Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1531391
MATTHEW FARRUGIA mfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt 11 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 12 JANUARY 2025 TM's maritime branch using two old vessels Government reticent on lobbying register TRANSPORT Malta's (TM) Mar- itime Enforcement Unit (MEU) has been left with just two nine- year-old vessels to monitor Mal- tese waters. Sources within TM told this newspaper that as a consequence of having only two small vessels, enforcement officers are unable to adequately monitor waters when a RHIB needs maintenance. In 2021, TM had purchased five RHIBs to add to its fleet but these turned out to be unseaworthy. The matter had prompted a Na- tional Audit Office investigation, which found that the process to purchase the RHIBS was led by one person with insufficient overview from the other mem- bers of the team tasked with the project. A few days ago, Nationalist Party spokesperson for maritime affairs, Ivan Castillo stated that between September and November of 2024, TM had been renting three RHIBs. Meanwhile, the authori- ty had confirmed that the MEU only owned two RHIBs that were meant to patrol all of Malta and Gozo. Sources told MaltaToday that for one week, both the unit's ves- sels were grounded for mainte- nance works, leaving the maritime branch without vessels and unable to do its job. This newspaper asked TM whether claims that the two re- maining RHIBs are out of order and cannot be used are true. The authority stated that this was not true and that they had been used in previous months and are still in use. "Obviously, from time to time they need to undergo regular maintenance just like every other machine," a spokesperson said. The current situation within the unit is understood to be a head- ache within the authority, as some fear that the unit will not have ad- equate resources to monitor the seas during summer, when leisure and commercial maritime activity are at their peak. Despite this, TM assured this newspaper that it is following the NAO's recommendations so that it can acquire more RHIBs for the unit. In May 2024, the authority had told MaltaToday it was conduct- ing "updated market research on technical specifications to ensure safety is prioritised in the procure- ment of new RHIBs". So far, no tender has been issued let alone awarded. One of the five RHIBS bought on tender by Transport Malta in 2021, which were subsequently deemed to be unseaworthy by a surveyor (Photo: DOI) GOVERNMENT has missed its own deadline to introduce a package of reforms to strengthen transparency by the end of 2024, which could have included a lob- bying register. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister's office reiterated the commitment to introduce "ad- ditional reforms" to strengthen accountability and transparency but was reticent on whether this would also include the introduc- tion of a 'transparency register'. A transparency register would require ministers to log their meetings with lobbyists in an of- ficial and publicly accessible doc- ument. Back in September, when asked by MaltaToday whether the gov- ernment intended to heed the recommendations made by the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to introduce such a register, a spokesperson an- nounced an "additional package of reforms as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen governance, institutional integrity, and the rule of law framework," which was to be revealed "later this year." However, by the end of 2024, no such reforms had appeared, prompting MaltaToday to ask the Prime Minister again whether he still intended to introduce this package and whether it would in- clude a transparency register. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister replied that the govern- ment remained committed to "fur- ther enhancing accountability and promoting transparency across all institutions". The spokesperson added that "following the transpo- sition of the anti-SLAPP directive into national law, the government will spearhead additional reforms based on recommendations that align with the European Commis- sion's suggestions in its Rule of Law Report, while also taking into account insights from both local and international organisations and institutions." The European Commission's Rule of Law Report, issued in July 2024, focused on recommenda- tions to further strengthen the ef- ficiency of the justice system, par- ticularly in reducing the length of proceedings. However, it did not include any specific recommen- dation regarding the introduction of a lobbying register. Furthermore, the report also noted that recommendations is- sued by the OECD for strengthen- ing the Office of the Commission- er for Standards in Public Life, the codes of ethics for ministers and members of Parliament, asset and interest declarations, and the in- troduction of "lobbying measures" have not yet been implemented. The transparency register saga In September, MaltaToday re- vealed that the Office of the Prime Minister had ignored three offi- cial reminders over the past four years from the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life regarding the enactment of a transparen- cy register, which would require ministers to log any communica- tion, including electronic commu- nication, with lobbyists, making this information publicly accessi- ble. These included a reminder is- sued in November 2023 by the current commissioner, Joseph Az- zopardi, who wrote to the Prime Minister recommending the im- plementation of OECD proposals on asset and interest declarations by MPs. He also reminded the Prime Minister that recommen- dations on regulating lobbying, made by his predecessor George Hyzler, had remained unad- dressed. The Commissioner con- firmed that his office had received no response to these letters and was unaware of any government action on the reports. Despite this reticence, the La- bour Party first made a pledge to introduce a lobbying register in its 2017 electoral manifesto, which promised that the transparency register would be public and used to declare meetings, potentially creating conflicts of interest. For- mer minister Aaron Farrugia had also announced his intention to set up his own register but then opted to wait for the introduction of a law covering all MPs. Despite growing concerns about the influence of powerful lobbies, such as the construction industry, the register has not been enacted. Meanwhile, Labour officials still criticised EP President Rober- ta Metsola over a Politico report that revealed the EU Parliament's transparency register specifically excluded the office of the Parlia- ment's president, prompting for- mer Labour MEP Cyrus Engerer to call on the party to lead by ex- ample. The issue resurfaced when the government announced a lo- cal plan review allowing Anton Camilleri, known as Il-Franċiż, to apply a policy permitting high-rise hotel development on the Villa Rosa site. Both the Prime Minis- ter and the Leader of the Oppo- sition refused to confirm whether they had discussed the local plan change with Camilleri. Former standards commissioner George Hyzler (left) had proposed the creation of a transparency register to regulate lobbying, but the recommendation was ignored and reminders sent by him and current commissioner, Joseph Azzopardi (right), have gone unanswered by the government