Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1191190
5 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 11 DECEMBER 2019 NEWS JAMES DEBONO MALTESE businesses are the second most likely in Europe to consider corruption as a problem when doing business in their country, according to a European Commission sur- vey. Over half of the companies see corruption as a problem in nine EU member states, with the highest level being regis- tered in Romania (88%), ahead of Malta (60%) and Greece (58%). A total of 150 chief executive officers or managing directors of Maltese companies were interviewed for the Euroba- rometer survey. The interviews were under- taken in September and Octo- ber before the present politi- cal crisis. But in 18 other member states less than half of com- panies consider corruption as a problem with the lowest scores registered in Denmark (5%), Estonia (9%) and Ireland (11%). The survey shows that the proportion of companies who regard corruption as a prob- lem is higher in most southern EU member states and lower in most northern EU member states. Compared to a similar sur- vey held in 2017, the percep- tion that corruption is a prob- lem for Maltese companies in their operations has increased by two points. Significantly 39% of Maltese companies believe that cor- ruption has prevented them from winning a public tender in the last three years, up from 29% in 2017. But no Maltese company, which was surveyed, reported being offered a gift or a bribe while 7% refused to answer this question. Only companies in five oth- er member states reported a higher incidence of corrup- tion in public procurement. 57% of Maltese companies also believe that specifications in public procurement con- tracts are tailor made for par- ticular companies while 66% believe that there are conflict of interests in the adjudica- tion of bids . Collusive bidding is also considered widespread by 65% of Maltese companies. This was the highest rate in Europe. Patronage and nepotism is also considered as a problem by 56% of Maltese companies. In this aspect, Maltese compa- nies are the fifth most likely in Europe to consider nepotism a problem after the Romanians (84%), Cyprus (60%), Greece (58%) and Bulgaria (57%). 83% of Maltese companies also think that too close links between business and politics in their country leads to cor- ruption. Corruption emerged as the second most frequently men- tioned facing companies in Malta after lack of adequate procedures to recover debts. Moreover 76% of Maltese companies think that corrup- tion is widespread in their country. Although still high the perception that corrup- tion is widespread has de- ceased by 8 points since 2017. The percentage of compa- nies who think that bribery and the use of connections is the best way to obtain cer- tain public services has also decreased by 13 points since 2017. Still, 59% of Maltese companies think this is the case. Maltese businesses second most likely in Europe to see corruption as a problem in their country Corruption a problem for 60% of Maltese companies MATTHEW AGIUS A judge has ordered the exhibition of an evaluation report cited by former min- ister Konrad Mizzi in a court case over the Vitals Global Healthcare (VGH) hospital takeover deal. In a sitting in November, Mizzi - who stepped down from his position as tourism minister in the wake of politi- cal upheaval surrounding revelations connected with Daphne Caruana Gal- izia's murder - had sworn before the court that government had relied on the recommendation of an evaluation board before entering into its hospital privatisation deal with now-defunct Vitals Global Healthcare. PN leader Adrian Delia had filed the case against Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, the Attorney General, Malta Industrial Parks and VGH, demanding that the Karin Grech, St Luke's and Gozo hospitals be "given back to the people" because of contract violations. The defendants had objected to the request for the presentation of the re- port in court. But in a decree handed down yester- day, Mr Justice Francesco Depasquale said that as Mizzi had made "extensive reference" to the report and had told the court that he had relied on it, "it would be opportune that this evalua- tion report, together with other, con- nected, reports be exhibited in these proceedings so that the truth of the facts stated by him [Mizzi] is verified and corroborated." The case continues on Wednesday. Judge orders Konrad Mizzi to exhibit Vitals evaluation report