Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1158119
the €7,000 allowance instead. This has been the case at least since 2008. Fact 6: There is a discrepancy between the income listed in the declaration of assets and the official remuneration pub- lished by the government. This is true. In most decla- rations, ministers and parlia- mentary secretaries declared an income that is €513 higher than the published pay pack- ets. However, this discrepancy amounts to the annual statu- tory bonuses paid to all work- ers, which are never listed as part of the basic salary. The office of the principle perma- nent secretary has confirmed that the basic salaries listed in the information released on Monday did not contain the annual bonuses. Fact 7: Salaries of ministers and parliamentary secretaries did not double or increase by €20,000. The latest salary storm was sparked by an article that ap- peared in the news portal, The Shift. The report flagged how the income of parliamen- tary secretary Silvio Schembri doubled between 2017 and 2018. However, the report failed to clarify that Schembri only became parliamentary secretary in June 2017, which meant that he only had a half year's income from his Cabi- net role. Nationalist Party MP Jason Azzopardi pounced on the article and cried foul. After the inconsistency was pointed out, Azzopardi claimed today's salaries in- creased surreptitiously by €20,000. The MP erroneously com- pared the declared income of Cabinet members today, which included the €7,000 car allowance, with salaries published by The Malta In- dependent in an article from four years ago that did not in- clude allowances. 5 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 21 AUGUST 2019 NEWS shows no rise in ministers' pay 2011 Faced by mounting pressure, includ- ing from his own MPs, Gonzi cuts the parliamentary honoraria for Cabinet members to 50% of Scale 1. Ministers and parliamentary secretaries are asked to refund the higher income they had received. A €1,500 postage allowance is also discontinued. However, Cabinet members continue to receive their parliamentary honoraria over and above their salary despite the widespread criticism. 2012 Under immense inter- nal pressure, Gonzi carries out a re- shuffle and backtracks on the previous decision to award ministers and parlia- mentary secretaries their parliamen- tary honoraria. 2013 The incoming Labour administration scraps the duty allowance received by Cabinet members, which was equiva- lent to 20% of their basic salary and changes it to a flat rate allowance of €5,823. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat maintains his promise that Cabinet members will not receive their par- liamentary honoraria and no salary increases will be contemplated in the legislature. 2011 2012 Jan-Mar 2013 Mar-Dec '13 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 €38,245 €39,233 €40,221 €40,221 €41,209 €42,290 €43,371 €44,071 €44,782 €45,504 €47,791 €49,041 €50,276 €50,276 €51,511 €52,863 €54,214 €55,089 €55,978 €56,880 €19,123 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €9,558 €9,808 €10,055 €5,823 €5,823 €5,823 €5,823 €5,823 €5,823 €5,823 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €426 €434 €441 €76,472 €58,849 €60,332 €56,099 €57,334 €58,686 €60,037 €61,338 €62,234 €63,144 €83,472 €65,849 €67,332 €63,099 €64,334 €65,686 €67,037 €68,338 €69,234 €70,144 €42,070 €43,156 €44,243 €44,243 €45,330 €46,519 €47,708 €48,478 €49,260 €50,054 €26,772 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €8,414 €8,631 €8,849 €5,823 €5,823 €5,823 €5,823 €5,823 €5,823 €5,823 €1,500 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €375 €382 €388 €78,755 €51,788 €53,092 €50,066 €51,153 €52,342 €53,531 €54,676 €55,465 €56,266 €85,755 €58,788 €60,092 €57,066 €58,153 €59,342 €60,531 €61,676 €62,465 €63,266 €40,157 €41,195 €42,232 €42,232 €43,270 €44,405 €45,540 €46,275 €47,021 €47,779 €26,772 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €8,031 €8,239 €8,446 €5,823 €5,823 €5,823 €5,823 €5,823 €5,823 €5,823 €1,500 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €358 €365 €370 €76,460 €49,434 €50,678 €48,055 €49,093 €50,228 €51,363 €52,456 €53,209 €53,972 €83,460 €56,434 €57,678 €55,055 €56,093 €57,228 €58,363 €59,456 €60,209 €60,972 €38,245 €39,233 €40,221 €40,221 €41,209 €42,290 €43,371 €44,071 €44,782 €45,504 €2,330 €2,330 €2,330 €2,330 €2,330 €2,330 €2,330 €2,330 €2,330 €2,330 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €0 €341 €347 €353 €40,575 €41,563 €42,551 €42,551 €43,539 €44,620 €45,701 €46,401 €47,112 €47,834 Former Opposition leader Simon Busuttil Opposition leader Adrian Delia Joseph Muscat elected PM