Another day, another scandal. This time it’s the incineration plant at Magħtab.

A whopping €600 million project was awarded to a consortium through a process that was either rotten or amateurly conducted.

Either way, had the government’s decision not been challenged in court, the Maltese taxpayer would have yet again footed the bill while being grossly underserved.

Just the morning before, it was an overpriced bus shelter in Santa Venera making the headlines. The exorbitant cost drew ridicule but it’s taxpayers who bear the brunt as their hard-earned euros are squandered to enrich a small ring of government cronies while adding zero value to our lives.

In this absurd dynamic, our government incentivises mediocre businesses that cut corners and cheat, while ethical businesses face unfair competition in markets skewed by government influence. Consequently, Malta’s standard of living plummets unabated.

Reforming the process through which the government buys goods and services is, therefore, ground-zero for any political effort aiming to decisively reverse Malta’s current downward trajectory.

Indeed, procurement in Malta must undergo fundamental, sweeping changes.

It is inconceivable how all of the government’s purchases are processed and monitored by a Department of Contracts that struggles along with merely 25 full-time employees. This is either an abysmal level of administrative incompetence or plain sabotage.

The number must at minimum quadruple if we are to stem the haemorrhage. Strengthening the department with top auditors, lawyers, IT specialists and accountants – despite the added expense – promises substantial savings and enhanced public value.

While offering competitive wages to a greater staff count will demand a bigger spend by the department, the increased outlay will pale in comparison to the huge savings and the surge in value each citizen will derive.

Furthermore, companies known to flout regulations, engage in corrupt practices or tax delinquency should be automatically disallowed to bid for projects altogether.

Conversely, companies that reliably meet deadlines, maintain superior quality standards and comply with regulatory frameworks ought to receive preferential scoring, enhancing their prospects in future government procurement processes.

A critical enhancement involves integrating the National Audit Office (NAO) more deeply into the procurement framework.

The NAO is one of Malta’s most transparent and effective state instruments. Yet, through technological investment and the bolstering of staff count even more may be yielded from this stalwart office. The NAO should be granted the authority to conduct spot checks on any tender, at any point throughout the process. Similar scrutiny ought to be extended to entities such as INDIS, FMS and Infrastructure Malta, which are significant spenders of public funds.

Procurement in Malta must undergo fundamental, sweeping changes- Arnold Cassola

Certainly, the NAO’s steadfast work should not simply vanish into the ether as it has done in the case of St Vincent de Paul and Vitals. A new legislative framework must compel the authorities to decisively and committedly follow up findings that the NAO deems potentially criminal.

Qualified experts rather than party-faithful must be put at the helm of the various authorities, like Transport Malta, Infrastructure Malta, the Malta Gaming Authority, the Planning Authority, Malta Enterprise and so forth, if we are to succeed in maximising the potential of every euro honest taxpayers invest into this country.

Of notable significance is the Public Procurement Document (2021) that was presented to the prime minister by the Malta Chamber of Commerce. Inside this detailed proposal one finds much of what is being discussed in this article but in greater detail, along with other technical points that I have chosen to omit due to size limitations of this article.

As Malta’s trust in the political process continues to plummet and the senseless ruin of our social fabric and environment continues unabated it is up to us to turn things around.

A transparent, efficient and intelligent procurement process will address the malady at its rotting root and deliver to the Maltese public a quality of life that more closely resembles that of a foremost European state.

A new generation of honest and competent politicians must lead a cultural shift that will steer Malta towards a far brighter future. Indeed, I am emboldened by the abundance of well-meaning, creative and intelligent minds that have reached out to support this effort through myriad means.

Malta is ripe for change. The time is now.

Arnold Cassola was an independent MEP candidate at this month’s European elections.