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State aid required by Air Malta cannot be divulged due to EC confidentiality
Finance Minister Tonio Fenech told parliament that foreign consultants were employed to conduct ad hoc reports on Air Malta, but refused to say what the airline is expecting in terms of state aid.
10 October 2011, 12:00am
Miriam Dalli
Miriam Dalli
1 min read
Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said he cannot answer any questions on Air Malta because the information required by Labour MPs in parliament was commercially sensitive.
Labour MP Gavin Gulia asked Fenech if and how many foreign consultants had been asked to carry out ad hoc reports on Air Malta. Fenech replied that he couldn’t answer the parliamentary question because it entails commercially sensitive information.
He however did admit that there had been foreign consultants appointed and said they had given consultancy services related with the restructuring plan and state aid.
On what amount of state aid is needed for Air Malta, Fenech said this also was of a sensitive nature and could not inform the Opposition. “Such information would include the profits and loss lines of the airline which could be used by Air Malta’s competing airlines against it.”
Fenech said that government is tied by confidentiality with the European Commission, and until the EC gives its permission, government cannot divulge any information.
Reacting to Fenech’s comments, Opposition leader Joseph Muscat asked whether Fenech was consciously saying that government was neither informing nor consulting the Opposition on Air Malta.
Fenech however replied that it was not a matter of not informing the Opposition, but that once he replies to any questions, these could be used against Air Malta.
Miriam Dalli joined MaltaToday.com.mt in 2010 becoming assistant editor f...
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The incidence of not divulging information of national importance to parliament due to the excuse of 'commercial sensitivity' is evidently being used sparingly by the government to the clear detriment of transparency and good governance.
It is obvious that it has become Tonio Fenech's favorite smokescreen tool which he is using very frequently at the tax payer's expense.
In the interest of accountability and in full respect of the Maltese nation, this practice should be discontinued at once. Or the minister should be held personally liable for any claims of money squandering which might need to be investigated in the near or distant future.
