The lack of cost control across Malta’s ministries was highlighted in a recent report by the National Audit Office.
The report analysing government expenditure in 2023 was published last December and reveals a pattern of rising operational and maintenance expenses across Malta’s ministries and departments.
For instance, the Health Ministry saw an increase of €18.2 million in 2023, while the Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise reported an increase of €10.6 million.
They are followed by the Ministry of Active Ageing (€8.8 million), the Education Ministry with just over €4 million.
Other ministries and agencies increased expenditure totalling over €1 million to almost €3 million.
In total, the NAO reported a 21% increase in operational and maintenance expenses across the board.
The Auditor General’s analysis of total capital expenditure over the past five years showed a 31% increase in 2023, following a two-year decline from 2021 to 2022.
The outlay in 2023 for capital investment exceeded €1 billion.
The NAO report notes that the continuous upward trend in total government debt surpassed €10 billion by the end of 2023 – an increase of over €917 million compared to the previous year.
Heqq taf int il hajja toghla. Jew le? Jiddependi minn jitkellem!!
The office of the auditor general is probably the only single institution that is still functioning independently in this country. All else remains compromised.