A government scheme to fund local council projects was characterised by haste, ambiguity and decisions lacking in fairness, according to the National Audit Office.
The audit, which looked into a €1 million scheme unveiled last year to help finance capital projects proposed by local councils, found various shortcomings.
One example was the requirement for councils to propose projects with private sector involvement.
According to the NAO, some councils interpreted this to mean alternative public sector funding, and this was accepted by the adjudication board.
“Projects were favourably scored for sourcing alternative public sector funding, which, in this office’s opinion, cannot be classified as private sector involvement,” the Auditor General said in a 75-page report tabled in Parliament.
It also noted the ambiguity of considering revenue from advertising and interest-free payment to contractors by instalment as a form of private sector involvement.
One such example was the Paola council, which sought funds from the scheme to renovate Ġnien Wied Blandun, a public garden, and listed the Planning Authority’s urban improvement fund as private sector involvement.
The NAO noted the...
