Agriculture fair cost taxpayers €851,000, a quarter spent on advertising

A three-day event aimed at “promoting Maltese agriculture” has cost taxpayers almost €1 million, becoming one of the most expensive government events organised this year, excluding Johann Grech’s Film Festival.

While the island continues to register massive deficits, with the government having to borrow almost a billion a year to fill in the gaping hole of its uncontrolled spending, the fair, held a few weeks before last June’s MEP elections, was used to trumpet the government’s achievements in the sector and beyond.

To spread the word, the Agriculture Ministry dished out a tender to Sour Punch Ltd, a new marketing company controlled by former PN stalwarts Anton Attard and Mark Grech, known as il-Guru, to spend some €204,000 on all sorts of advertising, from traditional billboards to social media and bus wrappings.

Figures obtained by The Shift following a Freedom of Information request show that over €850,905 was spent on the 2024 Agrifair, mostly through direct orders.

The biggest chunk of pubic funds was paid to a Corinthia company, which owns the Malta Fairs and Convention Centre (MFCC), hoisting the three-day event.

The Corinthia Group made €365,000 from hosting and setting up this fair. The large Ta’ Qali tent, which now hosts almost all government and Labour activities, is set on public land for which the hotel group pays just €20,000 a year in encroachment fees.

Apart from the staggering set-up costs, Corinthia was also paid thousands to provide the event and its guests with refreshments and food over three days.

Just a few weeks after the government made this massive expense, the Labour Party just happened to use the MFCC to host its end-of-campaign event for the 2024 elections and Robert Abela’s last speech before voting day. It is unclear what the Labour Party spent on this event or whether it paid anything at all, having the set up ready and paid by taxpayers.

Apart from €204,000 spent by the marketing agency on advertising, many other thousands were spent to spread the activity’s reach.

State television PBS, already heavily subsidised by taxpayers, was paid an additional €36,000 to produce live programmes from the event’s location. At the same time, another €25,000 was spent on additional audiovisual facilities.

Salaries for government employees working overtime at the event cost taxpayers an additional €85,000 as others set up costs, which ballooned up to €70,000, mostly spent on direct orders to companies and individuals who later helped Labour during its campaign activities ‘voluntarily’.

See the list here: Agrifair 2024 Expenses