The financial estimates, published last week along with Budget 2023, show how the sands of government spending will shift over the next year.
Ivan Martin looks at the ministries that have experienced the greatest changes.
COVID spending eases up
The Health Ministry will be spending significantly less on the fight against COVID as the pandemic peters out.
The approved allocation for COVID supplies stood at €25 million for 2022. The government is now projecting to spend some €10 million less on the fight against the pandemic in 2023 as concern about the virus peters out.
On the other hand, the ministry is investing in the fight against poison. In 2021 the ministry allocated nearly €20,000 to a national poison centre, but the allocation shot up to €600,000 for this year.
Nurse Rachel Grech receiving the first COVID-19 vaccine in Malta. Photo: DOI.The ministry’s contributions to state entities include a whopping €65million towards mental health care, €13million for Karen Grech rehabilitation hospital, and another €4million for the Foundation for Medical Services.
The ministry takes up a large chunk of the government’s budget allocation eating up an estimated €897 million by the end of the year.
That is expected to climb up to €930 million by the end of 2023.
€1 million travel bill at Foreign Affairs
The Foreign Affairs Ministry spent €1 million more in travel between 2020 and 2021 once COVID-19 travel restrictions started to be eased.
In 2020 the ministry still racked up the miles, spending some €378,000 on overseas travels. However, that shot up significantly to €1.4 million the following year.
When compared to some of the more robust ministries, Foreign Affairs Minister Ian Borg has a far slenderer slice of the government’s funding cake.
He has a €48 million budget for this year.
Malta’s Ambassador to the UN Vanessa Frazier votes for the new non-permanent members of the UN Security Council as Foreign Minister Ian Borg and the rest of the Maltese delegation look on. Photo: Ray AttardA major expense for the ministry in recent years has been Malta’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
In 2021 Malta spent €122,000 on this. It then doubled its budget to lobby for the seat and will have spent an estimated €400,000 by the end of this year.
Malta secured its seat on the council in June.
National heritage spending cut
Owen Bonnici’s ministry for national heritage, arts, and local government have an estimated €58million budget for this year.
The figure is forecast to climb in 2023 by a further €15 million to €73 million.
A significant chunk of the ministry’s funding goes towards financing programmes, initiatives, and cultural agencies.
By the end of this year the ministry is expected to have spent €17 million on around 60 different events and initiates from some €2.6 million for performances at Pjazza Teatru Rjal, to 160,000 on the “acquisition of books”, and €400,000 on a rock festival.
Bonnici’s budget is larger than the ministry had in previous years as it is now responsible for national broadcasting - a matter previously handled by the OPM.
File photo.The arts ministry now has a €6.2 million public service obligation allowance that it will hand to the PBS in 2023.
A look at the budget for government agencies in the cultural sector also shows the changing way money is being spent.
Arts Council Malta has had its budget more than doubled from €1.7 million in 2021 to €3.7 million by the end of this year.
On the other hand, Heritage Malta has half the money to play with, going from €12.5 million in 2021 to €7 million this year.
Fisheries spend on combating Lampuki pirates
Anton Refalo’s Agriculture Ministry has a €40.8 million budget for this year and will be splashing out on the fight against Tunisian fishermen who rob Maltese Lampuki catches.
The spend on ‘fisheries patrol’ will go from €74,000 this year to €450,000 in 2023.
A photo of one of the Tunisian vessels allegedly plundering Maltese Lampuki rafts (Photo: Facebook)This increase comes as the government has committed to not only increasing inspection on local fishers but also tackling the scourge of foreign fishing vessels sneaking into Maltese waters and snapping up local catches.
On the other hand, funding for the fight against invasive pests has been slashed. Last year some €270,000 was spent on the Plant Disease Control Programme, but this year just €70,000 is expected to be spent.
The ministry’s contribution to state entities has climbed from €1.5 million last year to €2.1 million by the end of this year.
The main change was the Malta Food Agency, formerly known as Pitkalija Ltd, having its budget doubled from €725,000 to €1.4 million.
COVID vouchers cost big
Silvio Schembri’s Economy Ministry is forecast to spend some €50 million by the end of this year, which is €77 million less than it had to play with last year.
The ministry, which is also responsible for managing European funds and local industry, will be spending significantly less on funding programmes and initiatives.
File photo.This is because it will not be handing out another round of COVID vouchers which last year cost the taxpayer around €50 million.
It will no longer be handling some €26 million worth of contractual services.
Turning to state entities, Schembri’s largest financial allocation goes to the Lands Authority which last year soaked up some €11 million.
Tallinja card costs explode as free buses introduced
Aaron Farrugia’s transport ministry has an annual budget of some €116 million for this year and will be spending big on introducing free public transport.
The ministry, which is also responsible for national infrastructure and capital projects, will spend the bulk of its financing, €78.5 million, on initiatives and programmes.
This is set to climb to €107 million for 2023.
The public service obligation paid out to help support public transport service is climbing from the €34 million spent last year to an estimated €40 million by the end of next year.
The cost on the Tallinja Card, which users need to be eligible for new free public transport is set to climb from €2 million sent last year to €14 million by the end of next year.
Likewise, the public service obligation given to “inter island transportation” in other words ferry services, has climbed from €9 million last year to €17 million by the end of next year.
Global spending chart for 2022. Graphic: Christian Busuttil/Design Studio
Global spending chart for 2023, Graphic: Christian Busuttil/Design StudioGozo spending on waste
The Gozo ministry will be spending €500,000 on managing farm waste, an issue which has not been addressed there for several years.
Clint Camilleri has a €57 million fund for his Gozo Ministry set to climb by another €2 million next year.
Of this, €16 million goes to supporting programmes and initiatives.
A series of initiatives supported by the Gozo Ministry have seen their budgets increase.
These include an extra €500,000 for elderly residential services, an extra €600,000 for Gozo youth employment schemes, and an estimated €500,000 to be spent on the management of farm waste for the first time in a few years.
The Gozo Ministry is also responsible for hunting regulations and allocates €1 million to the Wild Birds Regulations Unit.
Home Affairs to splash out on Pride event
The Euro Pride Parade being held in Malta for the first time ever next year will cost some €2.5 million.
Also, some €600,000 has been allocated over this year and 2023 for the implementation of an integration strategy.
Byron Camilleri has a €65.6 million kitty for his Home Affairs Ministry this year, which is set to increase to €72 million next year.
The bulk of this, €43 million this year, will go towards financing government entities such as the prison.
Balloons make up the word 'pride' during the 2019 Malta Pride event in Valletta. Photo: Mark Zammit CordinaTurning to the contributions to government entities, Camilleri’s ministry hands over some €27 million to the correctional services agency.
On the other hand, the ministry also rakes in money through the controversial sale of passports.
Although this is dipping from €60 million in 2021 to €30 million this year and a projected €20 million next year.
Tourism regulator overshot its budget
Clayton Bartolo’s Tourism Ministry has a €150 million budget allocation for this year.
It is also set to spend some €4 million more in 2023.
From its global budget for 2022, the ministry spends the lion’s share, €124 million, on government entities. it spends a much smaller amount, €4.5 million, on supporting programmes and initiatives.
The Film Awards had an approved budget of €400,000 for this year and we will have to wait until next year’s Budget to see whether it overshot this, and if so, by how much.
The tourism authority overshot its budget by more than €19 million in 2021.
The Malta Tourism Authority was projected to spend €95 million last year but overshot that by a whopping €19.5 million.
Energy funding skyrockets
Miriam Dalli’s super ministry responsible for energy, environment, and enterprise, has a budget of €177 million for this year but it is set to increase to €814 million next year.
This is because the ministry is set to go from spending €125 million on supporting programmes and initiatives to some €739 million next year.
The main drain here is the government’s energy support measures. In 2021 the government spent €180 million on this. The section for 2022 was left blank.
Next year it is forecast to cost €580 million.
Maintenance of public gardens 1,500,000 this year followed by €500,000 in 2023.
The ministry has also allocated €10.3 million for a new entity responsible for national parks for 2023. The entity is meant to handle a €700 million investment in national parks.
Greylisting spend doubles
Clyde Caruana’s Finance Ministry has doubled the amount it spent on efforts to get off the international money laundering grey list.
The national co-ordinating committee, responsible for drafting anti-money laundering policies, has seen its budget more than double from 2021 to this year, going from €1.2 million to €2.8 million.
Likewise, the FIAU has seen its budget increase from €8.2 million last year, to €11.5 million for next year.
Malta was taken off the grey list in June.
Caruana’s ministry has a 2022 allocation of €296 million, but this will increase to €311 million for next year.
The ministry, which is also responsible for employment, will this year spend some €242 million on supporting programmes and initiatives.
Education spends on space
Clifton Grima’s education ministry has a €366 million budget for this year, climbing to €394 million for 2023.
Some €178 million will go towards initiatives and another €149 million to finance state entities.
The space research fund has an allocation of €435,000 this year, climbing to €450,000 for 2023. The ministry will also be spending €800,000 between this year and next year on space policy and regulation.