Government keeps up pressure on contracts awarded to Busuttil’s firm

In a series of parliamentary questions tabled this evening, it was further revealed to what extent contracts awarded to Europa Research and Consultancy Services Ltd amounted to.

The four ministries – Environment, Economy, Gozo and Education – all confirmed that in the previous years, the consultancy firm enjoyed contracts under the Nationalist administration.

Founded by now Opposition leader Simon Busuttil, the firm used to render consultancy services to the government. Based on the parliamentary questions, the majority of contracts were awarded through direct orders. In other cases, the firm formed part of consortia awarded the works while in other cases the ministries could not confirm whether a call for offers had been issued.

The only three ministries who so far confirmed no contracts had been awarded to the consultancy firm were the Home Affairs, the Health and Tourism.

Yesterday, replies to a series of parliamentary questions revealed that a total of €49,015.56 were awarded by the Ministry for Transport and Infrastructure and its entities to Europa Research and Consultancy Services Ltd, of which Opposition leader Simon Busuttil was the founding director.
Contracts amounting to Lm82,144.13 between 1999 and 2004 were also awarded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Today Economy Minister Chris Cardona said €1,350 in payments were issued by the Corporate Services Directorate. However it is not clear whether this was in the form of a direct order of a call for offers.

Environment Minister Leo Brincat said that between 2007 and 2013, a total of €521,337 in direct orders were awarded to the company. Europa Research also enjoyed the award of a contract amounting to €1,984,173.40, as part of a consortium of four companies.

Gozo Minister Anton Refalo informed parliament that, on his part, his predecessor had awarded the company a cost benefit analysis study for the Zewwieqa waterfront, a study which spanned from September 1998 to March 2013.

According to Refalo, the study should have amounted €22,000 – co-financed by the EU – but a variation in the cost cost taxpayers €10,738.

Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said that in 1999, two direct orders were awarded amounting to €1,408. Another contract of €1,212 was awarded in 2008 following call for quotations.

On his part, Finance Minister Edward Scicluna said that between 2010 and 2012, Busuttil’s consultancy firm received a total of €24,780, all through direct orders.