From Mr A. V. Rutter

Reference is made to the article written by Joe Grima and more specifically to his critical and unfair remarks about the Malta Community Chest Fund (TMIS, 2 January).

Mr Grima stated that the Malta Community Chest Fund (MCCF) is “the least transparent of all” and that “no one knows how the money given by Maltese and Gozitan citizens to the MCCF is actually spent”. This is nonsense and nowhere near the truth. A reputable audit firm audits the MCCF Accounts on an annual basis.

The final accounts, as approved by the MCCF and as audited, are then published in the local newspapers for the benefit of contributors and the nation at large. The latest accounts for the year ended 31 March 2004 were duly published in The Times, The Malta Independent, In-Nazzjon Taghna and “l-orizzont, bearing the date 7 December 2004.

For the benefit of Mr Grima and the public at large, one must state that the said accounts show that income for the year from fundraising activities, including l-Istrina 2003, contributions and so on totalled Lm572,240; assistance was given to 2,670 persons and 66 institutes and charitable organisations totalling Lm624,093, that is the MCCF paid out from its reserves Lm51,853 more than it received in the year in question. I trust that the above has cleared Mr Grima’s doubts as to what the MCCF does with its money

Mr Grima was “partly” right when he stated that the government pays all expenses for children who go abroad for treatment. I say “partly” because in the majority of cases, the MCCF does not financially assist these children but provides funds for travelling and accommodation expenses incurred by close relatives of these children, whose presence is essential to give them moral support and courage.

One must also mention the fact that the MCCF also gives financial support to patients – teenagers and grown-ups – who travel abroad for treatment and who are partly assisted, or not assisted at all, by the government. The amount paid out by the MCCF for the year ended 31 March 2004 totalled Lm77,429.

I trust that Mr Grima is now satisfied with the above explanation.

Albert V. Rutter

Secretary

Malta Community Chest Fund