The Nationalist Party yesterday raised questions on the Government’s intention to establish a data agency called “Identita’ Malta” and insisted on the need for full transparency about its link to the Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security.

Shadow Minister Jason Azzopardi said the agency will incorporate all data held under many different departments, including the public registry, the passport office, the department for identity cards and the land registry.

He said the “low key” announcement was only made public through a legal notice published in the Government Gazette and he questioned why the notarial profession was still being kept in the dark about it.

The ministry, however, rubbished Dr Azzopardi’s claim that the agency had only now been made public.

It said for months the Prime Minister and the Home Affairs Minister had been talking about setting up an agency, before the end of the year, to incorporate matters of citizenship and visas, among others.

The ministry said that the Prime Minister had long been saying such an agency was needed in the light of the unacceptable inefficiency that exists in this area.