Ministers have swiped away €500,000 on their government credit cards since the June 2017 election, a series of freedom of information (FOI) requests by The Sunday Times of Malta show.
The information provided was broken down into two broad categories of spending, namely hospitality expenses and travel expenses.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat spent €12,200 on hospitality between June 2017 and August 2019.
His travel expenses billed to his government credit card topped €19,100.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister’s office said government credit cards are used for hotel, transport and food expenses, as well as IT-related expenses on ministerial delegations.
Dr Muscat spent €1,400 on hospitality in August 2017, €2,500 in January 2018, €1,600 in August 2018, €3,200 in January 2019 and €3,700 in August.
“You may wish to note that the Prime Minister never uses the OPM credit card when on personal trips. The assumption that every January and August are ‘holiday months’ is wrong and the Prime Minister’s commitments locally and abroad not only continue but are documented in public statements.
He justified his expenses during particular months to the hosting of two foreign delegations and the payment of two annual staff events.
Thousands spent ontravel expenses
Foreign Minister Carmelo Abela, whose portfolio sees him frequently travelling overseas, racked up €95,600 in travel expenses and €2,900 in hospitality expenses.
Questions about Mr Abela’s credit card spending by The Sunday Times of Malta were not answered.
Fellow globetrotter, Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzihas billed €77,500 in travel expenses to his credit card and €7,800 in hospitality expenses.
On five occasions, Dr Mizzi spent over €7,000 in travel expenses in a single month.
A spokesman for the Tourism Minister said these expenses covered 21 trips during the five months in question.
Owen Bonnici is the most ‘hospitable’ Cabinet member, topping the hospitality spending charts at €14,000. Edward Scicluna spent just €504
The spokesman said the hospitality costs incurred by Dr Mizzi include hosting business lunches and dinners.
Economy Minister Chris Cardona, whose spending endeavours have in the past attracted the National Audit Office’s (NAO) attention, has spent €46,500 on travel expenses and €1,200 on hospitality.
An audit by the NAO in 2015 famously flagged how a delegation to Dubai led by Dr Cardona spent €756 on alcohol, including €318 from a hotel mini-bar.
The NAO had carried out an audit in 2016 into the use of government credit cards, but the results never saw the light of day.
Questions sent to the NAO asking why the audit was never published were not answered.
Justice Minister Owen Bonnici is the most ‘hospitable’ Cabinet member, with the minister topping the hospitality spending charts at €14,000. Dr Bonnici’s travel expenses came in a comparatively modest €11,300.
Finance Minister Edward Scicluna is the most frugal of his Cabinet colleagues when it comes to hospitality. Prof. Scicluna, who controls the country’s purse strings, spent just €504 on hospitality over the 26-month period covering the FOI request.
Fellow minister Michael Falzon has spent €10,815 on hospitality and €42,800 on travel.
Not all Cabinet members have credit cards
Not all Cabinet members have the privilege of a government credit card.
Gozo Minister Justyne Caruana and parliamentary secretaries Aaron Farrugia and Roderick Galdes all replied to the FOI requests saying they do not have access to a government credit card.
Silvio Schembri was the top swiping parliamentary secretary, spending €4,900 on hospitality and €35,200 on travel. Not all Cabinet members arerunning up bills running into the tens of thousands.
Former Europe Minister Helena Dalli, Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne and parliamentary secretaries Silvio Parnis and Julia Farrugia have all spent less than €8,000 on their government credit cards over a two-year period.
Details about Education Minister Evarist Bartolo’s credit card spending were not received.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister office said the government is managing public finances in a disciplined and serious matter through the scrutiny of the Finance Ministry.
“This is precisely why the country had moved from an excessive deficit procedure to a fifth consecutive surplus, net of IIP (the passport sales programme),” the spokesman said.
Questions sent to the Finance Ministry asking for its guidelines and policies on credit card spending were not answered.
Hey big spender(s)
Total spending between June 17 - August 19:
Foreign Minister Carmelo Abela: €98,500
Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi: €85,300
Family Minister Michael Falzon: €53,600.
Spending by category:
Hospitality
Justice Minister Owen Bonnici: €14,000
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat: €12,200
Family Minister Michael Falzon: €10,800
Travel and related expenses (Hotels, transport, living expenses)
Foreign Minister Carmelo Abela: €95,600
Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi: €77,500
Economy Minister Chris Cardona: €46,513
The frugal few (total spending June 17 - August 19)
Former Europe Minister Helena Dalli: €3,000
Parliamentary Secretary Silvio Parnis: €4,000
Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne: €4,700