After weeks of silence, the government’s official mouthpiece has finally announced that the Commissioner for the Simplification and Reduction of Bureaucracy is Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar.
The Department of Information on Tuesday issued an official statement saying the College of Regulators had convened for the second time and was chaired by Ms Cutajar.
The College for Regulators, which, by law, has to meet three times a year, is set up under the Small Business Act and its aim is to simplify the regulatory burdens on SMEs by increasing cooperation between regulating entities.
The statement was issued barely two days after The Sunday Times of Malta reported that Ms Cutajar’s appointment was being kept under wraps for some unknown reason.
Both the Department of Information and the Principal Permanent Secretary, Mario Cutajar, had been repeatedly asked who was occupying the office in question but no replies were forthcoming notwithstanding reminders since February 5.
The questions were made after the Times of Malta received information that Ms Cutajar had been given a position of trust by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat but that her appointment had not been made public yet.
When asked why the Department of Information was not replying to questions about a public appointment, an official said no information was forthcoming from the OPM. He suggested the newspaper make an official request under the Freedom of Information Act.
In the meantime, it was established that Ms Cutajar’s political constituency office was fully aware of her new role and that she was in a position to assist if constituents had any government-related problems.
When her Qormi office was informally contacted, a person who answered the phone said that the former Qormi major was indeed the new Commissioner for Simplification and Reduction of Bureaucracy. She informed the caller an e-mail could be sent at Ms Cutajar’s official address at the Commission’s office in Castille
Both the Department of Information and Mr Cutajar have still to state when the appointment was made and what remuneration package she has.
Apart from serving as Commissioner and an MP, Ms Cutajar is also chairwoman of the Family Affairs Parliamentary Committee, for which she is also paid extra.