House debates property transfers

The House of Representatives yesterday and on Tuesday continued to debate a motion for the transfer of government properties to a number of voluntary and sports organisations. The motion also amends the terms of an emphyteutical grant to farmers at Qammiegh in a manner which reduces a projected increase in groundrent.

Nationalist MP Frans Agius said this motion reflected the government`s policy of helping those organisations which were giving a service to society.

He said the organisations that would benefit from such property transfers were being given a chance to develop their sport or activity and plan in the long term.

The government was committed to promoting sports, and this could also be seen from the building of the sports complex in Cottonera.

Dr Agius said it should be ascertained that the people being given such properties had the right credentials. Activities held on such properties should be open to all. There should be guidelines and regulations on how sites being transferred should be utilised, so that the government could retain certain control.

Turning to the issue of boat houses, mentioned on Monday by Labour MP Joe Mizzi, Dr Agius said that in many cases these reflected a history of mistakes by successive governments. A just solution should be found. What was public land had to, one way or another, be returned to the public.

Labour MP Joe Cilia said an opportunity was being lost in that the motion did not make reference to sports tribunals.

He observed that some of the property transfers were being made on lease, not emphyteusis. This made it difficult for the organisations concerned to invest in the properties. The government should undertake that once it became the full owner of such properties, it would transfer these properties on emphyteusis.

Referring to the allocation being given to the Marsa Sports and Country Club, he said that 326,438 square metres of land were being given to a private sports clubs for Lm30,000 a year.

Under the Labour government, agreement had been reached for development of this site, including the building of time share units, providing substantial income which would have allowed the club to flourish.

These plans had now been shelved and the land was being given away lock, stock and barrel. With Lm30,000 a year instead of the timeshare development, the government was getting a raw deal.

Transport and Communications Minister Censu Galea observed that this motion amended the contract conditions involving land held on temporary emphyteusis by farmers in Qammiegh. He said that according to the original terms, the emphyteusis was to be revised every 33 years on the basis of the increase in the value of the land. Now the review would be made on the basis of the rate of inflation. Had the original conditions continued to be enforced, farmers who paid a rent of Lm1 per year would have ended up paying Lm125 or more. Now they would be paying much less. These changes would only apply to those who currently worked the land and their immediate relatives. Should the lands be transferred to third parties, the old conditions would apply.

Mr Galea referred to remarks by Mr Mizzi that beach huts were to be built at Marfa on agricultural land. He said the government had repeatedly insisted that no agricultural land would be used for the purpose. The government had no intention of taking over agricultural land in Marfa or anywhere else.

Dr Anglu Farrugia (MLP) said it had been the opposition which first raised the problems faced by the farmers at Qammiegh, whose ground rent had been set to rise dramatically.

Dr Farrugia said that in the past, large areas of public land had been given to persons of dubious character. Other transfers had not yielded any benefits to the country.

One could see what happened with regard to the Chambray project and how the Cottonera project had been dragged into scandal in the case of the casino.

None of the investment promised for Fort St Angelo by the Order of St John had been implemented.

In seeking a solution to the Armier boathouses issue, the government had to consider the social context. Had any kind of study been carried out on the people who were living at Armier because they had no other residence?

Dr Farrugia said a tribunal should be set up to monitor the use of public land and investigate abuses.

Dr Farrugia complained that the bocci pitch and clubhouse at Mosta used to involve its 30-odd members in payment of some Lm25 a year. Now the pitch was being transferred for 49 years on temporary emphytheusis for Lm150 a year. So was the government giving or taking? The Rabat Scout Group were being expected to enhance their plot by more than all their resources were worth.

Interjecting, Parliamentary Secretary Jesmond Mugliette said that as an architect he rated the plot being given to the Rabat Scout Group at some Lm30,000. A groundrent of Lm300, therefore, was a pittance.

Continuing, Dr Farrugia said other amateur associations, with a small number of members, could hardly afford to keep up with the expenses they would incur through the motion. In some cases these ran into hundreds of liri a year, revisable every few years. Had the government consulted the associations with regard to their staying power under these conditions?

On the other hand, the Eden Foundation was getting a big storehouse at Marsa at a very favourable rent. This was commendable.

Dr Jean Pierre Farrugia (PN) observed that this motion also provided for the transfer of property to voluntary organisations doing social work, such as the Y.M.C.A.

Such organisations deserved the assistance of volunteers and financial assistance. Society should appreciate the work and dedication of volunteers working in these organisations.

Dr Farrugia welcomed the transfer of the Independence Arena and other facilities in Floriana to various organisations and hoped such facilities would be well maintained.

Dr Farrugia praised the volunteers who dedicated their free time to teaching children attending football nurseries. He said discipline should be exercised and standards enforced when financial assistance was provided. For example, volunteers should be trained in first aid in order to be able to handle injuries.

He said one should be on the lookout for paedophelia cases, although he had heard of no such cases.

He also suggested that donations and contributions made to social and sports organisations should be tax exempt.

Mr Noel Farrugia (MLP) regretted that the Torball Association for the Blind had not been granted a section of the former isolation hospital at Mtarfa, which it had been requesting for years. This building, he said, was vacant and exposed to vandals.

Mr Farrugia said Malta needed to protect the rural environment. That should not mean speculation of land and farmhouses, as many still had an interest in doing. Agricultural land had to be protected especially since, following EU accession, foreigners would be able to buy such land.

Mr Farrugia called for more facilities to be given to enthusiasts of horse riding and motorcycles.

Other speakers will be reported in another issue.