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.