€170 million investment in major roads upgrade

The government has decided to allocate a large percentage of the new EU funds granted to Malta for the period 2007-2013 to an unprecedented road upgrading programme which should bring Malta's main road arteries up to EU standard. Substantial funds will also be allocated for the restoration of the bastions and flood relief.

Over the past years, the island's road network already started to improve, following millions of liri of investment under the fifth Italian protocol and the EU pre-accession funding. However, EU sources told The Sunday Times that the plans approved recently by the Commission for Malta's operational programmes will mean a massive investment in the island's roads.

Although an official announcement on how Malta plans to spend its €855 million allocation is still to be made, The Sunday Times can reveal another two major projects approved by the Commission. They are a €25 million project for the restoration of all of Malta's bastions, and a €20 million flood relief project involving Lija, Balzan and Birkirkara.

Contacted by The Sunday Times, Parliamentary Secretary Tonio Fenech, who chairs a steering committee on EU funding, confirmed that the Commission has just given its clearance for Malta's projects programme and the government will now start giving details on what projects are planned and when calls for tender will be made.

"This is the largest ever investment in the Maltese islands," Mr Fenech said. "Over the next seven years we will be investing in Malta more than a record €1 billion. €855 million will come from EU coffers and the rest from our own funds. Malta will be looking very differently in seven years time."

The first details of the Cohesion and Structural funds programme will be announced during a seminar in Malta on Wednesday in the presence of EU officials.

Malta seems to be very eager to get on with the job and was the first EU member state to have all its plans approved by the Commission.

Malta's NSRF (National Strategic Reference Network) - Malta's strategy for cohesion policy 2007-2013 - was the first to be approved by the European Commission last December. It provides the goals and the basic strategic framework for Malta's two operational programmes which have, in turn, been adopted by the European Commission, identifying the main areas of focus for Malta's Cohesion Policy between 2007-2013.

Malta was the first country to have its full Cohesion Policy Package endorsed by the European Commission in June 2006.

The two operational programmes, approved by Brussels last month, cover the entire territory of the country. However, the government is committed to spending a minimum of 10 per cent of the allocation for the socio-economic development of Gozo.

The Planning and Priorities Co-ordination Division of the Office of the Prime Minister is the managing authority for both operational programmes.