Five times in Parliament yesterday, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil asked for the identity and provenance of the 13 successful interim applicants for the Individual Investor Programme (IIP).
Each time, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat asked him to declare his current position on the programme after having said outside the House that he would withdraw all IIP passports if he were returned to power.
Claudio Grech (PN) asked Parliamentary Secretary Ian Borg, answering for National Security Minister Carmelo Abela, who was abroad on government work, where the €650,000 per applicant were being deposited.
According to his reckoning there should be €8.5 million, 70 per cent of which, according to Opposition MP Kristy Debono, should be going into the Social and Development Fund under the wing of European Affairs Minister Louis Grech.
Dr Borg said Mr Grech had already given information about talks with Germany on the setting up of the fund. It was good to see that the Opposition was recognising that IIP-originated funds were important for the country.
Dr Busuttil said this was “rich” coming from Dr Borg, who would not even have a portfolio were it not for the €1 billion plus EU funds acquired by the previous administration.
It was good to see that the Opposition was recognising that IIP-originated funds were important for the country
With Dr Muscat having just entered the House, Dr Busuttil repeatedly pointed out that the IIP applications scrutiny committee had only met once in October and not since. What the Opposition was asking for was basic information after the Prime Minister had removed the scheme’s secrecy clause. Dr Muscat said he had ordered the information contained in the original answer to the PQ to be revised and updated. It would be good for Dr Busuttil to untangle the confusion on what he stood for in the House and outside. He had not said officially why he was going to China.
Dr Busuttil said he was going to check on what Sai Mizzi Liang was doing in China for her €13,000 a month – so long as she would give him an appointment.
Dr Muscat said he had thought Dr Busuttil was going to China to seek more investment for Malta.
As for the IIP, the government was well within the law, which called for at least one annual meeting of the scrutiny committee. Besides, the report by the IIP regulator Godwin Grima had been tabled in the House and included most of what Dr Busuttil was asking for. Dr Busuttil asked Dr Muscat what his position was on the Gaffarena scandal, adding it was useless for the Prime Minister to continue beating about the bush.
Dr Muscat said Dr Busuttil had not wanted to be on the IIP scrutiny committee but he would be called again for the committee’s next meeting.
In the meantime it was important to know if Dr Busuttil still intended to withdraw IIP passports if and when elected to govern.
Dr Busuttil asked if the Prime Minister would call another meeting of the committee during the week.
Dr Muscat said he would call the committee within the existing legal framework. It seemed that Dr Busuttil did not want to become Prime Minister one day.
Dr Busuttil countered that it would seem that Dr Muscat did not want to be returned as Prime Minister.