Seventeen of the 68 local councils ran a deficit in 2016, down from 24 in 2012. However, the overall amount of the deficit is proving harder to bring down and was only reduced by 16% over the four-year period.

According to information provided by Local Government Minister Owen Bonnici in reply to a Parliamentary Question posed by MP Claudio Grech, there were deficits of €4 million in 2012, which went down to €3.3 million four years later.

The 2016 picture may change slightly as three local councils – Valletta, Għaxaq and Kalkara – have not yet presented their audited accounts, which the minister said was “for reasons beyond their control”.

Cospicua, Qormi, Attard, Gżira, Għargħur, Pietà, Rabat and San Ġwann all managed to change their deficits to surpluses in working capital, while Kerċem, Mosta, San Lawrenz and Żebbuġ (Gozo) were added to the list of defaulters.

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