No finalised list of ministerial portfolios yet

There is no finalised list of ministerial portfolios yet despite Cabinet being sworn in three weeks ago, Carmelo Abela has confirmed.

Abela, who is minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, was answering a parliamentary question by Opposition MP Chris Said on the matter.

Said was asking under which ministerial portfolio the Malta Communications Authority fell and was informed that “internal checks were still under way” to ensure all authorities and public entities were assigned to the various ministries.

The list indicating under which ministries the various authorities, boards and public entities fall has not been made public, three weeks after Cabinet was formed.

Abela was answering on behalf of Prime Minister Robert Abela, who is abroad.

“There are verification processes that are still underway and the full list will be published in the coming days,” Abela said.

The Opposition complained that without knowing under whose portfolio the various entities fell, they could not put the necessary parliamentary questions to the appropriate ministers.

Last week, MaltaToday revealed that the Wild Birds Regulation Unit, the hunting regulator, was assigned to the Gozo Ministry rather than the Environment Ministry, raising eyebrows among bird conservationists.