The government is not ruling out a €10,000 reduction in the maximum amount that can be donated to political parties.

Speaking during a consultation meeting with the Ghaqda Studenti tal-Ligi(GhSL), during which they presented a report on the proposed party financing legislation, Justice Parliamentary Secretary Owen Bonnici said the reduction - from €50,000 to €40,000 - was originally proposed by Alternattiva Demokratika and now formed part of a list of proposals put forward in a report drafted by GhSL.

Dr Bonnici said the proposals would be studied and the law was expected to be finalised before the summer recess.

The GhSL proposals included a number of accounting requirements for political parties as well as a review of the auditor general’s role in the electoral process.

He was also asked about possible abuses in the system, such as donations through the setting up of subsidiaries, the Parliamentary Secretary said this was a matter of proof but whenever more than one maximum donation came from the same source, legal action would be taken.

Asked what the government was doing regarding waiting times in court, Dr Bonnici said that a bill aimed to tackle court delays was to be moved before the summer recess.