Government ministers spent €250 million over budget in 2016

They’re so busy raiding the sweet-shop that they’re not even counting the cost: government ministers spent €250 million more than their budget in 2016 alone.

The Prime Minister overspent by €8 million, spending a total of €2.24 million just on travel.

Chris Cardona, the Minister for the Economy, spent €5 million on “contractual, professional and information services”.

ED ZL, the Tourism Minister, spent a staggering €1 million on “professional services”, and requested an additional €16 million for the Malta Tourism Authority over and above the budgeted €40 million, which means that the MTA somehow managed to spend €56 million last year alone.

To give you some idea of just how outrageous this figure is, the government will be giving Vitals Global Healthcare, the start-up company to which it has signed over three of Malta’s public hospitals, €55 million a year to run Karin Grech Hospital, St Luke’s Hospital and Gozo General Hospital.

The head of state, Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, has done her fair share of profligate spending too, with half a million euros spent by her and her staff on travelling the globe in 2016.

Marie Louise Coleiro Preca and her staff spent half a million euros travelling the globe in 2016.