New rules and guidelines on Government tenders have been issued to different departments to tackle precarious work.
The Minister for Civil Liberties, Helena Dalli, told Parliament that the new rules obliged contractors to issue pay slips to their employees, pay wages in a bank account and bid for tenders only if they guaranteed they would abide by the rules.
Winding up the debate on her ministry’s financial estimates, Dr Dalli said the Government was working with the education and employment ministry on an integration policy for migrants to give them support in learning the language, familiarise themselves with local culture and learn life skills. Voluntary NGOs were also giving their input.
Integration policy for migrants to give them support
Turning to health and safety, she said 1,073 inspections, compared to 759 last year, had been made at working sites to tackle abuse and illegal work practices. A workers’ rights charter was being drafted.
Earlier, the minister said the budget vote for voluntary organisations increased from €3 million to €3.6 million under two ministries while the Budget allocation for the small NGOs initiative scheme, training to personnel and the setting up of a centre for voluntary organisations had been doubled. A roundtable for NGOs would be set up to serve as a permanent consultative forum.
More money had been allocated to Meusac and the EC management partnership programme had been stopped not only in Malta but in all other EU member states because of the European Commission’s budget cuts.
Meusac and MCESD meetings were being held in government buildings, saving the country thousands of euros per year in rent.
Dr Dalli spoke at length on the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority and said that €3.7 million would have to be paid to private owners for the lease of offices to the regulator over a 10-year period under a contract signed by the previous government. The owner of the building had removed asbestos on the Government’s insistence so that employees’ health was safeguarded.
A report on operations within the MCCA revealed mismanagement in human resources and finance, lack of planning, lack of a sustainable policy and squandering of taxpayers’ money.
Transposition legislation drafted in 2011 had never made it to Parliament but would be presented for parliamentary approval in a month’s time. No action had ever been taken on a 2005 report that had highlighted shortcomings in the forensic laboratory, which was the responsibility of the MCCA. Collaboration with the Justice Parliamentary Secre-tariat had now been sought to provide solutions and modernise the laboratory.
The National Council for Science Policy Affairs would set up a national centre for science and quality to harmonise scientific laboratories under one structure.
The present chairman of the MCCA had served as a permanent secretary under the Nationalist Administration and had replaced a chairman who was also director general of two other entities.
Dr Dalli told Parliament that the agreement with suppliers on the pricing of medicine had never been signed by the Medicines Authority. The working committee within the authority had only met once before the election. Its budget had now been increased by €43,000 to function better. The authority would introduce new medicinal products on the market while monitoring prices and quality.
She said that the National Human Rights and Equity Commission would take over reformed functions presently performed by the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality.
Government backbencher Deborah Schembri said NGO funds were increased by €1.6 million. However, a percentage of this budget was allocated under the ministry for social policy.
The MCESD vote was cut because the ministry was trying to save money and the council was now meeting at the ministry.
The forensic laboratory did not have the tools with which to carry out its duties. DNA testing could not be carried out.
She disagreed with the Opposition that the Budget was announced without prior consultation and said the Government had been consul-ing people for three-and-a-half years to draft its electoral programme. As a direct result of this consultation, it introduced initiatives to incentivise employment and to eliminate stamp duty for first time buyers.
The ministry’s financial estimates were approved after a division by 36 votes to 29.