Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/893950
maltatoday SUNDAY 29 OCTOBER 2017 News 7 The HSBC Premier Mastercard is not only about new looks. It now includes contactless technology which lets you pay for everyday small items without the need for cash or the need to enter your PIN every time. The HSBC Premier Mastercard also gives you access to Mastercard's World programme which offers exceptional benefits related to travel, dining, shopping and other services you've come to expect from your Mastercard. Find out more at hsbc.com.mt/premier Goodbye cash, hello contactless payments with the HSBC Premier Mastercard Approved and issued by HSBC Bank Malta p.l.c., 116, Archbishop Street, Valletta VLT1444. HSBC Bank Malta p.l.c. is licensed by the MFSA to conduct investment service business and is enrolled as a tied insurance intermediary of HSBC Life Assurance (Malta) Ltd. Subject to account opening criteria. 97768-10/2017 REQ NO: 98923 PAUL COCKS VARIOUS direct orders were is- sued by the Gozo Channel com- pany in the days prior to the June election, to third-party contrac- tors. The figures, presented in par- liament, suggest the company issued contracts to security and cleaning companies in a bid to dish out jobs right before the 2017 election. The decision by Gozo Chan- nel to outsource the engagement of staff to outside contractors is now costing the company hun- dreds of thousands of Euros, as inflated management fees de- manded by the contractors mean that the company is – for exam- ple – ending up paying more than €5,500 each month for each secu- rity officer engaged in the termi- nal marshalling areas. Data tabled in Parliament re- veals that Gozo Channel paid €214.562. excluding VAT for a three-month contract awarded – by direct order – to Ozo Se- curity Ltd, for the supply of 13 security officers at the terminals in Cirkewwa and Mgarr. The contract entered into effect on 28 April this year. That means Gozo Channel was effectively paying €5,501.60 each month for each of the 13 employ- ees, under a contract that the company said had been approved by the Ministry of Finance. When that contract expired at the end of July, a new three- month contract was awarded to Signal 8 Security Services Malta Ltd. The new contract, which is valid until tomorrow, catered for the employment of 15 personnel and cost the company €232,830. Gozo Channel thus paid €5,174 each month for each person em- ployed under the contract, which was once again issued by direct order after four quotations had been received. The same company – Signal 8 Security Services Malta Ltd – had already been contracted by Gozo Channel for the employment of mooring men in a contract that expired at the end of May. In a new three-month contract issued by direct order, the com- pany was paid a further €260,846 for the supply of 34 mooring be- tween 1 June and 31 August this year. Once that contract expired, Go- zo Channel asked for four quota- tions and – having presented the lowest offer – Signal 8 Security Services Malta Ltd saw its con- tract extended by another three months, up to the end of Novem- ber. Gozo Channel thus ended up paying the contractor €2,557 ex. VAT each month for every moor- ing man employed in the same time period. The company also approved by direct order a three-month ex- tension to a contract previously awarded to Executive Security Services Ltd for the supply of 20 seamen on board the Gozo Chan- nel vessels. The extension alone – cover- ing the period from 30 July to 30 October – cost the company €124,999.95, meaning the com- pany ended up paying €2,083.33 ex. VAT each month for every seaman. Another contractor, Trust Business Solutions JV, was paid €69,666.50 for the supply of caf- eteria attendants in June and July this year alone. The same compa- ny secured a two-year contract for the same service, from August this year to July 2019. Details of that contract were not made available. Pre-electoral Gozo Channel jobs costing hundreds of thousands