The Energy Minister's wife Sai Mizzi today said she “only” earns €3,000 per month. She told ‘selected’ media outlets invited on Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s trip to China that she is “hurt” by reports stating she earns €13,000 per month.
The figure of €13,000 per month was never previously denied by Ms Mizzi or by the government, despite multiple attempts by this media house to obtain the exact details of her contract.
Had this media house been invited to the China trip, we would have asked whether the €3,000 referred to by Ms Mizzi is her basic salary, or whether it includes the hefty allowances afforded to ambassadors. Ms Mizzi was placed on salary Scale 3, allowing her the same salary and perks that ambassadors receive.
Ms Mizzi said that had she been asked how much she earned earlier, she would have divulged the precise amount herself. “I was unaware that requests had been made,” she reportedly said.
Just last week, The Malta Independent had a freedom of information (FOI) request asking for details of Ms Mizzi’s contract denied. An appeal was filed, but this was also turned down this week.
In the FOI request, this media house pointed out that the contract has been the subject of much speculation, and publishing it would help quell this. Ms Mizzi has reportedly offered to publish her FS3 form, but it is her contract that interests this media house, as all her allowances would have to be listed there.
Ambassadors’ basic annual salary is set at Scale 3, which is revised annually according to the collective agreement governing the civil service. But all receive a representation allowance of €3,261, and an additional allowance which varies according to their posting.
The highest additional allowance – €41,064.78 – is paid to Malta’s ambassador to China Clifford Borg Marks.
Ms Mizzi told the ‘selected’ media that she was hired as a special envoy to China on the basis of her qualifications, and not because she is Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi’s wife.
In reply to questions sent by this media house, the Nationalist Party said that if Mrs Mizzi's claim is true, she only has her political masters to blame for refusing to publish her contract.
"The Nationalist Party stands by its information that Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi’s wife’s financial package, including salary and perks, amounts to €13,000 per month. What’s most remarkable is that information on this financial package has been in the public domain since October 2013 and it is only now that it is being disputed.
"If Mrs Mizzi’s position is indeed true, which it is not, she has only her political masters to blame for having refused to publish her contract despite repeated requests by the Opposition and independent media houses, including The Malta Independent, using all means possible, including Parliament and the Freedom of Information Act”, the PN said.
“The side that should be talking and should be transparent is the Government, which has repeatedly refused to publish Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi’s wife’s earnings which are paid using taxpayers’ money. Taxpayers deserve to be told how much they are paying for Minister Konrad Mizzi’s wife’s prolonged stay in China. Government’s lack of transparency is astonishing and flies in the face of its electoral commitments.”
“Today's comments to the press would certainly have been more worthwhile had Minister Mizzi’s wife given details of her efforts and achievements since being appointed Malta Enterprise’s Special Envoy for Asia with such an exorbitant financial package."