Updated: Government to withdraw secrecy clause from Citizenship Act

The Government is to withdraw the secrecy clause from the Citizenship Act, the Nationalist Party said in a statement quoting European Minister Louis Grech. Mr Grech said when contacted the confidentiality clause was introduced in line with expert advice. The experts believed such a clause would attract more revenue, which the Government could then use for social projects. However, as it seemed that the people's biggest objection to the amendments was this clause, the Government decided to withdraw it in spite of the financial impact. The PN said in a statement the move came following the Opposition’s insistence in Parliament and out of it as well as the negative attention the amendments to the act attracted. This, the PN said, was not enough and the Prime Minister’s decision was too little in view of the damage the country’s reputation had already suffered. It said that the Prime Minister’s only option was to listen to the movement which has arisen in the country against the sale of Maltese citizenship and withdraw the scheme to stop damaging the country. The PN said it remained in principle against the sale of citizenship so the Government’s reluctant withdrawal of the secrecy...