'ECA report exposes failures in government procurement processes' - PN

The Nationalist party called on the government to come clean about its public procurement processes after a report by the European Court of Auditors confirmed that the Coast Road project could not be paid for by EU funds because of a “serious failure to comply with public procurement rules.”

The ECA’s Annual Report confirmed that the Coast Road project is ineligible as the Maltese responsible authority directly negotiated a contract that is above EU thresholds with one company without a prior call for competition.

PN shadow minister for foreign and EU affairs Roberta Metsola expressed concern at the report’s findings, which she said raised serious questions about the public procurement process.

“It is clear that the government has now given up on using EU funds to pay for the €11million shortfall and will instead use €11 million of taxpayer funds to bailout the project,” she said.

“Instead of blaming different ministries and different departments, the Government must come clean and explain how this situation has arisen. Even if the funds are somehow reallocated, it will still mean that the taxpayer must pay €11million. This is not an insignificant amount.”

Metsola added that ECA’s report confirmed the haphazard way in which the government goes about using EU funds.

“Transport Malta and the Ministers responsible for this process, have yet to get their stories straight. Did they defend their procurement processes or do they believe they were correct? If so, why haven't they published any correspondence with the European Commission yet?” said Marthese Portelli, Shadow Minister for the Environment, Energy and Transport.