The Nationalist Party has yet to file its statement of accounts for any full calendar year since Bernard Grech took over as party leader in October 2020.
The Electoral Commission’s website shows that the PN’s statements of accounts for 2021, 2022, and 2023 have not yet been filed with the commission. The party has also not submitted its donation reports for 2022 and 2023.
When asked why it had not filed its financial statements, the PN pointed to its auditor.
Times of Malta also asked how the PN could be trusted to govern the country when it has not managed its administrative duties as a political party.
“As Opposition leader Dr Bernard Grech has already explained, the Nationalist Party has completed the work it was required to do on its part, and now it remains for the auditor, according to his schedule of work, to review the party’s accounts and approve them. This was confirmed by the auditor himself in a letter to the Electoral Commission,” a spokesperson for the PN replied.
While the PN’s statements of accounts for 2021, 2022, and 2023 have not been handed in, other parties have done so.
These include parties that only field candidates for local council elections, such as Għarb l-Ewwel, Floriana l-Ewwel (which has not filed its 2023 accounts), and Residenti Beltin party.
Small parties, including ABBA, Partit Popolari, Imperium Europa, ADPD, and Volt, which have never won a parliamentary or MEP seat, have also filed their accounts.
The Labour Party has filed its accounts and donation reports for 2021, 2022, and 2023.
The requirement to publish political party accounts and donation reports was introduced in 2016 through the Financing of Political Parties Act.
Since then, political parties have been required to publish the names of individuals and companies donating more than €7,000. Political parties cannot receive more than €20,000 in donations from individuals or individual companies.
Political parties must present audited accounts to the regulator (the Electoral Commission) within four months of the end of their financial year. Failing to do so can lead to a fine of €10,000.
They must also present a donation report within 60 days of their reporting period. Failing to do so carries a maximum administrative fine of €20,000.
When Times of Malta first flagged the issue in October 2023, a PN spokesperson attributed the delay to a lack of human resources.
Grech was also asked about the issue in January 2024. He said the party “will continue doing its duty”.
Since then, the party has filed its donation report for 2021 which showed the PN received €1.5 million in donations in that year. Around €900,000 came from 50,676 donations that did not exceed €50. €211,812 came from donations over €50 but under €500, while around €390,000 came from 223 donors who gave more than €500 but less than €7,000.
No donations over €7,000 were declared.