Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/616203
6 JAMES DEBONO PAYMENTS totaling nearly €340,000 paid to Malta's 68 lo- cal councils were not accompa- nied by a proper fiscal receipt, according to a report issued by the Auditor General. A further €78,387 in payments to regional committees were also not cov- ered by receipts. This represents a sharp de- crease from the €1.6 million in payments not covered by a fiscal receipt f lagged by the auditor in last year's report but still repre- sent "substantial amounts" the auditor pointed out. The locality accepting the highest number of payments not accompanied by a fiscal receipt was one of the smallest in the country – Mtarfa in Malta. Ac- cording to the AG's report, pay- ments to the Mtarfa council not accompanied by a proper fiscal receipt amounted to €53,223. The Gozo regional commit- tee's payments which were not covered by a receipt amounted to €55,053. The report states that despite the continuous recommenda- tions made by the AG's office during the preceding years, in- stances were still noted in which a substantial amount of expend- iture incurred for councils op- erations was not supported by a valid fiscal receipt, even though the service provider concerned did not qualif y for an exemp- tion. At times, even the invoice sub- mitted by the supplier lacked necessary details, such as the identification of the client, while in a number of cases procure- ment was only supported by "a piece of paper". According to the auditor lo- cal councils are to ensure that an invoice, as well as a fiscal re- ceipt, is obtained for all the ex- penditure incurred by councils. In cases where the supplier is in breach of VAT regulations, the council is to discontinue pro- curing from such defaulter until the situation is rectified. A number of councils, includ- ing Mtarfa and Naxxar, did not reply to the auditor's reproach while others like Mgarr replied that while they do their utmost to request such receipts for all payments issued, a number of suppliers do not forward fiscal receipts despite the council 's ef- forts. The Dingli council promised to ensure that a valid fiscal re- ceipt is obtained for all expendi- ture incurred while the Rabat (Malta) council replied that this matter is beyond its control. The Victoria council, which accept- ed €51,725 in payments not cov- ered by a proper receipt, replied that the council always stamps all payment vouchers with the statement saying 'Victoria Lo- cal Council – Please issue Fiscal Receipt'. The Sliema council, which found itself unable to recuperate receipts for payments amounting to €3,261 (down from €64,786 last year), remarked that al- though it makes every effort to recover the fiscal document "certain suppliers are happy to break the law." In view of this the council intends to " blacklist" from future procurement orders suppliers who do not provide it with a fiscal receipt. maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 16 DECEMBER 2015 News 6 €339,793 in payments to local councils not covered by fiscal receipt Payments to local councils lacking proper fiscal receipt Mtarfa €53,233 Naxxar €52,127 Victoria €51,725 Mgarr €35,794 Xaghra €34,725 Dingli €33,250 Mdina Road petrol station wants restaurant JAMES DEBONO THE extra large petrol station next to Mount Carmel hospital in Mdina Road has applied for an extension consisting of a restau- rant on an adjacent vacant plot of land belonging to the same owner, Saviour Schembri. The new catering establish- ment built over two levels would be built over 520 square metres of land and include space for out- side chairs and tables would will be covered by a dome-shaped external cover. The application is still in its initial stages and is currently be- ing vetted by the Malta Environ- ment and Planning Authority, which has to inform the appli- cant whether the project con- forms to existing policies. The ODZ petrol station was controversially approved in 2006 despite a clear recommen- dation of the case officer against the approval of the ODZ petrol station. The project was also opposed by the Attard local council and parliamentarians from both major parties. An extension to the car wash and the inclusion of bathroom facilities was ap- proved in 2009. The petrol sta- tion had been approved in the absence of any policy regulat- ing the development of petrol stations in ODZ. A new policy regulating ODZ petrol stations permits the re- location of petrol stations in urban areas to ODZ locations. This has led to a surge in plan- ning applications in strategic locations. These include an applica- tion for another massive 3,000 square metre petrol station along Mdina Road, which has been recently presented by Luqa Developments Limited, which wants to relocate a pet- rol station situated in Valley Road. the car wash and the inclusion