Robert Abela wants MPs, ministers, to be subject to same asset declaration system

Cabinet ministers have stopped submitting their detailed asset declarations, as Prime Minister Robert Abela moves to introduce a single declaration system for all MPs that would mean ministers are no longer required to disclose the more extensive financial information previously demanded of Cabinet members.

For years, ministers have been required to submit detailed asset declarations with details of their property holdings, bank deposits, and even some information on their spouses’ income if they have community of assets. 

As from 2023, Prime Minister Robert Abela broke from tradition and chose not to publish the asset declarations of his Cabinet members for that year. At the time, he had insisted that there was no obligation to publish these declarations. 

Now, a letter from the Standards Commissioner to the Office of the Prime Minister suggests that Cabinet members have taken a unilateral decision to stop submitting these asset declarations altogether. This is a step further than just refusing to publish the declarations. 

In the letter, Commissioner Joseph Azzopardi says that he tried to obtain the declarations for 2024, but received no reply. After a few chaser emails, the Cabinet Secretary replied that Cabinet decided there should be a single declaration form for all members of parliament, and that all ministers had already submitted their parliamentary asset declarations to parliament earlier in the year.  

“In effect, this means that ministers will no longer declare their income, and neither will they declare financial investments and bank accounts held by their spouses. This information is required by the ministerial declaration form, but not the form for MPs,” Azzopardi said in his letter. 

When MaltaToday asked OPM for comment, a spokesperson said that the commissioner’s concerns will be addressed by changes to the asset declaration system that will be proposed by the government. “The changes will consist in a single declaration, which shall apply to all members of parliament without the existing distinctions.” 

“The government is also planning to make changes to the Code of Ethics of Members of Parliament, particularly in light of the recent stand adopted by the Commissioner for Standards that members of Parliament are not obliged to be honest and stick to the truth.” 

The last declarations made available to the public showed that Abela held total cash holdings of €388,500. His only income is his prime minister’s salary, and he has no loans payable. At the time, he also held a couple of properties in Malta and Gozo as well as equity in HSBC Malta and bonds in Hili Properties.  

Many Cabinet members enjoy high savings in their bank accounts. Their 2022 ministerial declarations showed banking deposit sums of €279,000 and €444,000 for Jo Etienne Abela and Miriam Dalli respectively. Social Policy Minister Michael Falzon declared over €480,000 and £128,000 in bank deposits at BOV.  

Plenty of ministers are property-rich. In 2022, Ian Borg declared five properties in Dingli and Rabat, while Anton Refalo declared no less than 23 properties in Gozo.