Labour MP Carmelo Abela is earning €73,000 a year from his three roles in politics and not €58,000 as was believed until now.
After repeatedly refusing to publish his contract as a government spokesman, Times of Malta obtained access to the document following a Freedom of Information request.
Mr Abela – elected to Parliament in five consecutive elections – did not make it to Cabinet when Labour swept to power in March 2013.
However, following a Cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat decided to give Mr Abela a new role as a government spokesman without involving him in the executive.
Asked to give details of his financial package, Mr Abela said his remuneration as a government spokesman amounted to €30,000.
According to the contract, signed last June on the direct instructions of the Prime Minister, Mr Abela has been given a salary of €31,421 a year to perform his duties as government spokesman.
However, he was also granted an additional expense allowance – which amounts to €6,000 a year and increases every year – and the use of a fully-expensed car with a financial value of €4,658 a year.
This means Mr Abela’s financial package as government spokesman amounts to just over €42,000. His contract makes it clear he does not receive any instructions from any other civil servant or government employee.
“In the exercise of his functions, the spokesman shall act independently and shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority. The duties and functions of the spokesperson shall be as agreed with the Prime Minister.”
Before Mr Abela’s appointment, the Prime Minister had already appointed former Labour spokesman Kurt Farrugia as head of government communications. It is not known how the roles of Mr Farrugia and Mr Abela are defined.
Apart from his new position at Castille, Mr Abela is also Labour’s Whip in the House of Representatives further boosting his annual intake by another €31,000 – €20,604 for his MP’s salary and €10,302 for his role as Whip.
This means Mr Abela’s total remuneration for his three roles amounts to €72,984. This excludes the use of a fully-expensed mobile phone (capped at €6,000 a year for whips) and free home internet service paid by Parliament.