Malta’s outgoing Ambassador to the EU, Richard Cachia Caruana, was paid €143,000 annually, roughly half the salary of an EU Commissioner, it has emerged.
The government last night published a three-page explanation of the salary, which Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi will table in Parliament today in answer to an insistent parliamentary question by Labour MP Leo Brincat.
Mr Brincat had first raised the question during the hearings on Labour’s motion against Mr Cachia Caruana in a parliamentary committee but the chairman ruled them out of order.
Dr Gonzi said Mr Cachia Caruana’s salary was €42,337, which amounted to scale one of the civil service, plus a 10 per cent pay rise he was given n 2009 in “recognition” of his vast experience.
His salary translates to €143,140 due to the UN’s global emoluments formula, which has been used since 1984 by the Foreign Ministry for diplomats posted abroad.
In other words, it was tweaked to Brussels’ cost of living.
Mr Cachia Caruana’s perks (including driver, housing and housekeeping) were identical to those provided to Malta’s ambassadors to the European Community in previous years.
The Prime Minister pointed out that the Maltese taxpayer would probably end up forking out more money to replace Mr Cachia Caruana.
If his deputy takes the job, he will be paid almost €5,000 more according to the conditions for diplomats, which vary depending on family size.
If Mr Cachia Caruana is replaced by two people – one based in Malta and another in Brussels – the taxpayer will be paying a further €35,000, even if both are kept at scale one, without the 10 per cent rise given to Mr Cachia Caruana.
Dr Gonzi stressed that besides being Malta’s Permanent Representative to the EU, Mr Cachia Caruana also held another job: adviser to the Prime Minister on EU affairs.
In fact, he sits on Cabinet and is also eligible for the benefits given to ministers who lose their jobs to help them transition into the private sector.
“Notwithstanding the fact that he held two jobs, Mr Cachia Caruana benefitted from a single package that covered both jobs,” Dr Gonzi said, adding that it was still undecided whether Mr Cachia Caruana would be replaced by one or two individuals.
Dr Gonzi also said Malta’s Permanent Representative could not be considered equivalent to other Maltese ambassadors.
“The Permanent Representative to the EU manages and coordinates all levels of interaction between Malta and the EU institutions, from the routine daily processes to the most high-level discussion,” he said.
Mr Cachia Caruana’s job ends next week after Parliament approved the controversial opposition motion accusing him of betraying Malta’s interests. Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando voted in favour and Jesmond Mugliett abstained.