Companies breaching public procurement regulations or the Employment and Industrial Relations Act could be liable to being blacklisted for between six months and two years as Legal Notice 68 published on 6 March comes into effect today, 1 September, the government said.

Since the legal notice was issued, a Commercial Sanctions Tribunal has been established within the Finance Ministry, with the competence to blacklist contractors at fault from participating in government public procurement. The Tribunal is chaired by Denise Vella, with Reggie Fava and Richard Matrenza as members.

Finance Minister Edward Scicluna, pointed out that this measure, aimed at guaranteeing decent working conditions for all workers, preempts a European directive on public procurement which is yet to come into force. He said that employers who resort to precarious employment practices will find an unwavering response by the Government.