Seventeen local councils failed to submit audited financial statements for 2015 in time, Justice Minister Owen Bonnici told parliament this evening. 

Three local councils - Valletta, Ghaxaq and the Northern Region [Regjun Tramuntana] have missed the deadline to present audited financial statements for the past three years running. 

Birgu, Birkirkara, Gharb, San Lawrenz and the Gozo Region have missed deadlines in 2015 and 2014, the minister said. 

The information provided by Dr Bonnici does not include two councils whose delays were justified by the National Audit Office, as well as another eight councils that were still waiting for audit adjustments by the stipulated deadline. 

Dr Bonnici said that two working groups had been set up to tackle the problem of local councils submitting financial statements late. 

Local councils are no strangers to accountancy problems. Back in 2011, the NAO had given just three out of 68 local councils a clean bill of financial health. At the time, less than one-third of local councils had managed to submit audited financial statements by the stipulated deadline.