Gozo ministry to engage 100 more security guards with €4.5m tender

The majority of the Gozitan working population is now employed by the government

 

The Gozo Ministry – known for employing the highest number of messengers, labourers, beach cleaners and watchmen per capita among all the country’s public administration – is planning to add another 100 security guards to its staff complement for at least the next two years.

The new recruits will not put be directly on the government’s payroll but will instead be recruited through a private security company that will be assigned a lucrative €4.5 million public contract in the coming weeks.

The tender specifies that the contractor may also be given an extension to provide the service for a further year, which would increase the cost to taxpayers by approximately another €2.5 million.

According to a new tender published by the Gozo Ministry a few weeks ago, there is a need to add more security staff at various unnamed locations “to make sure that law and order” is strengthened.

Among the assignments required of the new security personnel, on the instructions of the permanent secretary, are the “supervision of corridors”, “to maintain good order, and prevent the disturbance of the public peace and disorderly and unruly behaviour” and “the prevention of unauthorised access”.

The Gozo Ministry already employs hundreds of security staff, either directly or by contract, and yet the island is not exactly known for the observance of rules.

Other government agencies or their Gozo branches – including Gozo Channel, the education ministry, the fisheries department and many others – also dish out frequent tenders for the provision of various services by private entities, including security personnel, cleaners, health assistants and clerical staff – all funded by taxpayers.

Sources close to the Gozo Ministry told The Shift that the latest tender is “another excuse to put more Gozitans and people close to the ruling Labour Party onto the government payroll”.

The majority of the Gozitan working population is now employed by the government, either directly or indirectly through the Community Workers Scheme, at the Gozo Channel or by private companies that supply government departments and entities with security, trades and other services.

The  Community Worker’s Scheme, supposedly intended to be a temporary training scheme for the long-term unemployed until they find alternative and more productive employment in the private sector, has been turned into an unofficial government jobs agency – some 600 out of the 1,200 on the national scheme are from Gozo.

There is what seems to be a deliberate lack of surveillance of the scheme, managed by the General Workers Union, with most of the employees either never turning up for work or spending only a short while on the job to mark their presence.

Instead, most work irregular private jobs in the construction industry or maintenance work. In the meantime, they receive a government cheque at the end of every month while the government also covers their national insurance payments.

Gozo’s private sector associations continuously complain about the lack of workers available for employment.

Meanwhile, the country’s debt continues to surge and is expected to reach €9 billion soon. Half of that was created since Robert Abela took power from disgraced former prime minister Joseph Muscat.

                           

Sign up to our newsletter

Stay in the know

Get special updates directly in your inbox
Don't worry we do not spam
                           
                               
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

16 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Joseph
Joseph
1 year ago

Imbaghad ma tara xejn surit in-nies. Ghax ma jibaghthomx Comino izommu l’ordni fuq l’art privata tal -poplu Malti. Kullhadd jaghmel li jrid. Mhux li thaddem jghodd izda x’ha jirrendu. Nafu ukoll li l’parti kbira tal-Ghawdxin, mid -disa’ l’hemm ma tara lill hadd fuq xogholu.

Anon
Anon
1 year ago

The abuse lies not only in recruiting but unfortunately also in several of these companies operations. Let us say that department X requires two security guards and department Y requires one. X can function with only one guard so the second guard is sent to department Y. Alas the company invoices for three guards but only two guards to pay!

makjavel
makjavel
1 year ago

What will these be securing , his position in government? Will they be guarding Portelli’s properties? Or in the same metality of the Xlendi Restaurater emplyed by the government as Cleaner , with the sole responsiblity of keeping the front of his restaurant clean but paid by the taxpayers. What else? AH! Manning the front doors of Gozo closed police stations so that nobody steals the doors.

Joseph Tabone Adami
Joseph Tabone Adami
1 year ago

I do not know if I still remember my elementary arithmetic, BUT it look like 4.5 million Euros for 100 employees for two years means that each one will cost 22.500 Euros per year – indirectly out of taxpayers’ money.

I am aware that round- the clock security – involving day and night shifts – does not come cheap these days.

Still, the cost seems to me to surpass that of providing adequate and much lacking Police personnel numbers in Gozo, doesn’t it.

makjavel
makjavel
1 year ago

You just gave the MInister a lecture in simple arithmetic , which makes me remember the days when Guze Abela , used to change the Foreign Exchange rate every week , thinking that nobody will find him out and profit from the rate of exchange. He obviosly was an ignoramus in mathematics and never passed his mind that “Simultaneous Equations” would expose his secret numbers after the 5th week. They only can calculate what is left in their pocket.

Bamboccu
Bamboccu
1 year ago

Ghalhekk il Labour qed ikun l ghazla tal Ghawdxin.
Il Government jobs qed jaghmlu d differenza.

saviour mamo
saviour mamo
1 year ago

When this country goes bust, everyone will realise what Joseph Muscat and Robert Abela did with our money. But by then it will be too late to save anything.

David
David
1 year ago

Kif Ma jisthux jimpjeggaw iktar nies u li hadd Ma jmurr ghax xoghol ? X responsabilta ghandhom ?

adriang
adriang
1 year ago

These people truly believe that Malta is simply a cow they can milk for their own benefit.

Steve
Steve
1 year ago

Squandering of public finances, as we all know that these will not actually work. In the meantime the Government is going to give handshake agreements to the Airmalta employees. Can these 100 be transferred or the ministry wants just to employ Gozo labour employees from his district?

Francis Said
Francis Said
1 year ago

Bad administration, irregular direct orders all these and more is the fuel to rampant corruption from the highest levels.

Peppi
Peppi
1 year ago

Ma jmorrux jisirquh lill-Minestru Camilleri.

Toni Borg
Toni Borg
1 year ago

Everyone knows that these so called workers are all off to their private work after 9.30-10.00 o’clock!!!

We’re basically paying them for nothing, just to buy their vote!!!

Anon 3
Anon 3
1 year ago

And many of these are tempted by theses job offers making more young people less inclined to further their studies

T. P.
T. P.
1 year ago

Perhaps the new recruits shall also be required to keep Filfla in good order.

D.Vella
D.Vella
1 year ago

Easy to recruit and keep his constituents happy. People are not stupid.

Related Stories

Auditor General ignored as tourism agency persists in breaching rules
A tourism-related government agency persists in breaching public procurement
Buried cave in Gozo: Watchdog still awaiting explanation from architect
Almost a month after an emergency stop notice was

Our Awards and Media Partners

Award logo Award logo Award logo