Nearly two-thirds of Maltese feel the government is being transparent when it comes to State aid, a new survey has found.
An EU-wide report, published by the European Commission this week, reports that 64 per cent of Maltese respondents felt government financial support to the private sector was being done in a more open fashion in recent years, the highest figure in Europe. The EU average was just 30 per cent.
The report comes just a few days after a Times of Malta story on how the government turned down a Freedom of Information request by this newspaper for copies of documents relating to the grant of an unprecedented €360 million State guarantee covering the new gas-fired power station.
Among the reasons for not providing the documents were that publishing such details could “result in an undue disturbance of the ordinary course of business in the community”.
Meanwhile, the European Commission is currently studying the security of supply agreement signed between the government and the private consortium building the power plant to see whether this includes any form of irregular State aid. The government has, however, repeatedly declared its confidence that the Commission would find no issue with the guarantee.
Around nine out of every 10 Maltese felt more transparency would improve accountability of public officials and central government
The survey of 500 Maltese, conducted by local company Misco last month, asked respondents which private activities receiving State aid required more transparency; some 50 per cent pointed to the energy sector, the fourth highest in Europe and more than a quarter above the EU average.
Around nine out of every 10 Maltese felt more transparency would improve accountability of public officials and central government, the third highest in Europe. Sweden came in first on this, with 94 per cent but just as many Maltese said increased transparency in State aid would also improve the way public funds were being managed, ensuring less waste and fighting corruption.
Despite feeling strongly about transparency, only 44 per cent of Maltese had heard of any national issues surrounding the provision of State aid in the past year, less than half the EU average. That does not mean Maltese felt uninformed. They were in fact among the most likely to say they had a good idea of different State aid on the island, how to access it and the way it was being used.
According to the survey, men (42 per cent) were more likely than women (36 per cent) to have heard of anything to do with this.