Malta’s big-spending Film Commission was singled out as one of the entities that led the Tourism Ministry to overshoot its budget for this year by €17 million.

Budget estimates for 2023 show the ministry is set to overshoot its capital spending budget by €13 million, and its recurrent spending budget by €4 million.

The Finance Ministry attributed the €13 million overshoot to increased spending by the commission as well as the Institute for Tourism Studies. The commission was also mentioned as contributing to the €4 million overshoot in recurrent spending.

At least six local producers faced “delays” in receiving payments for funding they were promised in August as part of the commission's scheme to help local productions.

Over the past weeks, industry insiders complained about “unusually long delays” in payments, with some having to delay paying their crew.

Though the payments started being issued, the delay has led film insiders to question the veracity of claims that the film commission was in a good financial position.

The commission, led by the government’s former head of marketing Johann Grech, has been under fire for his open cheque book policy and lack of transparency in how money is spent.

Times of Malta revealed in August how the commission green-lighted €143 million in taxpayers’ money to 54 films and television series in the past five years.

The money is part of a generous cash rebate scheme to production houses that decide to shoot film or TV series in Malta. The government gives them up to 40% cash back on almost their entire expenditure while they work in Malta.

'Gladiator 2' alone is set to get almost €47 million after it finishes filming in Malta.

Last month, the commission and Tourism Ministry said that a study they commissioned into a cash rebate system "factually confirms" that it helps Malta's economy. However, they refused to make that study public. 

The commission said economists found that last year, the Maltese economy gained €3 euro for every €1 spent in cash rebates for film productions.

But both said they would not be making the study public or giving journalists a copy, citing legal advice.