The fact that the government has not implemented a number of important recommendations made by the Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption, otherwise known as GRECO, raises questions and concerns.

The recommendations were made in 2019, and yet some key ones have not been implemented.  In total, the report issued at the end of November found that eight of the 23 recommendations contained in its Fifth Round Evaluation Report, which deals with "preventing corruption and promoting integrity in central governments (top executive functions, persons with top executive functions) and law enforcement agencies", were either implemented satisfactorily or dealt with in a satisfactory manner and that seven recommendations had been partly implemented.

But eight have not seen any implementation.

It is those which have not seen any implementation which raise most questions, the main one being as to whether the government is just outright against their implementation. Some of the recommendations not implemented will increase transparency, and if the government is dragging its feet, then it should pick up the pace. If, however, the government is against the implementation of these transparency measures, then it raises many red flags.

Some of these recommendations the government has not implemented include that the current regime of asset and interest declaration be further developed by, among other things, extending to persons entrusted with top executive functions, including persons of trust who are associated with a minister's decision-making, the duty to file a detailed declaration with the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life. Another recommendation is that the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act of 2008 be subject to an independent and thorough analysis and that in light of the findings, additional measures be taken so that exceptions to the rule of public disclosure are interpreted and applied more specifically and narrowly.

The government must provide an explanation as to why it has not implemented these, and other measures that were recommended by the international anti-corruption body.

The asset declarations recommendation would ensure better oversight of people appointed to Malta's top and influential positions, while the issues with regards to the Freedom of Information Act, that too often freedom of information requests are denied, are already well known and need fixing. It is clearly in the public interest for these two recommendations to be implemented.

Another important recommendation was that rules be laid down to govern contacts between persons with top executive functions and lobbyists/third parties that seek to influence the public decision-making process, and the disclosure of such contacts and the subject-matters discussed. The government on this too has so far ignored the recommendation.

Transparency is a major part of good governance, and implementing these aforementioned three recommendations, among others, would be steps in the right direction. The government should not ignore what GRECO has put forward.