Labour MP Leo Brincat has posed various questions to Industry, Investment and IT Minister Austin Gatt about a huge tender for computers which, according to the GRTU, would wipe out small operators in the sector.

Mr Brincat, the party’s spokesman on foreign affairs and information technology, said that without entering into the merits of the issue between the minister and the GRTU, the minister should clear various aspects.

Mr Brincat posed a number of questions:

Did it make sense for the minister to burden an incoming administration with such a huge tender, spread over such a long period, when a general election was only months away? Did the minister not think that the timing of the tender reeked of political opportunism that could not but raise serious doubts? Was the government in a position to make public the economic and financial studies on the cost benefit of this tender, if the decision was not purely political?

Although technically everyone could bid, did the minister not think that the prohibitive conditions would make it very difficult for small importers to be successful? If yes, did the minister not think that this was against the free market culture the government boasted of promoting? Did he not think that it would be only four or five large companies in the information technology sector that would be able to tender, individually or in a consortium?

Was the parliamentary secretary for the self-employed consulted, to make sure that the interests of small firms were not damaged? Had the government considered the security aspect, considering that all the systems would be operated privately, though some were very sensitive? Did the decision have the blessing of the cabinet?