It is doubtful if the National Audit Office has ever been as busy as it is today. Over and above the annual audit of government finances and those of its agencies, it has on its plate three requests for a specific investigation of highly controversial contracts.

These are over the concession that had been given to Vitals Global Healthcare for the management of three hospitals, now passed over to an American company; the granting of land for a pittance to the db Group for the building of a hotel and residences at St George’s Bay; and the third, over the St Vincent de Paul Hospital extension contract.

At issue is the disposal of national assets at what many consider as give-away rates and/or claims over irregular procedures. What is blatantly irregular in the three cases is the glaring lack of transparency and accountability, adding to the government’s dismal record in this regard.

In light of the administration’s disregard to basic democratic norms, the role of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee and of the NAO is assuming even greater importance than ever before. To its credit, the Audit Office is very much alive to its responsibilities in a scenario where many government deals and contracts are stirring so much controversy over whether the taxpayer is getting value for money, a matter that does not seem to worry the government unduly.

Also of primary concern is a widespread feeling that the government is bending over backwards to ensure that the right deals go to the right people. Rolling out its strategy for 2019-2023, the NAO is working towards improved governance and performance across the public sector, not an easy job when, in the words of the Ombudsman, lack of accountability is now running out of control.

The Audit Office is focusing on six goals, all of which, if reached, would rectify a situation that has brought about so much outrage. The strategy document it has drawn up is meant to provide a more solid direction to an office looked upon as the taxpayers’ bastion, even though it may not have executive powers to rectify things directly itself.

The government goes against good governance practice every time it refuses to give a full and transparent account of a deal reached on behalf of the taxpayers. No wonder the NAO has set as its first goal efforts towards ensuring greater accountability in the use of public resources.

This is how it puts it in its document: “New ways of delivering public services are being devised, through partnerships with the private sector for the provision of critical services, the re-establishment of departments as statutory authorities and the extended utilisation of digital technology. The impetus driving such reforms is to improve efficiency, yet this also presents significant risk in terms of accountability and oversight, value for money and service delivery.”

Far too many agencies are being set up, pushing up costs to the taxpayer without ensuring that the country gets full value for money. Is any serious thought being given over the long-term sustainability of all this administrative expansion?

With the government’s good governance mark sheet in tatters, it is most frustrating to see how the administration fails to realise that its ways are working against the taxpayer’s interests.

This is a Times of Malta print editorial

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