Audit Report: Officers paid overtime while on vacation leave

V Fenech

Dec 26th 2008, 11:20

Ministers' increase in wages.

Overtime paid while on vacation for ministry workers....

And lecturers denied a surge in their salaries for the stupid reason that the government is not in a good time to raise its expenditure. Really shameful!

One cannot avoid the factual difference between our island and the other European neighbours who do not tolerate this type of rubbish, especially when it is being produced in a National institution which they pay taxes for its operation. In Malta the country has now qualified in being asleep in such matters.

laurence schembri

Dec 18th 2008, 20:48

Excuse me Mr. Debono, since when it is, or you are in the wrong for being a Dockyard worker?

Christine Galea

Dec 18th 2008, 15:45

@victor vella

Why did you try to portray the image that only women as the main contributors to lack of productivity in gov dept ? Are you convinced that men are a better species?

victor vella

Dec 18th 2008, 11:06

@ M Borg, I stand to be corrected, Thank God I am not in Goverment employ(no disrespect to Goverment employees meant) Here we have a clear case of fraud, and also mismanagment, will the permanent secretary hand back any bonuses he recieved? as you rightly stated would the director or whatever his /her grade is resign or be removed? would the money be paid back and all is forgotten or worse still all is forgotten withen the next 3 weeks? Abuses such as this are a criminal offence.Would we be told that no action can be taken? when are we going to see palm readers installed in goverment departments? When are the women employees going to stop doing thier nails for hours during office hours and chatting on the internet , downloading songs and films, again during office hours. Recieving a short ring on thier mobile and then they phone back just to save a call from home,goverment employees leaving the office and doing part time work,with all the studies done we never had one about productivity in goverment offices,, cars should be left at the office I pay my own fuel and maintanance to get to and from work

R Axisa

Dec 18th 2008, 07:49

Don't tell me that there's no networking with all this messing up. Persons from top to bottom should be held responsible and are ordered to refund all the expenses paid w'hich were not due. It's a case in point where the public is being forced to pay more taxes for such mismanagement. If the government is against subsidies, we shouldn't be made to subsidy the government. It should work both ways. This government seems to be out of control! Shame.

Dennis Debono

Dec 17th 2008, 15:29

@laurence schembri. This does not excuse the drydock workers. In both cases the people involved are in the wrong. One cannot justify a wrong with another wrong.

Joe Galea

Dec 17th 2008, 08:20

Obviously this employee is symptomatic of a wider network of mismanagement and misappropriation in the higher echelons of the Civil Service.

I hope that these people are forced to pay back what they have stolen.

D.MANGION

Dec 17th 2008, 07:22

Mr. Joseph Muscat,

Italy ,with all its unstable governments, has grown from a ravaged post war poor nation to a member of the G8- which means; one of the 8 most developed countires in the World !

Whilst I agree with you that not all is perfect in Italy, let us please stop portraying Italy as the example of bad politics. Only when we reach their level of progress, we can maybe look down on them and claim that our systems are better.---we're still a long way back !

laurence schembri

Dec 16th 2008, 21:58

€3,065 mobile incurred by one man, and than they have the cheek to criticize the Dockyard employees.

Maria Dolores Fenech

Dec 16th 2008, 20:38

Tip of the iceberg.

Will these gentleman look into the expences incurred to build Mater Dei Hospital?

ASAP

Malcolm Ebejer

Dec 16th 2008, 19:20

@ Joe Axisa
Quote "I am sure that most of the government employees do their jobs superbly and the private sector is envying these persons" unquote. Maybe some private sector employees do envy the civil service scroungers, but they still have to give a day's work as otherwise they're shown the door. And if you change the word "most" in your sentence to "some" you will be much more credible.

D Attard

Dec 16th 2008, 18:51

Not all Govt employees work in private secretariats, and not all of them are carefully picked to work close to people who will let such abuse go ignored. Well, to an extent. Here it seems they weren't careful enough. Oh and one should also keep in mind that such misdeeds happen in full, plain view of all other employees but no one would have the right (or indeed the tools) to blow the whistle seeing that the Ministers' pets are always exempt from any disciplinary measures.

c.camilleri

Dec 16th 2008, 18:31

The problem is that should Govt take disciplinary action against these individuals( as it should) the unions will come out defending them if not calling for strike action. Govt is to blame for this laxness in Govt employees for easily giving in to the unions' pressure culminating in this arrogance and abuses.

JMizzi

Dec 16th 2008, 18:31

Does the report mention anything about supplies to government departments billed with inflated prices and the difference paid to government employees?????????
or black money paid to government employees!!!

deb bugeja

Dec 16th 2008, 18:23

this is nation extravagant expenses and we the tax payers has the increase on electricity and water tariffs to make up for it. God only knows what else is coming to us.

francis caruana

Dec 16th 2008, 17:58

no wonder everyone wants a job with the government,here in Gozo to make a 2 meter kerb (bankina) about 8 workers will take them from 3 to 4 weeks sometimes more,they all come at about 7.00 or half past in the morning and by 8.00 they are all doing their usual private job, and if they happen to be doing some work at their home(mantainence or refurbishing) the council pickup truck comes and bring the cement and sand and whatever is needed. Mind you their private job will be cash money, no tax,no vat.
Thank You .Francis Caruana ,Nadur

Godwin Dalli

Dec 16th 2008, 17:28

Will the Principal Permanent Secretary investigate these shortcomings? I believe that he is in charge of all government departments and therefore somebody is accountable. I stand to be corrected.

c.camilleri

Dec 16th 2008, 17:26

One hopes that remedial actions as recommended by the auditors will be implemented and any excessive pay will be refunded. Had these abuses been made in the private sector action against the culprit leading to dismissal would have been taken. As regards late attendance or no attendance at all, what prevents Govt's employees from using the palm automated recording system. We still have Govt employees going to work at their pleasure if not all with their head covering their abuse. 20 years of PN administration has not eradicated this cancer amongst Govt workers. But as always Govt employees are a special breed.

Muscat.Pat

Dec 16th 2008, 16:40

I .ve heard two business men arguing that there is nothing better than a job with the government. You get the good life for life, no worry, plenty of free time to roam Valletta and now we have the confirmation that the probability is that you will be paid overtime whilst on vacation leave. Now that is a dream come true! Who could ask for more?

R. Formosa

Dec 16th 2008, 16:27

I used to work in a government department in the Summer months whilst at Uni. Government employees do tend to take it easy (compared to those in the private sector). When I was sending monthly invoices, my superiors asked me to slow down or else they would have to work hard once the client receives it and comes to pay it!During those months (July - Sept for 3 yrs) I used to take care of the backlog that the department had made throughout the whole year!How come I managed to reduce the backlog by 80% in less than 3 months, and they never managed in a whole year?I was the only student employed, so its not a matter of needing more staff.

Joseph Muscat

Dec 16th 2008, 16:13

Perfect Mr Mangion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It would be great to have an Italian style government

D. MANGION

Dec 16th 2008, 15:22

The root of the problem lies in the fact that certain state employees have held the same job (boring in most cases) for far too long, knowing full well that they know all the tricks of how to slip out of a busy day's work.
The basics of management tell you that staff rotation is important in producing efficiency and innovation. Yet it rarerly happens with state employees, and when it happens, there'd be a political moivation behind it.
The Maltese people are afraid of changes. They have created a system where the government remains stable and solid in his position for 5 full years no matter what happens. (only 1 exception from 1964 till now). Many government employees are full aware of this and take the fullest advantage from it.
Malta NEEDS an unstable government based on coalitions that would check one another.
Voting AD would have (maybe) brought about this change of mentality.
Yet most of you voted for stability.
So have it your way!

John Attard

Dec 16th 2008, 15:14

@ Borg Grech Antonia

I would bet all my fortune that most of the people writing are doing so from their workplace. So please let us be more reasonable and not generalise .............

Joseph Galea

Dec 16th 2008, 14:59

It is good to read that there are many gov employees who write to defend their integrity.
And rightfully so.
I am sure that those who are writing negative comments are not directing their views at ALL state employees.
One cannot compare the state empoyees with those from the private sector as the former are paid by money taxed from the citezen and the citezen is right to comment when such deficiencies or abuse as put out in the open.
In the private sector, phone bills are checked and numbers that are not dialled for the purpose of duty are charged to the user. This does not seem to be the case in the public sector.
Accountabilty must be the rule of the day. We are used to be charged for what we consume, it was said. Why not apply this pholosphy in your back garden Mr we know who?
Joe the plumber

M Borg

Dec 16th 2008, 14:41

@ Victor Vella.
Am not sure, but think you misunderstood something. As far as i am concerned (..am a civil service employee as well), Lm350 is not per month...but per year!! And these should be calls from his fixed line at his office to mobile numbers.
The NAO can easily check out the mobile numbers dialled and state which were related to work use, and which were private use, and ACCOUNTABILITY states, that the Officer should pay back and also CHARGED for misappropriation.
With regards to the other 'mistakes' regarding attendance sheet, how come that the HUMAN RESOURCES PERSONELL is not mentioned in the report?? Normally HR are responsable for attendance sheets? What about the departemental cars used for private use (even during weekends), also in all departments?
Dr Gonzi make sure that PUBLIC spending is spent in the appropriate manner, and yes we need ACCOUNTABILITY!! He who is caught abusing, has to pay back! And there are lot of civil servants abusing, and i know what am saying!!

R Sammut

Dec 16th 2008, 14:14

Hopefully a similar study is done at ENEMALTA...

I have reason to believe that the same happens there... e.g. i heard stories of a person getting paid for o/time hours more than is humanely possible to do in a week!

Borg Grech Antonia

Dec 16th 2008, 13:54

The vast majority?!.......

your statements show that you are not not in the private sector as people get sent home if they don't do their job..... made redunant fired, no questions about it..... so please when you want to compare private sector with the government sector.... you're more than welcome.... work hard..... ? and you want to compare with the private sector..... they carry a burden risk, loans and make ends meet...... what does the government employees mess up, it increases taxes, does anyone get fired? If this had happened in the private sector you would walking home within seconds

M. Bugeja

Dec 16th 2008, 13:49

Haha I pity these people who were caught because it seems like the BIG fish get away and the small ones get it......there are so many cases of fraud like claiming injury benefits that stories like this make me laugh......there are thousands of Euros being thrown away and they keep getting away with it - wake up Gonzi wake up !!! and please do not tell me you do not know about them !!

victor vella

Dec 16th 2008, 13:44

Do we hear of resignations here?or at least investigations? an allowance of Lm350 a month for use of mobile phone is over the top, I use mine quite a lot as most of the time I am out on site and still the bill does not exceed at maximum Lm95.00, I believe the policy coordinator is office bounf for most of the day, wouldnt a fixed line in his office be cheaper?

peter vella

Dec 16th 2008, 13:41

I am certain that the reason why we pay so much taxes is because people who should pay these taxes, do not pay them and i am sure none of the tax evasors are government employees. Overmore everywhere you go, you can see people in company cars sleeping or loitering about. This confirms that this is the Maltese (and definetly NOT only the Maltese) mentality. I think this article was only a stupid excuse to attack blantly all government employees, the vast majority of which do their jobs with a high grade of excellence. And what about individuals collecting money to be paid in taxes from their employees and then spending it on other things? And what about cars bearing the number plates showing that they are used for commercial purpouses (without paying fees) and then being driven only for private use?

Andrew Demanuele

Dec 16th 2008, 13:21

@ Camilleri Paul
Please note that MIA is a private company listed on the stock exchange. Thus, it is up to the directors of the said company to decide who should have a company car available or not. It has nothing to do with such a report.

m.psaila

Dec 16th 2008, 13:09

Yes unfortunately these things happen not only in government ministries but even in the private sector...yet lets not make sweeping statements and put all government employees in the same bag..the majority of gov employees are hard working and reliable...The majiority of ppl i know who work in private secretariats work very long hours many times weekends included....I trust that gov will take he necessary action in this case..I have no doubt that Austin Gatt will!!

B Sant

Dec 16th 2008, 12:49

im sure that A Gatt will stand up and be counted as he does in such circumstances- good luck

Joseph Laus

Dec 16th 2008, 12:41

That's it ,,,,its real,,,Flimkien kollox possibbli,,,,,Gonzi wake up please .YOU are the P.M.

E. Azzopardi

Dec 16th 2008, 12:35

But how does one get paid overtime when on vacation etc etc.?? Aren't the department heads and the ones on top and the others on top of the others ( they never fail to get their bonues at the end of the year it seems) checking and spot checking. Where are they????
And this in the I.T Ministry !!!!!! Aren't certain people never ashamed of what they do or rather what they should do but not do it??? Who authorised the overtime before checking? Oh, this is not their money but the ''people's'' money, ins't it???? No wonder the man in the street protests. I do not want to be negative but some time ago I had some hope things will change.
THEY WILL NOT. Very sad indeed. The citizens deserve much better than this.

camilleri paul

Dec 16th 2008, 12:31

and what about MIA. A quarter of the staff have a company car!!!

Joe Axisa

Dec 16th 2008, 12:22

I am not surprised at reading all these comments. It seems that Maltese still carry the stigma against government employees. I wonder if all these people who are scribbling words here have never tried to cheat a few minutes from their job or they were always nice to collegues or clients even if they were working in the private sector. I am sure that most of the government employees do their jobs superbly and the private sector is envying these persons. I think the problem is at the ministries, where people are chosen because of symphaties and colours. But definetly this is not the reason for our taxes and burdens. These exist because lack of payment of taxes (and definetly this not by state employees .............). So please let's grow up and not generalize Mr Cornelius & Co ........................................

E. Vassallo

Dec 16th 2008, 12:10

If we can eliminate waste and carry out basic controls, I can assure you that the deficit problem would not be so much of an issue. I wonder if there are any government departments who use the time and attendance system (for ex. palm reader).

lgalea

Dec 16th 2008, 12:07

How about claiming back all money overpaid and not satisfactorily accounted for and taking disciplinary action those concerned?

But perhaps as we say in Maltese il-ħuta minn rasha tinten u biex tiskongra trid tkun pur

How about the chartering of private aircraft because our Gonzipn?

How many foreign trips including lodging in the most expensive hotels were made by Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries without any necessity whatsoever?

M. Brincat

Dec 16th 2008, 11:52

NA Report, pg. 114, re. MIIIT:

"Two (2) messengers at the Private Secretariat were signing on the attendance sheet the normal winter departure time (i.e. 17:15) but on the overtime sheet they were signing as if performing overtime from 13:30hrs.
From amendments carried out with correction fluid on the attendance records by officers at the Private Secretariat it transpired that the employees were possibly signing both the attendance sheets as well as the overtime sheets for a whole week in advance."

J Farrugia

Dec 16th 2008, 11:51

Mr Mike Pace the deficit is over the top because there are many taking social benefits because they are declared as single mothers. Fi ftit snin hadu kwazi 7 miljuni wehidhom u n-numru ta' dawn qed jizdied kull sena.

M Borg

Dec 16th 2008, 11:45

Let's not just blame it on Gozni..so I suggest comments including Gonzipn should be avoided. It is a question of control and accountability that has been haunting this country ever since we became a republic. The solution is to tighten controls, accountability by superiors and disciplinary action to the culprits.

J Demicoli

Dec 16th 2008, 11:43

If memory is not playing tricks on me, I remember one of Hon. Austin Gatt’s orations was about –accountability- or rather the lack of it amongst Public Service employees. The least one would expect him to do today is to show that he too is accountable.

I understand that time sheets must be endorsed before being forwarded. Also further up the ladder of orinary mortals, at some point in time, one must surely find the man himself, or someone even higher ranking. They must all to be held accountable.

Shame, this is taxpayers money and not any one else’s.

E.Vella

Dec 16th 2008, 11:43

min mejjet ghal qatra u min mejjet fis-sakra....araw min huma u qacctuhom il-barra u aghtu x-xoghol lil min irid jahdem

A. Mizzi

Dec 16th 2008, 11:41

Names, Accountability and Action please....OR will the report be shelved like others before it?

mike pace

Dec 16th 2008, 11:22

SHAME- SHAME - SHAME that why our country deficit its at sky high because government personal who are on holiday in Bahamas enjoy the nation burden taxes as in one time drinking wine and getting paid and that why they calls Banana Republic - a island without directions and the answer is under Gonzipn KOLLOX HUWA POSSIBLI !!!

Tony Gatt

Dec 16th 2008, 11:11

The shipyards saga all over again?

f bonello

Dec 16th 2008, 11:10

It is not good to generalize, but how many government departments are not like this Ministry in question?

I have been this morning trying to get through to the Inland Revenue Department since 09.30 hours and all I get is a recorded voice telling me to hold on as all lines are busy and then another voice that tells me that the person I was calling has hung

You may wish to try it out on telephone numbers 80072297, 22962296.22962430. Good luck mate!! If anyone gets through, please inform me so that I will try againj

M. Brincat

Dec 16th 2008, 10:58

And the SAME ministry proposes higher utility tariffs ...
And the SAME ministry proposes a new drainage tariff ...

Yes, sure ... to cater for all THIS WASTE!

Albert Gauci Cunningham

Dec 16th 2008, 10:55

And who has to pay for all this?? Mhux ovvja!! il-poplu!! (under the guise of the recession obviously!!)

R.Gauci

Dec 16th 2008, 10:54

Mela mhux kulhadd jista jiehu zball ?? !!

Well done to the Audit General !!

Louise Borg

Dec 16th 2008, 10:53

Taxes well spent!! Kompli hallas it-taxxi Guz!

Joseph Mangion

Dec 16th 2008, 10:50

This is unacceptable! If that all that money was not wasted, taxpayers would have a less burden to carry !

Shame on you for not doing / implementing what you preach and for not leading by example!

Alex Ellul

Dec 16th 2008, 10:47

Cornelius: It is not fair to generalise: The situation is like that of bad news getting the highlights while the good news stays hidden. There are many honest and hard working men and women in Gov employment. Do you never wonder how things get done in hospitals, schools and other places? Of course there are the bludgers, the good-for -nothings etc. There are also the miracle workers and all the spectrum in between.

I am sure that if the Auditor General were to highlight the good news too, the list would be longer than that of the bad news. But it is not in his terms of reference.

d. borg

Dec 16th 2008, 10:47

Aren't these workers accountable to anyone in their workplace?

H Dempster

Dec 16th 2008, 10:45

There is a commandment which states"THOU SHALL NOT STEAL"

maria falzon

Dec 16th 2008, 10:43

In a nut shell, is the audit report saying that we are subsidizing the Ministry of Austin Gatt? Given the push to eliminate these subsidies, what are the options available now?

Michael Cutajar

Dec 16th 2008, 10:40

Is this a curse on the Nationalist Party? while the Nationalist Party was coming out of the PBO (Paul Borg Olivier) email saga, here is another scandal for Lawrence Gonzi to face. But well, Im sure that the "policy coordinator" contributed substantially last Sunday at the maratona gbir ta fondi at Id dar Centrali.

J Micallef

Dec 16th 2008, 10:40

Shocked, but not surprised.

And all this coming from the ministry of the tough guy who's supposed to bring controls over issues of transport, roads, etc.

The Govt has been at this for too long, and we poor mortals are just subsidising the lives of people who populate the corridors of the various departments and ministries.

Perhaps saying that these populate the corridors is being generous - especially if they are more often than not doing their own errands and businesses.

Notwithstanding the apparent existence of overstaffing, the Govt was able to take over some 120 staff from the post office when this was privatised. I'm sure they are all doing very productive work....

M.Bezzina

Dec 16th 2008, 10:36

The persons in charge should be ashamed of stealing this money!!

M Borg

Dec 16th 2008, 10:27

Politics apart...shamefull!

Cornelius Borg

Dec 16th 2008, 10:27

I'm not at all surprised by all these revelations. The public perception is that in most Government departments, cheating, malingering, over charging and other rip-offs are the order of the day and doing a fair day's work is unheard of. That's what you expect when your employer makes it publicly known that "money is no problem".

Alex Farrugia

Dec 16th 2008, 10:24

Tutto il mondo e' paese.