MEPA annual report under wraps

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority's annual report and financial statements for 2011 have still not been published.

For the past three years, the reports were always published before June. Prior to the MEPA reform in 2008, the annual report was regularly published at the end of each financial year in November.

The report can only be published after being tabled in parliament. But no such report has been tabled before parliament's summer recess. This means that the report will not see the light of the day before October.

The financial statements are expected to throw light on MEPA's financial state.

MEPA's latest financial estimates for 2010 showed the government spending €7.7 million to finance the gap in MEPA's accounts.

This amount was even higher than the €7 million subvention granted to MEPA in 2010 which still left the authority with a €2 million deficit.

The government originally planned to turn MEPA in to a self-sustaining authority but later changed tack, replacing the blanket subvention by starting to pay MEPA for services rendered to government.

Over the past few years, the annual report was always in the news thanks to the publication of comments by MEPA auditor Joseph Falzon, who provides a summary of the cases he dealt with during the previous year.

Falzon confirmed with this newspaper that he had sent his report, which is always included in the annual report before the end of last year. During 2011, the MEPA auditor investigated a number of interesting cases - including that on the appointment of MEPA CEO Ian Stafrace.

When contacted in April a MEPA spokesperson replied that the report was still being compiled to was to be published "in the coming weeks."

On 7 July when asked why the report had still not been published a MEPA spokesperson replied that the "report was being finalised".

When reminded that since parliament is adjourned and both the annual report and financial report have to be tabled in parliament it is unlikely that the report will see the light of the day at least by October, the MEPA spokesperson replied that "the annual report will be published in the coming weeks and will be forwarded to the Minister to table in Parliament".