Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/544403
4 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 22 JULY 2015 News Busuttil insists Sai Mizzi is 'not fit for purpose' PN leader Simon Busuttil says Sai Mizzi has nothing to show for two years' work JURGEN BALZAN MALTA'S trade envoy in China, Sai Mizzi Liang has nothing to show for the two years she has been in the job, PN leader Simon Busuttil said. "Not only do we object to her appointment because she is the energy minister's wife but after meeting her we came to the con- clusion that she is not fit for pur- pose," he said. Speaking during an informal briefing with journalists over the Nationalist Party's visit to China last week, Busuttil said that when asked what she had achieved in two years, Mizzi Liang claimed that she was behind the signing of the five-year Memorandum of Un- derstanding on economic cooper- ation between the two countries and the Huawei investment. Busuttil said that apart from the two significant agreements, there was no other "concrete investment during her two years in China". Moreover, he said, "it is evident that she has no concrete plans for future Chinese investments and she has no plans to aid Maltese companies expand to China". "She told us that exporting Mal- tese wine or pork to China would not be competitive," Busuttil said, noting that Mizzi Liang has no vi- sion on how Malta Enterprise can encourage Maltese businesses, such as financial services compa- nies, to expand to China. Pointing out that the "entirely cordial" encounter took place in an impromptu meeting room in the same building where the new €2 million Maltese consulate is still under construction, Busuttil said Mizzi Liang did not explain where she has been meeting peo- ple and where she was based over the past two years. "The only thing she told us was that she's not the kind of person who sits behind a desk all day long," Busuttil said. During the meeting in Shanghai, which was also attended by economy minis- ter Chris Cardona's communica- tions coordinator Jonathan At- tard, Busuttil brought up Mizzi Liang's controversial appoint- ment. In reply to this newspaper's questions, Attard confirmed his presence in China and explained "the purpose of my trip in Shang- hai was not limited to this par- ticular meeting, since I had other engagements related to a project which the Ministry for the Econ- omy, Investment and Small Busi- ness is working on with the assist- ance of Mrs Mizzi, in her capacity as a trade envoy for Malta Enter- prise". He added "as per usual practice, after a meeting I report back to the Minister for the Economy, In- vestment and Small Business and the Head of Government Com- munication". "I made it very clear what we think about her appointment and she obviously was not very to hap- py to hear this. I made it clear that her appointment is unacceptable as it goes against the principles of good governance," he said, add- ing that the relatives of ministers would never happen under his watch. Busuttil said that Mizzi Liang saw nothing wrong in her ap- pointment "as no rule was bro- ken" adding that "Mizzi does not understand that her salary is too high". 'I would have sacked Kurt Farrugia' Busuttil said that were he to be- come Prime Minister he would not tolerate an OPM spokesper- son to belittle the leader of the opposition. Following Busuttil's meeting with Mizzi Liang on Friday, the government's chief spokesperson tweeted 'Opposition leader @Si- monBusuttil meets Sai Mizzi but only tells her what he 'believes' in a press release. Talk about chick- ens.' Insisting that the PN would not tolerate such behavior from a public official who represents the Prime Minister. "Under my watch as Prime Min- ister, I would have called Farrugia and sacked him there and then," he said. Shanghai Electric want full transparency During the five-day visit to the world's second biggest economy, Busuttil and his entourage which included deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami and foreign af- fairs spokesperson Tonio Fenech, met with a number of high rank- ing officials from the Communist Party of China and government officials. Moreover, the PN delegation met with the vice-president and CFO of Shanghai Electric Power, which has bought the BWSC power plant in Delimara and a 33% stake in Enemalta. Pointing out that the long-term investment will last beyond the current legislature, Busuttil re- iterated the opposition's call for the publication of the agreement reached between government and the Chinese state-controlled company. "In the space of one hour we were given more information than the government has given us in two years," Busuttil said, add- ing that the Chinese company has no objection to the publication of the agreement it reached with government. "If Shanghai Electric is willing to be open and transparent why does government still refuse to publish the agreement?" he asked, add- ing that the people have a right to know how much the country will be paying for the generation of electricity. "We have been as transparent as possible before, during and after our visit to China and this con- trasts with the way government conducts its business abroad," Busuttil said, citing the Prime Minister's "secretive" visit to Az- erbaijan were the media was not present. Sai Mizzi Liang welcoming PN leader Simon Busuttil in Shanghai on Friday €4.6m spring hunting referendum cost includes MIRIAM DALLI A €4.6 million figure tabled in parliament pertaining to the spring hunting referendum in re- ality includes expenses related to the local council elections, Chief Electoral Commissioner Joseph Church confirmed. Last week, Finance Minister Edward Scicluna tabled in par- liament a letter he received from the Electoral Commis- sion. Potentially mislead- ing parliament, the letter, titled '2015 referendum expenses', gave the im- pression that the abroga- tive referendum had cost taxpayers €4,631,688. However, following further clarification sought by this newspa- per, Church confirmed that the figure quoted covered both the coun- cil elections and the referendum since they were held "simultane- ously and on the same dates". "Please note that more often than not local council elections are held in conjunc- tion with some other electoral activity, be it M.E.P.s, referen- dum or General Elec- tions," Church said. "The Local Coun- cils Act (Chap. 363) specifically excludes the separate ac- counting of such elections. In fact, when local council elections are held together with some other electoral activity (as the occasion under reference), it is practically impossible to apportion separate expenditure, for example, in re- spect of Police Officers distribut- ing voting documents. Similarly, when A.E.C.'s serve voters in Poll- ing Booths, they are simultane- ously rendering service to people casting their vote in respect of both activities. "In this respect, therefore, the outlay being reported in the case of the Referendum, includes both functions since the time being utilised, the human resources be- ing used and the expenditure be- ing incurred will essentially serve both occasions." The Chief Electoral Commis- sioner explained that it was ex- pressly for the economies-of-scale purpose that, over the years, gov- ernments tend to combine the lo- cal council elections with other electoral activities. A comparison with other demo- cratic instruments suggests that the spring hunting referendum in reality cost half of the quoted figure: the 2011 divorce referen- dum cost €2,203,992 while the 2012 local council elections cost €3,142,144. The latter expense included around half a million on structural works at the counting hall. Usually, expenses cover remu- neration for Electoral Commis- sion workers, assistant electoral commissioners and temporary personnel; utilities, operating ma- terials and supplies and repairs; office services, transport, infor- mation services and contractual services, property improvement, hospitality and equipment. The biggest expense is to cover the remuneration of temporary personnel, which includes count- ing agents. This year the cost amounted to €1,628,663. On the other hand, the subsi- dised Air Malta flight tickets for voters this year cost €1,349,538.43 whereas the amount paid to 2011 divorce referendum cost €2,203,992 • 2012 council elections reached €3,152,144 parliament pertaining to the the Electoral Commis- sion. Potentially mislead- ing parliament, the letter, titled '2015 referendum expenses', gave the im- pression that the abroga- tive referendum had cost taxpayers €4,631,688. However, following further clarification sought by this newspa- per, Church confirmed that the figure quoted covered both the coun- cil elections and the referendum since they were held "simultane- ously and on the same dates". "Please note that more often than not local council elections are held in conjunc- tion with some other electoral activity, be it M.E.P.s, referen- dum or General Elec- tions," Church said. cils Act (Chap. 363) specifically excludes the separate ac- counting of such elections. In fact, The letter sent by the Electoral Commission to finance minister Edward Scicluna Electoral Commissioner Joseph Church