Businesses feel that there isn't a level playing field and that elements of the government have managed to create a "second class of businesspeople," PN Shadow Minister for the Economy and Enterprise Jerome Caruana Cilia has said.

He spoke during an interview with this newsroom, the first part of which was published in yesterday's edition of The Malta Independent on Sunday.

"If you are a genuine and honest person in business who acts correctly, as the majority do, the sentiment is that there isn't a fair level playing field. No matter which businesses you speak to, they won't say it publicly as they fear ramifications, but one on one they will tell you this."

"I asked hundreds of Parliamentary questions about direct orders, and the relative members of Cabinet simply do not even deign to reply, or more correctly avoid replying. Why? Every month I ask about direct orders that are under the €5,000 threshold. Do they not have a monthly excel sheet for it at each ministry? Nobody answers. I'm not saying that every direct order is bad, not at all. There is a law that stipulates when and how a direct order is to be given, which is fine. A refusal to answer clear and direct questions on cases where there are allegations that this law has not been adhered to, merely serves to move things from the level of doubt to a level of suspicious certainty."

Caruana Cilia referred to the fact that the Malta Chamber of Commerce has been pressing for there to be more transparency in public procurement, mentioning a proposal by the Chamber for the publication of a publicly accessible public procurement outlook for all government entities and departments, at least 6 months in advance to help bidders plan ahead and tender.

He said that the legislation regarding when a contracting authority places an order directly with a single economic operator without issuing a call for competition is very clear, "but the problem is there are allegations that it is abused."