The public sector: what chairpersons and CEOs are paid

Maltese newspapers don’t do rich lists.

The FT describes it properly: they are compulsive if snoopy reading. Which is why the salaries of public servants are rarely touched. Anyone with an axe to grind is ready to accuse the media of displaying an envious streak, or that it wants to ‘embarrass’ people in high positions (exactly how, I don’t know…).

Our graphic visual of who gets paid what in Malta’s public service lacks a few entries. Some of the information was not available at the time of going to print: we will update these as soon as we get it and post it online.

There is an entire slew of chairpersons appointed to minor boards whose annual honoraria are too small to include in what was a very limited newspaper page. I’d like to think we will eventually compile the ultimate visual to who gets paid what. So are we being snoopy about those appointed to public positions by revealing what they are getting paid

Of course we are, but for the ‘right’ reasons. This is tax money after all, and it is just right that taxpayers know what sort of ‘value for money’ they get from people. Shareholders would want to know the same about their company directors.

The other reason is that this information is already public on www.parliament.gov.mt, the Parliament’s website. So, why not bring all this data together in one presentation for readers to consume? Readers like this stuff as much as they like seeing the photos from the Sunday Circle’s ‘Circle Paparazzi’ column. We may be doing something similar, albeit for different reasons.

What makes the debate interesting is who gets paid for doing what: take Austin Walker, who gets paid €93,000 for handling MEPA. Some will say that €90,000 is the minimum to put yourself up as an object of (misconstrued) hate by those people who feel wronged by the planning system.

I feel the real reason to aggregate all this data into one presentation is precisely that: aggregation. Instead of relying on titbits that get copied from parliamentary questions and pasted into the print media’s blank spots, let’s give a full picture. Last week, many talked about Walker’s €93,000 and the MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando’s €13,000 (who instead of being a parliamentary assistant was given the job of MCST chairman), which was information revealed in the PQs.

Our graphic hopefully provides all the in-betweens.

Also: 2008 ministers’ declaration of assets