VAT investigations kept under wraps

Our Parliament, the highest institution in the land, was categorically denied information on VAT investigations. Some pertinent parliamentary questions posed to the Finance Minister by MP Carmelo Abela, on persons or organisations that had not paid VAT or failed to issue fiscal receipts, remained unanswered on the basis of confidentiality as laid down in the VAT Act. In other words, the VAT Department has the faculty to harbour abuses and keep them under wraps.

As a rule, while investigations are in progress such an Act should automatically be enforced but when investigations are concluded the outcome should be in the public domain. Otherwise, how can the public or the government blacklist these individuals and organisations?

On the contrary, at our law courts transparency is of foremost importance. The public is free to search the archives for any case imaginable and obtain even the most sensitive information.