“Billboards – a deal with the Labour Party”
The Sunday Times reports on the government’s use of 90 billboards set up illegally and provided to the Labour Party free of charge in the last general election campaign.
The company, Aiken, has since been selling the billboard space at Eur1,000 a month for each one. I can’t imagine why Ivan Camilleri would need to go to an industry source to tell him that they have pulled in more than a million euros over the last year, because it’s simple to work out: 90 billboards x 1,000 euros = 90,000 euros x 12 months = 1,080,000 euros.
Camilleri’s industry sources, however, make the pertinent observation that the Labour Party appears to have struck some kind of deal with the Labour Party/government. The implication here is that Aiken is permitted to leave its illegal billboards in place and sell advertising on them, while giving a cut to the Labour Party.
The implication is made more serious by the fact that the government is using the billboards to sell its policies, which means – if it is true that the Labour Party is getting a cut of Aiken’s revenue from the boards – that the government has found a way to funnel taxpayers’ money to the Labour Party, by paying Aiken for use of the billboards and then Aiken gives a cut of that to the Labour Party.
This is what is implied here, but not said outright. I quote the report in The Sunday Times:
Despite being illegal, and in some cases dangerous due to their positioning on public pavements and crucial road intersections, the private company started hiring the billboards for commercial purposes at a rate of more than €1,000 a month each.
Sources in the billboard industry told this newspaper that this indicated a private-partnership deal between Labour and businessmen involved in the firm.
“We have calculated that until now, the company owning the illegal billboards has had a turnover of more than €1 million from commercial sales of advertising space. To add insult to injury, the Labour government has been hiring these illegal structures
to market its policies using taxpayers’ money and indirectly funding the illegal billboards,” the sources said.
Three weeks ago Dr Muscat admitted the government was using illegal billboards for its marketing campaigns but shifted the blame on the contractor, even though the law clearly states that the advertiser is legally responsible together with the owner of the billboard for any illegality.
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There’s probably the involvement of whoever provides the printing and the material and consumables to print on .
Who takes this Government to court over such an issue?
What is the proper role of the Police in this instance?
You have to be an idiot not to see the deal that has been done here between the Labour Party (MLP) and big business. No shame.
But also the involvement of third parties, apart from the government, who place adverts on these billboards. A look at the MEPA website clearly shows that when billboards are in breach of the law, this involves not only those who put up billboards without a permit, but also those who advertise on these billboards.
I have no doubt that proper VAT receipts are being issued by Aiken to all those making use of their illegal billboards.
And this just after a year.
What are we in for, in the coming four years then?
“..imma mhux illum konxju. Konxju lii, biss biss, naf li ili konxju mil mil min 98, 99 zgur konxju..” – classic Joe Mizzi, the ever skilled orator, declaring that he is conscious and has been so since 1998.
And whilst on the subject of Transport Malta, yesterday I received an ex gratia payment of Euro 110 from the government in lieu of the refund of the VAT refund promised by the PL last election.
Please note that this is the exact same amount received by a relative of mine, the day before, having bought a car that cost half as much as mine. Not only is the timing of these payments highly suspect, but it seems to be a rushed attempt at dishing out a payment, any payment (fixed in this case) before next week’s election.
In doing so it seems that in this socialist country, all animals are being considered equal (although it is amply clear that some are much more equal than others).
Source: embedded video clip on: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140518/local/government-pl-still-using-illegal-boards.519536
Who are the shareholders of this company ?
I quote Mark Anthony Sammut – this is a Government “b’qieh falz” just when you think we’ve hit the bottom, we find that there’s yet another level that they would sink too.
What you are saying is all true , but who is going to stop this illegality?
The home affairs minister? The minister who has Mepa under his remit? The prime minister who runs everything as he please and as is fit for his purposes? Any body for that matter? simple no one, full stop.
If this government kept one promise it’s that WE ARE ONE (their TV station slogan): the party, the government and the institutions.
And let me be frank, the future is bleak.
The level of dishonesty reached by the PL and subsequently the government in this campaign is indeed alarming.