I have scanned the National Audit Office report on oil procurement by Enemalta and intermittently followed the Public Accounts Committee meetings. Up to now there has been much talk on procurement policy and the keeping of minutes. Nothing about whether the prices paid for the products were right or appropriate.

For two years during the first half of the 1980s, I was solely responsible for the purchase of all energy products, including coal, on behalf of Enemalta. I used to make contacts, negotiate the best prices possible and present the results to the late Dom Mintoff for approval to proceed on the best offer.

Then, we did not have procurement boards and therefore minutes were not required. However, I kept the schedule of prices initially offered and any changes, following further negotiation.

The procurement policy was verbal and simple. Given specifications for each energy product required by Enemalta, the price should not be more than Low Platts. We were successful more than 90 per cent of the time.

Then, I did not consider myself a Jaguar. In fact, not even a Mini. Just a tricycle. I only got an extra Lm600 (€1,400) per annum for all the extra hours worked in a tense environment.

My point is that I do not actually see any benefit arising from all this hype at the PAC. It all boils down to getting the price right, rarely mentioned in the discussion. One judges a policy by its results and not on the basis of procedures followed.

Less bureaucracy please.

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