MPs still paid even if they do not attend sittings

Parliamentarians are still being paid their honoraria even if they do not attend sittings despite a government pledge to instil more accountability. The system to peg MPs’ honoraria payments to attendance was promised in Budget 2014 and had to be...

November 16, 2014| Times of Malta 1 min read

Parliamentarians are still being paid their honoraria even if they do not attend sittings despite a government pledge to instil more accountability. The system to peg MPs’ honoraria payments to attendance was promised in Budget 2014 and had to be introduced this year.

But Clerk of the House Ray Scicluna has confirmed the system has not changed.

“To date, no change to the remuneration system of MPs has been put in place,” Mr Scicluna told this newspaper when it enquired about the Budget proposal.

Linking honoraria payments to attendance was a Labour Party electoral pledge and was mentioned by Finance Minister Edward Scicluna when delivering Budget 2014 last November.

“Employees are expected to go to work to get paid. It is government’s intention, from next year [2014], to start paying MPs their honoraria pro-rata according to attendance,” Prof. Scicluna had said, adding that in this way the country’s highest institution would lead by example.

More in The Sunday Times of Malta and the e-paper on timesofmalta.com Premium.

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