The Nationalist Party said on Monday that the government’s decision to centralize printing services for the education sector was only to the benefit of a few, while the majority were being badly served.
The PN was referring to the decision, by government, to extend a pilot project on the printing of material at government schools, which means that all educators will need to make use of the government printing press for any paper they want to print. The Malta Union of Teachers has said it is preparing for an industrial dispute over the issue.
The PN said it believes that the administration should be closer to the people it serves. Past PN administrations believed in decentralization and had allowed heads of school and teachers to take certain decisions. The Labour government was doing the exact opposite, the PN said.
The centralization of the printing service also brought inefficiency, it said.
The government’s decision would serve the Prime Minister’s “right hand”, the PN said, in a clear reference to OPM Chief of Staff Keith Schembri.
According to reports, Schembri’s Kasco received €287,000 from the supply of paper and machinery to the government printing press.