The Opposition is calling for the setting up of a parliamentary committee to question and scrutinise whoever is nominated to serve as governor of the Central Bank of Malta.

A motion to this end was presented to the House this afternoon by Opposition deputy leader Mario de Marco and MPs Kristy Debono and Francis Zammit Dimech.

Dr de Marco pointed out that both the PN and the Labour electoral programmes had promised the setting up of such a committee.

"This will make for greater transparency and accountability," Dr de Marco remarked.

He said he expected the government to agree to the proposal, once it had also been made in the Labour electoral programme. 

He said the committee should be retained in order to scrutinise other appointments to high profile posts.

Ms Debono pointed out that Finance Minister Edward Scicluna himself last week spoke about the need for such parliamentary scrutiny. She referred to the controversy that arose following the corruption claims made against Alfred Mifsud, the leading candidate for the post of governor and said this was a highly-sensitive post, not least because the governor also sat on the board of the European Central Bank. 

Nationalist MP Francis Zammit Dimech said the new committee could be structured in the same way as the Public Accounts Committee - chaired by the opposition and able to summon witnesses.

He said that appointments to sensitive posts should initially be made subject to approval by a two-thirds majority in the House.

A HALF-BAKED PROPOSAL - GOVERNMENT

The government said it had noted the Opposition's motion, but it viewed it as half-baked.

It said that in the coming weeks it would present legislation to incorporate regulators of various sectors as well as ambassadors, thus doing was a PN government failed to do in 25 years.