The anti-poverty week organised in September by the Social Policy Ministry cost taxpayers €30,173.47, with half of the expenses going to television and radio advertising.
The information was revealed in Parliament in reply to a series of questions submitted by Nationalist MP Claudette Buttigieg.
Ms Buttigieg, the PN spokeswoman for social dialogue and civil liberties, enquired about the money spent on media campaigns by all ministries and parliamentary secretariats during the first year of this administration. So far not all the information is available, with a number of ministries still gathering the requested data.
From the replies given so far, the Social Policy Ministry topped the spending list with a bill for the year of €52,307.38.
Though the information was tabled in Parliament by Social Policy Minister Michael Farrugia, the expenses were incurred while the ministry was under the responsibility of Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, who last month stepped down to be appointed President.
Home Affairs Ministry did not spend a single cent on media events
The biggest expense was related to an anti-poverty awareness week held between September 9 and 14.
This included public discussions, live performances by a number of bands and a drawing competition for children.
The bulk (€9,671.34) went towards radio and TV adverts and a further €5,959 was spent on a television production.
Posters, flyers, banners, T-shirts, chairs, hire of sound systems and even the hire of a rope, which on its own cost €595.31, accounted for another €15,000 or so.
Next on the list was the Environment Ministry, which organised 114 media events at a total cost of €47,111.41 excluding VAT.
The ministry did not provide a detailed breakdown of expenses in Parliament or when requested to by this newspaper.
The only information provided was a list of events that included the post-Budget press conference and various initiative launches such as the green economy public consultation and the waste management plan.
A spokeswoman said that advertising related to these events took the lion’s share of expenses. She added that all assignments were carried out in full compliance with financial regulations, stressing that in each case the ministry sought prior approval.
The rest of the ministries spent considerably lower amounts, with the third-highest spending ministry being the Economy Ministry with €10,950 on 15 media events.
The second-lowest spender was the Parliamentary Secretariat for Agriculture, which organised 42 events at a total cost of €250 excluding VAT. This equates to some €6 per event.
However, the Home Affairs Ministry achieved the seemingly impossible mission of not spending a single cent on media events.
In his reply, Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia said that no such events were organised throughout the first year of this administration.