Former Labour Prime Minister Alfred Sant says he is “shocked” by the stories he is being made aware of about the waste of money that took place under the “gonzipn” administration.

Writing in his blog on inews.com, Dr Sant said that the waste included payment for consultations for the drawing up of reports on European Union matters – which public officers could have carried out but which were given to people who boast of having the EU close to their heart.

Contracts for maintenance works were given to companies which did not do their job properly, and yet had their contract renewed every year. When you analyse you find out that the same people benefit, he wrote.

He also mentioned the nomination of people, from the same cliques, to appointments which did not require any work or responsibility and yet were paid handsomely for this.

The administration of the previous government was dominated by the money no problem syndrome. This not only undermined the behaviour of whole strata of society, but continued to maintain the uncontrolled waste of money, paid out of taxpayers’ pockets, Dr Sant wrote.

The government is not pressing on these matters so as not to generate pessimism in the country, he added. But it needed to be careful so that people understand who is to  blame when the bills of the past need to be paid.