Public paid €6,000 for Kurt Farrugia interview and publicity

Malta Enterprise committed €6,000 in public funds to a publicity package featuring a four-page CEO interview while Kurt Farrugia headed the agency, according to procurement records published in the Government Gazette last week.

The February 2024 direct order to Content House also included a double-page spread in Malta CEOs 2024, featuring Farrugia himself and a three-month banner campaign.

It was one of five direct orders to the publisher between January and March that year, totalling €40,450 for interviews, sponsored articles, advertising and company profiles.

A separate €15,000 package included a sponsored interview, advertising on Maltainvest.mt, a double page spread, logo placement and public relations assistance.

The publicity bills sit alongside thousands of euros allocated to staff events, hospitality and entertainment during Farrugia’s tenure.

Malta Enterprise, at the time under Minister Miriam Dalli, also awarded €9,949.15 to MIMalta for a staff team-building event in August 2023, followed by €9,663.20 to the Westin Dragonara Resort for an annual employee event.

Together, the two staff functions carried a €19,612.35 price tag, excluding VAT.

A barbecue for Kordin Business Incubation Centre tenants cost another €7,179.75.

For the October 2023 Startup Festival, the agency awarded €12,530 to A-Speakers ApS for a 30-minute keynote, including questions – more than €400 per minute of scheduled speaking time.

Another keynote, by Lars Silberbauer, cost €9,000. A 13-piece band, including three singers, added €5,500.

Exhibition stands and catering supplied by the Malta Fairs and Convention Centre accounted for another €63,858.88.

The lists document the amounts awarded but offer no assessment of what the publicity packages and events delivered in investment, business opportunities or other measurable benefits.

Their publication also exposed a transparency failure.

Malta Enterprise acknowledged that certain procurement information from 2023 had missed the required legal publication cycle, despite regulations requiring disclosure every six months.

The agency told The Shift that records had been retained internally and that administrative measures would ensure future compliance. It did not explain what caused the omission or identify those responsible.