Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/228261
8 News maltatoday, SUNDAY, 15 DECEMBER 2013 Malta Enterprise's 'imprudent spending': a day trip to Sicily and boat party MIRIAM DALLI MALTA Enterprise staff knew how to party in style, an auditing exercise by the National Audit Office on the company's 2012 accounts has found out. During 2012, Malta Enterprise – the government's investment arm – had an intended budget of €15,000, allocated out of the government subvention for the actual purpose of "staff entertainment". Such entertainment even included a day trip to Sicily and the hiring of a vessel for a boat party, prompting the NAO to comment about the "imprudent expenditure on entertainment costs". During that year, a total of €6,200,000 were allocated to ME, through the then Ministry of Finance, the Economy and Investment's (MFIN) recurrent vote. An additional subvention of €14,180,000 had also been allocated for investment incentives out of MFEI's capital vote. According to information provided by ME to the offices of the Auditor General, ME incurred the sum of €6,045 in staff entertainment expenses, of which €1,295 were reimbursed by participants. The remaining €4,750 was expensed from a staff entertainment account held by the entity. "Staff entertainment expenses consisted, amongst others, of a day trip to Sicily, the hiring of a vessel for a boat party and the purchase of food items related to several dress-down days," the audit exercise discovered. "NAO opines that this type of expenditure constitutes an imprudent use of the taxpayers' money." The nine-page report on Malta Enterprise from the voluminous report by the Auditor General on the public accounts during 2012 also highlights non-adherence to public procurement regulations, irregular contracts for service, lack of control on the use of government-owned vehicles and fuel consumption and non-adherence to travel regulations among others. The audit exercise was carried out on an initial sample of 93 transactions for the period between January to September 2012, to evaluate the level of existing internal controls over the procurement and payment of expenditure incurred by the enterprise. During the course of the audit, the sample was however increased to 109 "to ensure a more in depth analysis of the transactions". Among the key issues highlighted by the NAO, "a general lack" of internal control procedures in the area of procurement of goods and services was noted, "which is conducive to an inefficient use of government funding". For example, advertising costs totaling €31,601 relating to Business First were paid to suppliers without any calls for quotations or call for tenders. In a separate case involving graphic design and audiovisual production, an expression of interest – with a closing date in May 2011 – and request for proposals were issued. It however transpired that ME had already allocated a number of assignments to the supplier to the successful bidder. ME had also received invoices amounting to €12,703 between end April and May 2012, out of which the amount of €8,726 was already endorsed by the then executive chairman, Alan Camilleri. Camilleri left ME in mid-May 2012, when he asked the then finance minister not to renew his contract for personal reasons. In its auditing of business delegation expenses, the NAO found that, besides bypassing procurement regulations, no approval for direct order from MFEI was obtained over €7,075 in settlement of venue and catering expenses for a business delegation organised by ME in Israel in March 2012. A further two business delegations organised by ME – one to South Africa in February and another to Cologne and Munich in July – had the contract with foreign event organisers signed before the respective approvals were obtained from MFEI. The expenses amounted to €19,000. Non-adherence to travel regulations was also noted. During the PBS's World Cup commentary decision opens gaping wound But PBS decision to forgo Maltese commentary also raises issue of quality and language standard on TV JURGEN BALZAN "THE bad reputation of foot- ball commentators has led to PBS scrapping Maltese commentary," said George Micallef, perhaps the most recognisable of Maltese football's voices, in a rant on his Facebook wall at news that the national broadcaster would not be hosting Maltese commentary for 2014's World Cup in Brazil. After earlier this week describing the decision as "an insult" to all Maltese sports journalists, Micallef wrote that the negative perception on Maltese commentators "was down to PBS's decision to accommodate everyone by selecting a large number of journalists to commentate the European Championship and World Cup matches" – referring to the 2012 decision to engage 11 commentators for the European championships, apart from 'technical experts' by their side. "Quality should be the sole criterion in the selection of commentators," Micallef said, adding that even foreign broadcasters were employinmg smaller pools of commentators in major tournaments. Micallef has hit back at a wave of criticism directed at Maltese commentators on social media in the wake of PBS's decision to broadcast World Cup matches in English. But he has dismissed the notion that all Maltese commentators are incompetent. The social media was awash with comments which verged on the 'Quality should be sole criterion in selection of football commentators' comical, and at times embarrassing, tendency of a number of Maltese commentators to mispronounce names, confuse players and their derisory use of the language. "Don't tell me that nobody, absolutely nobody, is competent enough," Micallef wrote, saying that viewers were confusing competence with the style of commentators. The Sports Journalists Association has also come out in fierce defence of its members, saying that it was unfair that PBS had placed all journalists in one basket. But the association admitted that it had already drawn the attention of some commentators on the quality of their work in the past. "But these were isolated cases," Sandro Micallef, the association's secretary-general said. "The majority of our members carry out their job responsibly and with great dedication," Micallef said, urging them not to react to negative comments on the social media and instead be well-prepared when called on to commentate live sports events. But while stopping short of criticising PBS, the association expressed its solidarity with members who "were keenly expecting to commentate 2014 World Cup matches," saying members rightly felt let down by the decision. "While thanking PBS for acquiring the rights to transmit the matches, the association disassociates itself from negative comments that have appeared in the press and social media about Maltese commentators from armchair critics who criticised Maltese commentators who, in their view, offered a poor service in the past. It is a pity that all the commentators were put in the same basket," the association said. In his Facebook post, George Micallef expressed regret over the country's apparent inability to be self-critical, saying that "every word, tone and comment is interpreted negatively because of our insular mentality which turns everything into a 'with us, or against us' approach, as happens during parish feasts, politics and football. But we use a different yardstick when it come to foreign commentary." Micallef said that PBS's decision to broadcast the 2014 Brazil World Cup matches in English had "caused an uproar and a number of persons took the opportunity to air their spite, envy and hypocrisy". Micallef is insisting that after having acquired the rights to broadcast all World Cup matches, the state broadcaster is obliged to broadcast the matches in Maltese. "I'm not concerned had PBS safeguarded its commercial interests by offering an alternative in English. Technology would permit viewers the choice to watch games in either English or Maltese. Viewers would have at least been given a choice." If PBS decided to remove Maltese commentary for quality issues, the national broadcaster should either change commentators or invest in the current pool of journalists and train them, Micallef added. "I never demanded anything for myself and my rare appearances on television always followed a request for his services. On occasions I have declined offers from PBS because I was not in a position to give my best… I never begged or kissed ass for work. I was always well prepared whenever I was asked to produce, present or commentate." Micallef, who no longer works as a full-time journalist, pointed out that he welcomed constructive criticism and that he was open to "learn more in the art of commentary". But the respected sports journalist insisted that he had no intention of paying lip service to PBS managers. In comments to MaltaToday earlier this week, PBS CEO Anton Attard said: "It is not custom for PBS to transmit all 64 games for free. In the last World Cup, Maltese viewers had to switch to a service provider to follow some of the matches. There was no issue of understanding a foreign language, in most cases English or Italian, then and I don't think there is now."