The National Audit Office recently published the Auditor General’s report on the workings of local government for 2013. The following main common shortcomings were noted:

Accounting records do not reflect a true and fair view of the actual financial situation.

Income and expenses were accounted incorrectly.

Some payments have been made without proper invoice and/or fiscal receipt.

Certain categories of expenditure have exceeded their budgets.

It is understood that there are many shortcomings in the way local councils are financially run.

Let me take as an example the local council of Qormi, for which I will be a candidate on behalf of Alternattiva Demokratika. The local council has ended its financial year of 2013 with a loss, as it did in the previous year.

The local council’s website does not show any financials or budget reports, only sitting minutes. This is not acceptable. The electorate needs to be able to monitor budgeting, to be able to see how the allocated funds have been or are going to be spent. Contracts with the local council should also be published for the sake of transparency.

Furthermore, as in the case of Qormi (which is not unique), the electorate would like to know how the accumulated debts will be settled.

One of my prerogatives as an elected councillor will be to provide full transparency on the financial running of the council, publishing all relevant information on the local council’s website and not only in Maltese but also in English for the benefit of voting expatriates.

Furthermore, I will work on the reduction of the financial deficit, I will insist on financial responsibility and also ensure that the local council does not engage in works or projects which are financially unsustainable.