Energy and Health Minister Konrad Mizzi’s wife, Sai Mizzi Liang, controversially appointed by the government as Malta Enterprise representative in China last year, is receiving more than three times the salary package paid to her predecessor, The Sunday Times of Malta has learnt.

In 2010 Malta Enterprise had engaged Paul Cardona to act as the agency’s representative in China with a specific mission to attract Chinese investment to Malta.

Both are three-year contracts. However, Mr Cardona was given a basic salary of €30,000 a year with the possibility of boosting his earnings to up to a maximum of €45,500 if he managed to attract investment to Malta.

Her job description is not the same

Ms Mizzi Liang’s contract, on the other hand, was specifically pegged to that of an ambassador – the highest paid by the Maltese government to any of its representatives abroad – reaching almost €160,000 (see table).

Apart from her salary, free education and medical services to her family and other allowances, the minister’s wife was also given a fully-paid ambassadorial residence and an official car. Mr Cardona was given a €500 a year allowance to cover some of his daily living expenses. Also, while Mr Cardona had an incentive allowance tied specifically to his performance, Ms Mizzi Liang’s contract does not include any such clauses meaning that she receives her full benefits and allowances irrespective of any Chinese investment she manages to attract to Malta.

The two were also engaged in different ways. Mr Cardona was recruited following a public call for applications while Ms Mizzi Laing was approached directly by Malta Enterprise chairman Mario Vella.

The government then decided to peg Ms Mizzi Liang’s financial package to that of an ambassador – an unprecedented arrangement in the history of Malta Enterprise.

Asked to state whether the two Malta Enterprise representatives in China were doing the same job, a spokesman for the government entity said Ms Mizzi Liang’s predecessor attracted no investment from China and made no “significant inroads”.

In stark contrast, the spokesman said, Ms Mizzi’s Liang’s engagement “has already led to significant inroads to attract Chinese investment.”

“Her job description is not (the same) as the one of her predecessor and is highly focused and detailed.” However, the spokesman did not supply this newspaper with Ms Mizzi Liang’s job description when asked to do so.

In an interview with Times of Malta last month, Ms Mizzi Liang said that she was not handed the role because she was a minister’s wife but because she was the best person for the job.

How the financial packages compare

*Based on estimates based on ambassadors’ remuneration.