11 - 17 May 2000

20 complaints for every 10,000 persons

by David Kelleher

For every 10,000 individuals in Malta, an average of 20 complaints were filed with the Office of the Ombudsman last year. According to annual report for 1999, the Ombudsman received 60 complaints a month in writing with the majority filed in the first months of the year and decreased after July.

The high number of complaints in the first months of 1999 reflect decisions taken over the transfer of personnel following the elections in September 1998. A total of 717 new complaints were registered in 1999 while there were still 201 cases pending from the previous year. By December 1999, the number of completed complaints was 763, with 155 still pending. 351 individuals asked for information from the Office.

The majority of complaints were made against the Planning Authority (nine per cent) and the Health Division (eight per cent). Other complaints were made against the Police, Inland Revenue, and Enemalta (six per cent), Office of the Prime Minister and Education (five per cent), Housing, Air Malta and Maltacom (four per cent), Land and Social Security (three per cent).

The remaining 37 per cent were made against other institutions such as the University, Water Services Corporation, the Prisons and Armed Forces. Of the 763 cases closed during 1999, 268 (35 per cent) were investigated and a report was drawn up. Eighty (10 per cent) of complaints were solved during the investigation, while 195 (26 per cent) were given advice. The remaining 229 cases were not considered for investigation for a number of reasons.