PM highlights hefty financial allocation for environment

The Nationalist Party is the only political party that made a strong financial commitment towards the environment, pledging to allocate €300 million of the €855 million in EU funds, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said yesterday.

Participating in a public discussion on the environment in Żebbuġ, hosted by Claudette Pace, Dr Gonzi said he was receiving between 300 and 350 e-mails a day and was trying to answer all of them.

"Replying to e-mails is something that takes time but, that way, I know what the people think, what worries them, receive their criticism and their words of encouragement," he said asking those who had mailed him to be patient as he had a backlog of 760 unanswered messages.

Animal lover Mark Vella Bardon, from Noah's Ark, skin specialist Angele Farrugia and scientist Nadine Axisa shared their opinions about the environment.

Speaking about the quality of air, Dr Gonzi said that four years ago the government decided to start using low sulphur oil at the power station and, although it cost more, the result was cleaner, healthier air.

There were plans to invest more in filtering the emissions from the power station according to EU standards, he said.

He also spoke about the PN's plans to reduce the "environmental deficit" through various measures as announced on Tuesday.

Comparing these measures with the Labour Party's proposal to halve the surcharge, Dr Gonzi explained that, apart from steering away from depending on oil for electricity, what the PN was suggesting meant that the people would also save money on their electricity bill while safeguarding the environment.

Asked by Ms Pace whether he had a favourite environmental project, he mentioned Xagħra l-Ħamra, which, he added, was one of the largest open spaces available to families, and the regeneration of Magħtab. However, he continued, he was most impressed by the Eco School project. He recalled how, two years ago, he went to a Cospicua school and was pleasantly surprised to see students, aged between six and eight, being trained to recycle items.

We should not take the island's beauty for granted, Dr Gonzi said.