L-Awditur se jinvestiga l-kuntratt tal-inċineratur tal-iskart fil-Magħtab
Milqugħa talba tal-Membri tal-Oppożizzjoni fil-Kumitat Parlamentari tal-Kontijiet Pubbliċi biex jiġi investigat dan il-kuntratt
L-Awditur se jinvestiga l-kuntratt tal-inċineratur tal-iskart fil-Magħtab Milqugħa talba tal-Membri tal-Oppożizzjoni fil-Kumitat Parlamentari tal-Kontijiet Pubbliċi biex jiġi investigat dan il-kuntratt
L-Awditur Ġenerali laqa’ talba li saritlu mill-Membri tal-Oppożizzjoni fil-Kumitat Parlamentari tal-Kontijiet Pubbliċi biex jinvestiga l-proċess tas-sejħa pubblika għall-proġett tal-inċineratur tal-iskart fil-Magħtab.
F’ittra bid-data tal-lum, 27 ta’ Marzu 2025, l-NAO informa liċ-Chairman tal-Kumitat Parlamentari tal-Kontijiet Pubbliċi (PAC) li t-talba li għamlulu l-membri tal-Oppożizzjoni Nazzjonalista fl-istess Kumitat f’Lulju li għadda biex issir investigazzjoni dwar il-kuntratt tal-inċineratur ġiet aċċettata.
Din it-talba kienet iffirmata miċ-Chairman tal-Kumitat Darren Carabott, mill-Membri Parlamentari tal-Partit Nazzjonalista fil-PAC Claudette Buttigieg u Graham Bencini, kif ukoll mix-Shadow Minister responsabbli mill-ambjent Rebekah Borg u x-Shadow Minister għall-Indafa Pubblika Eve Borg Bonello.
It-talba kienet saret wara d-dubji li tqajmu dwar kemm l-għoti tal-kuntratt sar skont il-prinċipji ta’ governanza tajba u kien hemm allegazzjonijiet ta’ irregolaritajiet b’rabta ma’ dan il-proġett li jinvolvi miljuni ta’ ewro f’fondi pubbliċi. Wara li f’Ottubru tal-2023 konsorzju internazzjonali li kien jinkludi fih kumpanija Maltija rebaħ it-tender b’offerta ta’ €600 miljun, waħda mill-kumpaniji li tilfu t-tender ressqet appell li ntlaqa’ mill-Qorti u l-Wasteserv kellha tirrevedi d-deċiżjoni tagħha.
L-Uffiċċju tal-Awditur Ġenerali fassal it-termini ta’ referenza tal-verifika skont it-talba li saret mill-Oppożizzjoni. Dawn it-termini juru li l-investigazzjoni se tidħol fl-analiżi dwar jekk gietx imwettqa evalwazzjoni xierqa, skont il-prinċipji ta’ governanza tajba, biex jiġu vvalutati numru ta’ punti li għandhom valur soċjali, ambjentali u ta’ governanza.
Fost oħrajn, l-investigazzjoni se tevalwa l-benefiċċji tal-proġett, l-impatt ambjentali u jekk ġewx imħarsa l-interessi tar-residenti tal-madwar. Se tevalwa wkoll il-livell ta’ diliġenza u governanza tajba mistennija mid-Dipartiment tal-Kuntratti, entitajiet governattivi, il-Ministeri, il-Kabinett u kwalunkwe persuna oħra, speċjalment biex tara tħarsux il-kontabbilità, it-trasparenza u l-kunfidenzjalità fil-proċess tat-tender u l-monitoraġġ tiegħu.
It-termini ta’ referenza jinkludu wkoll analiżi dwar il-kompożizzjoni tal-Bord ta’ Evalwazzjoni u jekk dan jirriflettix il-livelli mistennija ta’ diliġenza u governanza meta mqabbel ma’ proċessi oħra u kuntratti mogħtija fl-istess perjodu.
Il-Partit Nazzjonalista jesprimi s-sodisfazzjon tiegħu li din it-talba ġiet milqugħa, għax tirrifletti s-sentimenti tar-residenti taż-żona u l-oġġezzjonijiet kontinwi għal dan il-proġett mill-Kunsill Lokali tan-Naxxar.
Huwa sinifikanti li din l-investigazzjoni qed tasal proprju ftit jiem wara l-aħħar attentat tal-Prim Ministru Robert Abela li jkompli jaħtaf u jieħu kontroll assolut ta’ aktar istituzzjonijiet u proċessi simili.
Dan hekk kif ftit jiem ilu l-Oppożizzjoni kienet kostretta tressaq Mozzjoni oħra fil-Parlament biex jitħassru emendi fil-liġi li jagħtu poter eċċessiv lill-Prim Ministru fuq il-proċess tal-public procurement. Bidliet li saru biex jagħtu kontroll akbar lill-Prim Ministru fuq appelli minn deċiżjonijiet biex jiġu assenjati kuntratti lil dawk qrib il-Partit Laburista.
Fost l-oħrajn, b’dawn l-emendi, il-Prim Ministru qed jingħata aktar poteri biex jagħżel hu lil min ipoġġi fuq il-Public Contracts Review Board (PCRB), li huwa l-bord li jirrevedi deċiżjonijiet relatati ma’ kuntratti pubbliċi li ħafna drabi jkunu jammontaw għal miljuni ta’ ewro.
27.03.2025
- Mehmuża l-ittra tal-Awditur li fiha jilqa’ t-talba għal investigazzjoni li saritlu mill-Membri tal-Oppożizzjoni fil-PAC
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Statement by the Partit Nazzjonalista
Auditor General to investigate the Magħtab waste incinerator contract Request by Opposition Members in the Public Accounts Committee to launch investigation on this contract accepted
The Auditor General has accepted a request made by Opposition Members in Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to investigate the public call process for the waste incinerator project in Magħtab.
In a letter dated today, 27th March 2025, the National Audit Office (NAO) informed the PAC Chairman that the request made last July by the Opposition members for an investigation into the incinerator contract has been accepted.
This request was signed by PAC Chairman Darren Carabott, Partit Nazzjonalista MPs Claudette Buttigieg and Graham Bencini, as well as Shadow Minister for the Environment Rebekah Borg and Shadow Minister for Public Cleanliness Eve Borg Bonello.
The request followed concerns about whether the contract was awarded in accordance with good governance principles, amid allegations of irregularities in this multi-million-euro public project. In October 2023, an international consortium that included a Maltese company won the tender with a €600 million offer. However, one of the losing bidders filed an appeal which was upheld by the Court, leading Wasteserv to revise its decision.
The NAO has drafted terms of reference for the audit in line with the Opposition's request. These terms indicate that the investigation will analyse whether a proper evaluation was carried out, in accordance with principles of good governance, to assess a range of social, environmental, and governance-related factors.
Among other elements, the investigation will examine the project's benefits, its environmental impact, and whether the interests of nearby residents were safeguarded. It will also evaluate the expected level of diligence and good governance by the Department of Contracts, government entities, ministries, Cabinet and any other relevant persons, particularly regarding accountability, transparency, and confidentiality in the tendering and monitoring process.
The terms of reference also include an analysis of the composition of the Evaluation Board and whether it reflected the expected standards of diligence and governance compared to other similar processes and contracts awarded during the same period.
The Partit Nazzjonalista expresses its satisfaction that this request has been accepted as it reflects the concerns of local residents and the ongoing objections to this project raised by the Naxxar Local Council.
It is significant that this investigation comes just days after Prime Minister Robert Abela’s latest attempt to seize absolute control over more institutions and similar processes.
This follows a recent Motion brought forward by the Opposition in Parliament to repeal legal amendments that grant excessive powers to the Prime Minister over public procurement processes. These changes aim to give the Prime Minister greater control over appeals on contract awards, often benefiting individuals close to the Labour Party.
Among these amendments, the Prime Minister is being granted increased authority to appoint members to the Public Contracts Review Board (PCRB), which reviews decisions on public contracts, many of which are worth millions of euros.
27.03.2025