The Office of the Prime Minister has failed to explain in detail the work which is supposedly being carried out by the four special envoys it appointed that would their close to €35,000 salary and additional benefits.

Former Labour Minister Joe Grima was appointed ‘Special Envoy of the Prime Minister with particular reference to the World Tourism Organisation’ in January of this year.

Alex Sceberras Trigona, who served as Foreign Affairs Minister during the Mintoff years was appointed ‘Special Envoy of the Prime Minister to the World Trade Organisation.’ His appointment started in July 2013.

In August 2013, former High Commissioner to the UK Joseph Zammit Tabona was appointed ‘Special Envoy of the Prime Minister for Business Promotion.’

Former PL MP Maria Camilleri was appointed ‘Special Envoy to the Prime Minister for Arab Countries’ in October 2013.

The Malta Independent on Sunday obtained the work contracts of all four special envoys through a Freedom of Information request.

The special envoys were given a salary equivalent to Scale 3 of the Civil Service, which currently stands at €34,684.

Their work contract also entitles them to a Substinence Allowance at Class A and to travel in Class A while on duty abroad. The contracts also say that, although there will be no other financial remuneration under this agreement, hospitality and transportation expenses while on duty abroad are payable as necessary against bills or receipts.

The three male envoys were also afforded “a fully expensed mobile phone and home internet service, but this clause is strangely missing from Ms Camilleri’s contract. In any case, Maria Camilleri had refused her salary and asked instead for a monthly €100 allowance “to cover expenses”.

So far, the government has never issued any statements about the work that is supposedly being carried out by these special envoys. The Malta Independent on Sunday sent questions to Head of Government Communications Kurt Farrugia this week, asking him to state what the envoys have done so far and how the government justifies their €34k+ salary. Mr Farrugia, however, failed to reply to our questions, even after a reminder was sent.

                                                                 

Government’s recent embarrassment over Sai Mizzi contract

Recently, the government suffered embarrassment over the contract of another special envoy – Malta Enterprise’s trade envoy to Asia, Sai Mizzi. After months of pressure by the Nationalist Opposition, who claimed that Sai Mizzi was paid €13,000 a month, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat tabled her contract in Parliament.

But the contract proved the PN right, because the €74,000 salary afforded to Konrad Mizzi’s wife and her numerous allowances and perks do amount to some €480,000, which work out at a little over €13,000 a month.

Apart from her salary, Sai Mizzi Liang was also afforded a fully paid residence, a chauffeur-driven car and fuel, schooling for her children, a settlement allowance and a clothing allowance. According to former ambassadors, Mrs Mizzi Liang was given a “high-end” ambassador’s package, equalled only by Malta’s ambassador to China, Clifford Borg Marks. It was recently revealed that Sai Mizzi Liang earns three times as much as her predecessor, Paul Cardona, who did the same job and was likewise based in Shanghai, China.