Chamber calls for reform of public procurement after NAO report slams St Vincent de Paul contract
The Malta Chamber of Commerce calls for a level playing field for all business and full transparency in public tenders as it reacts to the National Audit Office s damning report on a €274m direct order awarded by St Vincent de Paul
10 May 2021, 10:14am
by Laura Calleja
The Malta Chamber of Commerce is insisting on full transparency in public procurement and sound governance principles that provide an equal playing field for all businesses.
The chamber was reacting to the conclusions reached by the NAO report on the contract awarded to the JCL and MHC Consortium for a €274 million tender awarded to manage four blocks at Saint Vincent de Paul, a government residence for the elderly.
The Chamber of Commerce has repeated its call for a reform of public procurement processes in the wake of the Audit Office report into a multi-million euro contract at St Vincent de Paul Home.
The Audit Office said at the end of last month that a €274 million contract to build and operate residential blocks and a kitchen at the home for the elderly was irregular and the entire deal could be deemed invalid.
The Chamber said there was need for full transparency, good governance and an equal playing field in public procurement. As public procurement accounts for a substantial portion of the taxpayers’ money, governments are expected to carry it out efficiently and with high standards of conduct to ensure high quality of service delivery and safeguard the public interest, the chamber said.
Newsbook
Photo: Miguela Xuereb
The damning NAO Report on the St Vincent de Paul (SVDP) €274 million direct order confirms the “critical need for a holistic reform in public procurement,” the Malta Chamber said.
Calling for a level playing field for all business, the Malta Chamber underlined the importance of full transparency in public procurement.
The chamber also urged government to observe good governance principles as well as providing an equal playing field “at all times.”
“As public procurement accounts for a substantial portion of the taxpayers’ money, governments are expected to carry it out efficiently and with high standards of conduct to ensure high quality of service delivery and safeguard the public interest.”
The reform of public procurement timesofmalta.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timesofmalta.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Newsbook
Photo: Chamber of Commerce
A document with 36 concrete recommendations on how the Public Procurement processes can be improved and made more equitable was presented to Prime Minister Robert Abela. The document was presented by a delegation from The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, led by President Perit David Xuereb.
Prime Minister Roberta Abela praised the Malta Chamber initiative. He said that the government will continue working to improve the public procurement process.
1 of 2
DOI – Jason Borg
The Malta Chamber document ‘Report on Public Procurement Reform 2021’, was compiled following a thorough consultation process with The Malta Chamber members.