Membership is open to any form of commercial enterprise in or from Malta. Its main objective is to promote and protect business interests. It is the policy of the Malta Chamber to promote free competitive enterprise by supporting, or, if need be, resisting any laws and regulations affecting business interests. The Chamber was set up as a voluntary constituted body and officially recognised in 1848
. In 1857, the Exchange Buildings, constructed on its present site in Republic Street, Valletta, which was granted to the Chamber in perpetual lease by the Government, was inaugurated. The building is the work of architect Giuseppe Bonavia. Through the years, the Malta Chamber has kept a close watch on developments in the field of commerce, giving advice to Government on commercial legislation and related matters and intervening in the interest of its members and the nation whenever necessary. The Malta Chamber co-operates with other Institutions and, in its main national activities, works closely with kindred organisations as the occasion demands. The Chamber keeps close contact with similar foreign organisations. It is a Member of the International Chamber of Commerce, BusinessEurope, the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Eurochambres) and the Assembly of Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce (ASCAME).
