Almost €7 million in direct orders by Gozo Channel alone

Weekly newspaper Illum reports that, across 73 direct orders that were issued over 10 months, Gozo Channel handed out no less than €6,840,801 in direct orders to companies which it picked out itself.

On average, this boils down to 7.3 direct orders per month.

These direct orders were handed out to companies picked out directly by the Gozo Channel management, without any public calls being issued.

Such calls are normally issued to ensure that the services or products purchased are the cheapest or most competitive available.

Illum reports that the expenditure, amounting to close to €7 million, took place between 28^th October 2011 and 8^th September 2012.

The report also says that in the four months that followed to the end of 2012, this figure is understood to have continued increasing.

The costliest direct order, the weekly newspaper reports, was handed out to Palumbo Shipyards on 29 March of 2012, and amounted to in excess of €2 million (€2,665.495, excluding VAT).

This direct order was not an exception, the report notes. Just three months earlier, on 16 December 2011, Gozo Channel awarded another direct order to Palumbo amounting to €650,000 (VAT excluded).

Read the full report on Sunday's issue of Illum.