The Broadcasting Authority has spent a total of €361,596.76 on direct orders since March 2013.

The information was tabled in Parliament by Justice and Culture Minister Owen Bonnici in reply to a parliamentary question by PN MP Clyde Puli.

The direct orders relate to the purchase of a variety of services, such as the constitutionally mandated surveys, restoration of film reels, the engagement of a consultant and the replacement of antenna of the Gharghur BA satellite.

With a price tag of €177,290, the latter was the costliest direct order. The expense was approved by the Ministry of Finance.

The information also shows that one particular consultant received a direct order of €14,000, while another consultant was listed as costing €85 per hour, without any indication of how many hours had actually been worked.

The development of a penalty database in 2015 cost the BA roughly €7,000.