MaltaMedia.com

Reference is made to reports in certain sections of the media alleging that the Malta Community Chest Fund is receiving preferential treatment, which allegations were published when the nation is still congratulating itself on the show of unity and solidarity expressed during L-Istrina, and on the eve of the campaign for the Dar tal-Providenza administered by the Church.

First of all, the gratuitous assertion that the MCCF is getting preferential treatment is totally unfounded both in fact and in law. It is a known fact that the MCCF, presided over by the President of Malta, does not indulge in any form of action that renders it above the law.

The MCCF is scrupulous in its transparency and accountability when, as is well known its accounts have always been publically audited and its audited accounts published in leading newspapers annually.

This year’s resoundingly successful L-Istrina, was carried out with maximum transparency and legality. L-Istrina was held with full adherence to the provisions of the law which applies for Public Collections namely, the Public Collections Act (Chapter 279).

This goes to prove beyond any shadow of doubt the respect that The President and the Malta Community Chest Fund Board have for the law. In fact the Malta Community Chest Fund Board applied for and was granted the necessary permit by the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs.

The Malta Community Chest Fund Board had also sought the legal advice from the Attorney General in order to ensure the proper observance of the law. In fact, the Attorney General had advised the Private Secretary to the then President of the Republic, way back in September 2008, that after having `..scrutinized its statute of constitution and examined the relevant provisions of the Voluntary Organisations Act, I respectfully consider that an organisation, even though it performs public collections as in the case of Malta Community Chest Fund is not duty bound to enrol and register itself as a voluntary organisation as per the provision of the Voluntary Organisation Act`.

Though one would have expected Professor Kenneth Wain and the Council Chairman Robert Farrugia, as Government appointed officials, to also respect the legal advice by the Attorney General, the Malta Community Chest Fund Board on its part has strictly adhered to this advice given by the Attorney General more than a year ago and maintained since. The Malta Community Chest Fund Board is not prepared to enrol as a voluntary organisation just to satisfy the whim of whoever has a different opinion.

Another unfounded allegation is that the list of beneficiaries from this year`s l-Istrina have not been identified with the consequence that people were being asked to donate money without knowing which organisations would benefit. This is again not true and it seems quite convenient to try to make people forget the features repeatedly carried out during this year`s edition of l-Istrina of who these organisation beneficiaries were going to be. More so these beneficiaries have not only been identified but have been duly informed by the Malta Community Chest Fund Board that they were going to be these year`s beneficiaries of L-Istrina.

Finally it is also pertinent to point out that the Malta Community Chest Fund Board has included for the first time in its statute that a representative from the Council of Voluntary Organisations be represented ‘ex-ufficio’ on its board and in spite that it has repeatedly invited the Commissioner to nominate a representative this has unfortunately been to no avail.