Government consultants can be paid additional €20,000 ‘expertise allowance’

Consultants appointed by Joseph Muscat's government will be eligible to a maximum annual salary of €33,853, according to guidelines issued last week.

The consultants will be part of a unit dubbed the Strategic and Priorities Unit (SPU), that falls under the responsibility of each ministerial chief of staff.

The SPU will meet with ministers or their parliamentary secretaries and chiefs of staff.

While the prime minister is entitled to eight consultants, ministers with parliamentary secretaries can appoint six consultants, while ministers alone will appoint up to four consultants.

That would mean a maximum of 80 consultants if all of Muscat's 14 ministers and eight parliamentary secretaries appoint the maximum number of consultants.

Every consultant will be contracted on an annual contract, or on three-year contracts. They will also be entitled to mobile and ADSL connections to their homes up to a maximum of €815 per annum.

They can also benefit from a €2,320 car allowance if a consultant is employed on a maximum weekly hourly schedule of 20 hours, or a €4,659 car allowance if they were work between 21 to 40 hours a week. The allowance would required a justification to be awarded.

In exceptional cases only, where the prime minister approves it, a consultant can get an "expertise allowance" of €20,000 per annum, or a €2,000 expense allowance.

All consultants will be vetted by Muscat's chief of staff, Keith Schembri.