Mepa reform details by end of year

The government is planning to announce the details on the reform at the Malta Environment and Planning Authority by the end of the year with the aim of making it more efficient and transparent, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said yesterday.

Speaking during a Nationalist Party activity at the Floriana Granaries as part of celebrations marking the 44th anniversary since Malta's independence, Dr Gonzi said the reform at Mepa was key to achieving sustainable development.

He said there were certain policies which had to be revised and honesty required to admit mistakes committed in the past. He said there were things that could have been done better and that the reform was aimed at correcting them.

Dr Gonzi also spoke about the code of ethics for parliamentarians and how a parliamentary committee was due to discuss methods to draw a line between the private lives and businesses of ministers and parliamentary secretaries and their official duties. The bottom line is that all parliamentarians have to be accountable for their actions.

Replying to a question on the code of ethics for members of the judiciary, Dr Gonzi said there was the Commission for the Administration of Justice. He said he was not convinced that the commission was enough, adding that through discussions with members of the judiciary more progress can be made in this field.