A number of VAT Department workers left their desks in protest this morning over a persistent air conditioning problem.

They said the air-conditioning system had not worked properly since the beginning of summer.

A group of some 40 workers gathered at the reception desk in what they said was a spontaneous protest. They said the protest was sparked by the delivery of air-conditioning equipment to part of the building where the system actually works.

They said problems started three years ago and just got worse and temperatures reached 35 degrees in the past few days.

One of the directors, when contacted, refused to comment.

In a statement in the afternoon, the Finance Ministry expressed solidarity with the workers and said it was very unhappy with the difficult conditions they were facing. An immediate solution, it said, was being deployed.

The ministry said that as soon as it was informed of the situation some weeks ago, instructions were issued to the department to address the problem and resolve the issue, ahead of the mid-summer months. The ministry had already approved budgetary allocations for a solution to the system malfunction to be found.

It said it was surprised to note that VAT employees were left to work in difficult conditions.

"The ministry is informed that problems of a technical and administrative nature arose, which frustrated the process from moving towards a timely solution."

The ministry has now directed the department to take immediate action and implement the solution identified as most effective and timely, which was the purchase and installation a number of portable air-conditioning units.

A tender for the replacement of the whole system had also been issued.