Joint effort in Valletta

I refer to Raymond Magri's letter Valletta Refurbishment Project (March 26).

May I point out from the outset that the Valletta local council has nothing but positive words for the work carried out by the Valletta Rehabilitation Project, coordinated by Ray Bondin. The Valletta council is also well represented on the committee heading the office of the project.

Mr Margi asks a number of questions that need a reply for the record and for correctness' sake.

In all press statements made by the Valletta local council during the election campaign, due recognition was given to projects carried out by the government and the VRP in collaboration with the council, which can be verified in a number of press appearances. To mention a few, one can refer to The Malta Independent of February 18, The Times and In-Nazzjon of February 19, In-Nazzjon of March 3 and The Malta Independent of March 7.

Similar recognition to the VRP and the central government was given in the Valletta local council three-year report published and circulated to all the households of Valletta, wherein, as in the press statements, distinction was made between council projects and government projects carried out in full collaboration with the council. Yet again this can be verified in the same report in pages 3, 13, 15, 23 and 24.

In this respect, and contrary to what Mr Magri may seem to imply, due recognition was given both to the Valletta Rehabilitation Project and the central government. In fact, the council organised five press conferences jointly with Cabinet ministers and for two of which Dr Bondin was present. Hence, I cannot understand Mr Magri's arguments and motivation on the matter.

Again, contrary to what Mr Magri may yet again seem to imply, the Lm3 million figure, mentioned by the council throughout the local election campaign, represents all the projects carried out for the city and not necessarily through funds managed by the Valletta local council. The latter only amounted to close to Lm1 million over three years.

It was a campaign centring on the achievements of Valletta as a whole, through the synergy, the energy and the commitment that the council and the government had when working together.

I would like to assure Mr Magri that the Valletta local council worked hard all through its three-year term which comes to an end today. It was a council that delivered projects and a better quality of life to the people of Valletta, primarily with an integrated approach, working closely on a daily basis with Dr Bondin, the Office of the Prime Minister and with Ministers Tonio Borg, Ninu Zammit, Austin Gatt, Jesmond Mugliett, George Pullicino, Francis Zammit Dimech and Dolores Cristina.

It is this approach that gave the Valletta local council a positive result in the last local elections and it is in this same way that I intend to lead the council in the coming three years as a re-elected mayor of Valletta, keeping in mind nothing but the interests of the city and its people in all the council's endeavours.