The Auditor General has accepted a request made by Opposition Members in Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to investigate the public call process for the waste incinerator project in Magħtab, the Nationalist Party said.
“In a letter dated today, 27th March 2025, the National Audit Office (NAO) informed the PAC Chairman that the request made last July by the Opposition members for an investigation into the incinerator contract has been accepted.”
This request was signed by PAC Chairman Darren Carabott, Partit Nazzjonalista MPs Claudette Buttigieg and Graham Bencini, as well as Shadow Minister for the Environment Rebekah Borg and Shadow Minister for Public Cleanliness Eve Borg Bonello.
The request followed concerns about whether the contract was awarded in accordance with good governance principles, amid allegations of irregularities in this multi-million-euro public project, the PN said.
“In October 2023, an international consortium that included a Maltese company won the tender with a €600 million offer. However, one of the losing bidders filed an appeal which was upheld by the Court, leading Wasteserv to revise its decision.”
The NAO has drafted terms of reference for the audit in line with the Opposition’s request. “These terms indicate that the investigation will analyse whether a proper evaluation was carried out, in accordance with principles of good governance, to assess a range of social, environmental, and governance-related factors,” the PN said.
Among other elements, the investigation will examine the project’s benefits, its environmental impact, and whether the interests of nearby residents were safeguarded. It will also evaluate the expected level of diligence and good governance by the Department of Contracts, government entities, ministries, Cabinet and any other relevant persons, particularly regarding accountability, transparency, and confidentiality in the tendering and monitoring process.
“The terms of reference also include an analysis of the composition of the Evaluation Board and whether it reflected the expected standards of diligence and governance compared to other similar processes and contracts awarded during the same period.”
The PN expressed its satisfaction that this request has been accepted, “as it reflects the concerns of local residents and the ongoing objections to this project raised by the Naxxar Local Council.”
“It is significant that this investigation comes just days after Prime Minister Robert Abela’s latest attempt to seize absolute control over more institutions and similar processes,” the party said.
“This follows a recent Motion brought forward by the Opposition in Parliament to repeal legal amendments that grant excessive powers to the Prime Minister over public procurement processes. These changes aim to give the Prime Minister greater control over appeals on contract awards, often benefiting individuals close to the Labour Party.”
Among these amendments, the Prime Minister is being granted increased authority to appoint members to the Public Contracts Review Board (PCRB), which reviews decisions on public contracts, many of which are worth millions of euros, the PN said.