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I read with interest MaltaToday’s recent editorial dealing with Government consultancies. I fully adhere with the position taken by this newspaper in the sense that there is absolutely no transparency in the manner by which such contracts are being awarded. In fact I dare say that it is downright scandalous how such lucrative consultancies are almost always offered to the same inner circle.
It must be emphasised that to date the law does not provide for a process akin to the tendering one when it comes to the awarding of consultancies and this is leading to abuse. Here the Government of the day is hereby finding the opportunity to favor individuals above others.
On the other hand, however I do not fully concur with the undertone of the article in question and I have already taken the liberty to state so in another article of mine written in one of the Maltese language daily newspapers.
In the editorial in question it was suggested that perhaps we politicians from the opposition benches are not scrutinising, as we should, the abuses in the way consultancies are being handed out by the Government and its agencies.
It is perhaps true that we politicians could be more vociferous in this regard. The truth however is quite the opposite, though the criticism tendered nowadays is being levelled in a more subtle manner in order to avoid continuous confrontation and polarisation which in the past has proved to be counter productive, in actual fact the members from the opposition benches are persistently censuring wholeheartedly Government’s attitudes in this regard.
In the editorial it has been stated for example that no questions were ever put forward to the various members of the Government regarding who those persons are who have been appointed consultants from time to time. I dare state that this assertion is, fortunately, incorrect. From my part, for example, in the last year I had occasion to make numerous parliamentary questions to each and every Minister. Here I queried precisely who where the various consultants of each and every Ministry and Government agency.
I even pushed the issue further by asking what remuneration these individuals were being paid. Unfortunately, however, though I did succeed in acquiring certain important information in this regard. Most government ministers managed to circumvent my questions and thus much of the information requested has, to date, not yet been supplied. This notwithstanding, however, come October I will try my luck again and certainly persevere in this regard. I will also furnish this newspaper with the relative answers given from time to time, since I feel that this newspaper has done right in emphasising this issue.
Being a member of the legal profession I am obviously much better au courant with what is going on in this sphere and I state that what I have learned is very disturbing indeed. Here perhaps more than in other areas preferential treatment runs rife. It seems that all important legal work that is being handed over to private practitioners is being channeled exclusively to the same few lawyers and nearly all with Nationalist inclinations. It would appear that for the Government the only capable legal eagles are those with blue feathers. It is also scandalous to note the unscrupulous way by which the Government is willing to squander in their regard. A lot of work which should normally be carried out by the office of the Attorney General is being bestowed to private legal firms and this is nonsensical since it defeats the very scope of having an Attorney General Office.
Nowadays few and remote are the utterances from Government’s side in the sense that justice dictates that people should be awarded positions according to merit and not through favours. This is no wonder since slowly but surely over the years, this present administration has shamelessly reverted our country back to the old system of nepotism.
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