Local councils are to receive a €4 million budget boost this year, parliamentary secretary for local government Stefan Buontempo said today.

The cash injection means councils will as a whole receive €46 million from the public purse - a nine per cent increase on 2016 figures. 

Dr Buontempo announced the increase, which he said was the largest increase in local council history, during a seminar held at Birkirkara local council. 

He acknowledged that funding still lagged behind demand, and urged local councils to save money by cooperating further.

"Councils are spending €2 million a year on professional services," Dr Buontempo told those present. "If you worked better together as a region, you could save money. The same goes for certain tenders." 

The parliamentary secretary also told off councillors who were reluctant to loosen the purse strings. "Money is allocated to be spent, and spent wisely," he said.

Local councils regularly lament that their allocated budgets are nowhere near enough for them to cover costs and ensure upkeep of towns and villages. 

Just last week, Valletta mayor Alexiei Dingli said that the council's cleaning bill was some €200,000 higher than the money allocated for that purpose. 

Many councils also struggle to ensure adequate bookkeeping, with the National Audit Office finding significant shortcomings on a yearly basis.