Cabinet has agreed with Prime Minister Robert Abela's proposal to set up a Governance Committee.

Ministers and parliamentary secretaries were all smiles Thursday morning as the first Cabinet meeting under new Prime Minister Robert Abela was held. On Wednesday, Abela appointed 17 ministers and eight parliamentary secretaries after being sworn in as PM last Monday.

A government statement about the meeting read that the Committee will need to take stock of the measures implemented, and those that still need to be addressed, based on the Venice commission report, the GRECO report, and in the context of the work being done by the Committee headed by President George Vella regarding constitutional changes.

On the basis of this work, the amendments and laws will need to be drafted so that the country can assure more governance as a government priority, the statement added.

Cabinet decided that the Justice and Governance Minister Edward Zammit Lewis will head the committee, and it will be composed of the Education minister Owen Bonnici, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri, Parliamentary Secretary for EU Funds Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, together with Cabinet Secretary Mario Cutajar.

"The Committee will report back to Cabinet in the quickest possible time to implement the required programme. One of the main priorities will be amendments to the appointment of members of the judiciary," the statement read.

During the Cabinet meeting, the new Prime Minister stressed on strong governance in all government sectors and public administration. He said that it is the duty of every minister and parliamentary secretary to ensure that their work is done with care and accountability, as the law requires.

Part of the meeting was attended by students from the St Ignatius College of Qormi.