Reference is made to the article titled “Fitch is given €40,000 annual direct order – Former tourism minister taps passport fund” (February 18).
The National Development and Social Fund (NDSF) agency would like to clarify that the joint appointment of Edward Zammit Lewis and Veronique Dalli was made after a public call for the provision of legal services was issued on September 11, 2018 in the Government Gazette and other local media, including your newspaper.
NDSF had received two offers out of which the agency decided on the more economically advantageous and compliant offer in line with current public procurement regulations. The direct order approval was then sought and obtained prior to the said engagement.