A survey of public sector manpower is needed to establish the gaps in human resources, the Malta Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise has said.

Government jobs should only be created in a sustainable manner to enhance “productive capabilities”, the chamber said in the wake of official figures showing the number of public sector workers rose by nearly 2,000 during the first year of this administration.

It recalled a previous recommendation that the government should take stock of the exact manpower skills in the public sector.

“This will enable the government to deploy its present and future resources more effectively into productive activities and will also assist in recruitment decisions for the public service.”

The chamber’s concern follows similar calls by other organisations including the Malta Employers Association and the GRTU.

Times of Malta estimates the 1,900 employees hired from March 2013 to March 2014 will have enlarged the government payroll by at least €20 million a year.

According to a Finance Ministry plan given to Brussels last year, the government was aiming to cut 500 posts. Instead, National Statistics Office figures show the total shot up to 43,386 by March 2014, from 41,507 the year before.

Finance Minister Edward Scicluna insists there has been a relative marginal reduction in public sector employment as a percentage of the labour force, which has grown substantially since 2008.

Despite many questions, the ministry has still not provided Times of Malta with a precise cost to taxpayers of the new employees. It said data on how many employees resigned between March 2013 and 2014 was still being gathered.

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