The total amount of funds which was deducted from the money allocated to local councils last year was Lm536,000. Part of this amount, Deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg told Leo Brincat, was the Lm286,000 allocation for eGovernment, which had not yet been passed on to the councils.

The minister added, however, that during 2003-04 local councils were given a further Lm912,000 from other sources such as through devolutions. In addition, 142 workers from the dockyard (IPSL) were sent to work for the councils without the councils having to pay their wages.