Valletta Cultural Agency Refuses To Reveal Cost Of Jason Micallef’s Lavish, Exclusive And Taxpayer-Funded NYE Dinner And Open Bar Party
The Valletta Cultural Agency has refused to say how much taxpayers are spending every year on a lavish New Years’ Eve dinner organised by Chairman Jason Micallef for a select crowd of his choosing.
While the VCA has confirmed with Lovin Malta that the very private event at the iconic Casino Maltese in Valletta does take place, it has refused to divulge the total annual cost of the party from one year to the next.
Sources speaking to Lovin Malta estimated the party’s cost could run into the thousands, but would not give a specific amount.
Over the last six years, Micallef, through the VCA, has hosted a private dinner with a full open bar held at the Casino Maltese, with an exclusive guest list that often fails to include several key governmental figures, including Cabinet Ministers and members of parliament.
The dinner overlooks the public New Year’s Eve celebrations taking place in St George’s Square, also organised by the VCA.
The VCA refused to divulge whether there was any criteria or protocol to follow when inviting guests, saying that all invites are sent “to stakeholders who play an important part in the Valletta Cultural Agency’s Cultural Programme, including the Ministry for Justice, Culture and Local Government”.
However, sources have said that the invite list reads more like a list of friends and allies of Micallef than a government function.
“This Agency was only created to accommodate Jason Micallef’s clique,” they explained.
In fact, Deo Debattista, the Parliamentary Secretary for Support For the Capital City (formerly of V18), has reportedly not been invited on many occasions in the past. Sources said he has complained about this in the past.
This year, Culture Minister Owen Bonnici and EU Commissioner Helena Dalli (a close personal friend of Micallef) were invited, as was Mtarfa Mayor Daniel Attard.
The VCA did not provide a full guest list.
The organisation of the sit-down dinner is siphoned off to an outside contractor, G7, who also handles the public New Year’s Eve celebrations around Valletta.
While G7 was granted reign over the night’s festivities through a partnership agreement with the VCA, the same body refused to say what sort of funds are made available to them.
The VCA, a full year after the conclusion of V18, still remains massively funded by the government, with an annual budget of €3.5 million.
Micallef officially has four jobs. He serves as the Chairman of Valletta Cultural Agency, is in charge of coordinating the Ta’ Qali National Park extension project, is the Chairman of One Productions Ltd., and recently landed a post as the chairman of the MFA’s Sports Plus Ltd (a private company within MFA).
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