’il quddiem imsejjaħ ‘l-Att’.
L-emendi li ġejjin daħlu fis-seħħ fit-30 ta’ Ottubru 2021 bis-saħħa tal-Avviż Legali 417 tal-2021:
Kull kumpanija tkun meħtieġa wkoll tindika fil-memorandum tagħha l-indirizz tal-posta elettronika tal-kumpanija – artikolu 69(1)(d). Dan l-indirizz se jintuża għall-korrispondenza elettronika uffiċjali u n-notifiki li għandhom jintbagħtu mir-Reġistratur lill-kumpanija, flimkien mal-indirizz fiżiku tal-uffiċċju rreġistrat. Għal din ir-raġuni, huwa importanti li l-indirizz tal-posta elettronika pprovdut ikun validu u aċċessat mill-uffiċjali tal-kumpanija fuq bażi regolari.
L-Artikolu 139 jintroduċi obbligu fuq id-diretturi mal-ħatra tagħhom. Issa huwa rekwiżit li direttur li japplika jiffirma l-memorandum tal-kumpanija jew inkella jissottometti dikjarazzjoni bil-miktub biex juri l-kunsens espliċitu li jinħatar direttur ta’ tali kumpanija – artikolu 139(1).
Barra minn hekk, meta persuna tkun qed tinħatar direttur, din il-persuna issa hija obbligata tiddikjara lir-Reġistratur jekk hijiex konxja biċ-ċirkustanzi li jistgħu jwasslu għal skwalifika miż-żamma tal-kariga ta’ direttur. Tali ċirkostanzi jeħtieġ li jqisu d-dispożizzjonijiet tal-liġi tal-kumpaniji f’Malta, b’mod partikolari d-dispożizzjonijiet ta’ skwalifika kif jinsabu fl-Att kif ukoll kwalunkwe skwalifika oħra li tirriżulta minn Stati Membri oħra – artikolu 139(5).
Sabiex jiġu ffaċilitati r-rekwiżiti preċedenti, ir-Reġistratur ippubblika żewġ formuli legali.
Il-Formola K qed tiġi sostitwita b’verżjoni emendata. Il-Formola K imtejba issa hija maqsuma f’żewġ taqsimiet (A u B), fejn it-Taqsima B tipprovdi għal diretturi maħtura ġodda wara bidla fid-direttorat tal-kumpanija, biex jindikaw il-kunsens tagħhom u jikkonfermaw id-dikjarazzjoni tagħhom kif meħtieġ mid-dispożizzjoni rispettiva fl-Artikolu 139 tal-Att.
Għal sottomissjonijiet elettroniċi, Sezzjoni B tal-Formula K hekk kif emendata għanda tiġi sottomessa separatament u uploaded taħt Private Documents – ‘Declaration of Director/s in terms of Law” bħala kopja skennjata mal-Formula K (Sezzjoni A). Din ta’ l-aħħar (Sezzjoni A) hija awtomatikament iġġenerata fuq is-sistema onlajn. Kull kunsens u dikjarazzjoni mid-diretturi taħt Sezzjoni B skenjata tkun meħtieġa illi tiġi ffirmata bil-linka jew b’permezz ta’ firma elettronika kwalifikata mid-diretturi rispettivi.
Qed tiġi introdotta Formola K(1) sabiex jiġu ffaċilitati l-istess rekwiżiti ta’ rappurtar skont l-Artikolu 139 tal-Att minn dawk id-diretturi proposti mal-formazzjoni tal-kumpaniji .
Għal sottomissjonijet eettroniċi, il-Formula K(1) trid tiġi uploaded taħt Private Documents – ‘Declaration of Director/s in terms of Law” bħala kopja skennjata. Kull dokument skennjat ta’ tali formula jkun meħtieġ illi jiġi ffirmat bil-linka jew b’permezz ta’ firma elettronika kwalifikata mid-diretturi proposti rispettivi.
Jekk joġgħobkom, kunu infurmati illi mill-1 ta’ Frar 2022 dawn il formuli biss ser ikunu aċċettati. Jekk tip ta’ formuli jew dikjarazzjonijiet oħra ser ikunu użati, il-kumpanija prospettiva jew id-dokumenti ser ikunu riġettati.
Qed jiġi introdott dmir ġdid għar-Reġistratur skont l-Artikolu 140(7) tal-Att. Fil-każ li direttur jiġi skwalifikat jew ma jkollux il-liċenzja meħtieġa biex jaġixxi bħala provditur ta’ servizzi lil kumpaniji, u sakemm l-ebda eċċezzjoni skont il-liġi ma tapplika għal każ bħal dan, ir-Reġistratur għandu jinforma lill-kumpanija b’dan. Il-kumpanija mbagħad għandha tneħħi tali direttur u tissottometti l-formula statutarja meħtieġa fi żmien 14-il jum minn din it-tneħħija. Jekk il-kumpanija tonqos milli tipproċedi skont din id-dispożizzjoni, ir-Reġistratur jista’ japplika quddiem il-qorti kompetenti għat-tneħħija ta’ tali uffiċjal.
L-Att LX tal-2021 jemenda wkoll id-dispożizzjonijiet relatati mal-iskwalifika tad-diretturi. L-emenda tintroduċi skwalifika ġdida f’dawk il-każijiet fejn direttur ikun qed jaġixxi u jipprovdi s-servizzi ta’ provditur ta’ servizzi lil kumpaniji mingħajr l-awtorizzazzjoni meħtieġa mill-Awtorità għas-Servizzi Finanzjarji ta’ Malta — Artikolu 142(1)(e). It-tieni emenda hija relatata mal-kunsiderazzjoni li għandha tittieħed mir-Reġistratur meta persuna tapplika għall-pożizzjoni ta’ direttur. Minbarra l-iskwalifiki skont l-Att, ir-Reġistratur jista’ jqis kwalunkwe skwalifika li diġà tipprojbixxi lill-persuna rispettiva milli tiġi maħtura għal jew milli jkollha ż-żamma tal-kariga ta’ direttur fi Stat Membru ieħor.
Id-dmirijiet tar-Reġistratur qed jitwessgħu wkoll u jinkludu r-responsabbiltà li jittieħdu l-miżuri kollha mogħtija skont il-liġi biex tiġi aċċertata l-identità u l-korrettezza tal-informazzjoni tal-individwi; li jkun hemm kooperazzjoni mal-awtoritajiet kompetenti u provvediment ta’ aċċess liberu għall-websajt miżmuma mir-Reġistratur; u li jiġi ttrattat kwalunkwe aspett tad-diġitalizzazzjoni tal-proċessi fil-proċeduri tal-liġi tal-kumpaniji u jkun hemm konsultazzjoni mal-Ministru responsabbli għas-soċjetajiet kummerċjali fil-ħruġ ta’ noti ta’ gwida lill-pubbliku.
Aktar gwida se tinħareġ fi żmien opportun wara d-dħul fis-seħħ ta’ dispożizzjonijiet oħra li jikkostitwixxu l-emendi li jinsabu fl-Att LX tal-2021.
Dr Geraldine Spiteri Lucas
Reġistratur tal-Kumpaniji