The Malta Business Registry is a Maltese government agency responsible for the registration and regulatory compliance of companies and commercial partnerships within its jurisdiction.

[6][7] A Compliance Unit was set up to conduct the screening of companies, investigate suspicious transactions and act on discrepancies found regarding the beneficial ownership of Maltese entities and their missing annual returns.

[18][19] It was claimed that the MBR would be the first government agency to run on blockchain technology to increase transparency and reduce bureaucratic procedures.

[31][32] The OECD similarly noted a lack of relevant information on commercial entities and the low annual filing rates of companies.

[36][9] Subsequently, legislation was enacted requiring the accurate publication of ownership and financial data of Malta-listed companies.

[46] Public access to beneficial ownership details of companies on the Maltese registry was restricted in November 2022 after a EU Court of Justice privacy ruling.