26 April - 2 May 2001

Leo Brincat criticises Minister Dalli over circular to ministries

by a staff reporter

Labour spokesman on Finance, Leo Brincat, has criticised the finance minister for the tone used in a circular to ministries and heads of departments.
Mr Brincat said yesterday that Mr Dalli has written a circular to Ministries and Departments asking them to submit their business and financial plans till 2004 by 25 May.
Mr Brincat said the finance minister had come up with a plan in 1999 called the Consolidated Account Structure which was valid till 2004. He asked if this plan was still valid, whether there have been any changes to the plan and whether the new proposals conform to these plans.
The shadow minister said it was in the public interest to know if these plans will lead to substantial changes. “In the way the circulars were written, it is clear that if Mr Dalli does not stop the excessive spending, it will be hard to control the budget deficits of the government while implementing the electoral programme of the PN government.”
Mr Brincat asked how the government could speak of the elimination of the national deficit and now start speaking of reaching sustainable deficits.
The tone used in the circular, according to Mr Brincat, is critical of the work carried out so far by the ministers and the heads of department, including the permanent secretaries, and especially in those areas related to tax collection and reducing public expenditure.
The fact that the minister is now making it very clear that heads of department will be held responsible if they spend more money than is allocated to them without the approval of the Budget Officer in the Finance Ministry shows that the minister is with his back against the wall, Mr Brincat said.
It is also evident from the minister’s circular that government has a clear plan for private public partnerships however these have not yet been made public.
Instead of using a tone to emphasise team spirit and a collective approach, this circular has placed Mr Dalli against the rest of his colleagues, Mr Brincat said.
In reply, Mr Dalli said the Malta Labour Party has a network of spies in government departments who are loyal to the party rather than the country.
Mr John Dalli said yesterday that this is proof of the total lack of values the MLP has which believes that the citizens should be subject to the party.
Yet again, shadow minister Leo Brincat had access to a paper which he tried to manipulate for political reasons but did not understand anything, Mr Dalli said.
He said that the former finance minister should know that departments are asked to hand in their business plans for the next three years.
Mr Dalli said that if Mr Brincat understood the figures, he would state that not only are the forecasts for 2004 correct but we are in a better position.
His comments, Mr Dalli said, confirmed that he is completely cut off from reality.