Muscat pledges to do more on environment, transparency

In a speech where he listed the economic successes achieved by his government and the improvement in people’s quality of life, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat pledged that the Labour administration would do more in environment and good governance.

Muscat also challenged Opposition leader Simon Busuttil to clarify insinuations being made over Muscat’s family holiday in Dubai, insisting that he had nothing to hide.

He also questioned Busuttil’s leadership qualities in handling his parliamentary group, the latest being revelations of Tonio Fenech’s involvement in a British Virgin Island company and association with former BOV executives.

Addressing the party faithful in Qrendi, Muscat once again challenged Busuttil to withdraw the “scandalous” PN loan scheme, insisting that the scheme instilled corruption.

“For all his talk about corruption, Simon Busuttil should immediately pull back this scandalous scheme,” the PL leader said. “And if he wants to insinuate some sort of corruption in my Dubai holiday, he should stop playing with words and be clear. I have the proof that I need to defend myself: come forward and we will see who is telling the truth.”

Claiming that Muscat could not afford his Easter holiday in Dubai, the PN has been calling on the Prime Minister to publish copies of receipts and prove that he had personally paid for the trip.

Comparing the Labour government as “a leader” to the “administrator” that was the previous administration, Muscat said he was one to take decisions: “Simon Busuttil does not.”

Referring to MaltaToday’s revelations of Tonio Fenech’s involvement in an advisory firm - whose registered owner is a British Virgin Islands company - and his close working relationship with former Bank of Valletta executives, Muscat said it was ironic that the former finance minister defended himself by saying that there was “nothing illegal”.

“As prime minister I took action even when there was nothing illegal,” he said, referring to the Panama Papers revelations involving minister Konrad Mizzi and OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri. The decision saw Schembri retain his post as chief of staff whilst Mizzi is now a minister without portfolio.  

Pledging more work to improve the environment, transparency and good governance, Muscat said he had listened to the “genuine concerns”.

“In deciding whether to publish contracts or not, we were following what the previous administrations did. But then, whilst discussing the matter with the parliamentary group, we asked ourselves what’s wrong in publishing these contracts. So we agreed that we would go for an open contracting partnership: all major government contracts will be published before the end of year.”

The government this week also announced taking on board 241 recommendations – of the 259 – put forward by the Auditor General. Muscat said this proved that the government was really committed in seeing Malta change for the better, in all its aspects.