The Labour Party spent over €3 million in its electoral campaign last year, more than double its spend in 2017, its annual financial report shows.

Meanwhile, the Nationalist Party has not yet filed its accounts and party donation reports for 2021 and 2022 with the Electoral Commission, with the PN attributing the delay to a lack of human resources. 

The PL’s annual report and financial statements published by the Electoral Commission shows the party spent €3.214 million in election costs in 2022.

Labour won 2022’s general election by a major landslide, acquiring 39,474 more votes than the PN.

The PL spent €1.239 million during the 2017 general election campaign, according to that year’s financial statements.

The party’s biggest source of income came from monetary donations with €1.9 million received in its coffers last year.

The PL's biggest source of income came from monetary donations with €1.9 million received in its coffers last year

A total of €1.3 million came from 511 donors who donated more than €500 but less than €7,000, according to the official figures.

The donation report from 2022 shows Pavi Supermarkets Ltd was the biggest donor, with €10,000 given to the Labour Party. In a statement to Malta Today last May, Pavi Supermarkets said it had donated the same amount to the PN.

Labour’s income membership and subscriptions totalled €154,692 and received €10,976 from commercial activities and €369,975 from ‘other income’. 

The requirement to publish political party accounts and donation reports came in 2016 through the Financing of Political Parties Act.

Since then, political parties are required to publish the names of individuals and companies who donate more than €7,000. Political parties cannot receive more than €20,000 in donations.

Political parties must present audited accounts to the regulator (the Electoral Commission) within four months from the end of their financial year.

€15k donation by PN leader to his own party

Failing to do so could lead to a fine of €10,000. 

They must also present a donation report within 60 days after their reporting period.

Failing to do so carries an administrative maximum fine of €20,000.

Meanwhile, the PN said the party is currently working to publish the accounts mentioned with the delay caused because of lack of human resources, a PN spokesperson explained.

A donation of almost €15,000 from PN leader Bernard Grech to his own party was the only single political donation requiring disclosure in 2020, the last time the Nationalist Party published its donation report. His donation represented his unspent leadership campaign funds from that year.