Chamber of Commerce blasts government decisions that 'undermine integrity, good governance'

The Malta Chamber of Commerce has issued a strong statement condemning a series of wrongdoings that are, "happening systemically and frequently."

In a statement on Saturday, the Chamber made reference to a number of scandals including the widespread benefits fraud racket. The Chamber expressed deep concern over the lack of accountability and transparency surrounding these issues, highlighting the failure of internal auditing systems to detect and deter abuse.

"The fact that such a scheme could be run for years, with such intensity, without anyone batting an eyelid, indicates that there is no accountability, as well as no internal auditing systems to detect and deter abuse, and that people are either actively involved in fraudulent activities and profiting from them, or they have grown accustomed to seeing them occur."

The Chamber also raised alarm over the swift removal of criminal records, warning against the potential exploitation of this process to facilitate quick transitions from benefit dependency to public service employment. Emphasising the importance of trustworthiness within the public sector, the Chamber called for measures to ensure integrity and accountability in recruitment practices.

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It argued that such actions foster a culture of impunity and undermine the principles of good governance.

Furthermore, the Chamber criticised the frequent turnover of top positions in government authorities and agencies, characterising it as a hindrance to effective reform efforts. Just this week, CEO of the Building and Construction Authority, Jesmond Muscat resigned from his post after less than two years on the job.

The chamber deemed practice of leveraging resignations to address crises as counterproductive, discouraging capable individuals from assuming leadership roles and impeding the implementation of necessary reforms.

"Government needs to be on the side of what is right and send clear signals that it will not come to the rescue of abusers or restrain those who want to set things straight. This is what good governance is about. Anything short of this will come across as pandering to the masses and playing for time, which is running out."