Nestor Laiviera
Taxpayers may pay €40,000 bill if owners are not traced
The taxpayer may have to foot the bill for the eviction of caravan owners as the government still cannot name the owners of the abusive structures. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli
The government has still not decided whether to charge caravan owners for the Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq enforcement action, which runs into some €40,000.
The caravans at the Baħar ic-Ċagħaq site, which had been illegally occupied for the past decades, were cleared on October 3.
A spokesman for the parliamentary secretary responsible for public land had said that the government was reserving the right of charging the squatters for the cost of the demolition works last October.
When asked about this, Parliamentary Secretary Jason Azzopardi said he was still considering it.
Dr Azzopardi said the department is trying to establish who owned the caravans and the illegal structures that were removed before deciding on whether to bill them. As things stand, the authorities do not have a list of people who should be billed.
The expenses have so far been estimated to hover around the €40,000 mark but the final cost could actually be higher, the said.
The enforcement action formed part of an ongoing campaign against illegal structures on government land.
Bulldozers and other heavy machinery were deployed to the site in an early-morning surprise clearance operation. The caravans that had been removed by owners after they were served with a warning were towed away and the semi-permanent structures demolished.
A spokesman for the association representing the caravan owners, the Safari Camping Club, was sceptical on whether the government would be able to charge caravan owners for the cost of the enforcement action. It would be "very difficult" for the government to draw up a list of the owners, he explained.
He insisted that the association was always against semi-permanent structures on the site in question whereas it had always maintained that the regular, mobile homes had a right to be there once the government had promised that the area would be designated for caravans.
The authorities could have avoided this "needless" expense had they approached the issue gradually and not "come down on the entire campsite in a heavy-handed and roughshod manner aimed at generating media exposure".
The former campsite, he pointed out, is in a worse condition now than before the enforcement action took place. In fact, debris is scattered all over the campsite and facilities developed by the government had been vandalised.
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14 Comments
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Charles Sammut
Jan 22nd 2009, 19:18
Unless I am mistaken, these caravans were in fact auctioned. But interest in them was poor and so very little money was raised from their sale. Some of them went for €100 or less.
In any case, even if they had been scrapped, the exercise would still have been worthwhile. They were an eyesore. This should serve as a deterrent for others in the future.
c.camilleri
Jan 22nd 2009, 15:26
The Association representing the caravan owners 'The Safari Camping Club' should have a list of its members. So it is not difficult for the Govt. to obtain the names of the caravans' owners from the President of this Association.
C. Vella
Jan 22nd 2009, 15:21
Calling this a Qassata. Come on, why not give due when it should be given. No other government, no other minister and no one ever had the guts to do what Jason is doing. Well done and I am sure with a little help from the people and the police the owners could be found. Correct me if I am wrong but shouldn't these people pay road insurance, pay a road licence? I mean how could they have been on the road otherwise?
lgalea
Jan 22nd 2009, 14:45
D Kitney
They were occupying PUBLIC land Kitney.
PUBLIC land belongs to EVERYONE not to a few PRIVATE persons.
What would you say if I came and occupied part of your land or house Kitney?
John Xuereb
Better late than never.
Ingrid Jones-cameron
Jan 22nd 2009, 12:22
Simply put the caravans on auction and get some money back!!! Conficated goods by the customs are sold on auction, why not the caravans
Albert Buttigieg
Jan 22nd 2009, 12:09
@D Kitney
What you say is totally irrelevant. It is simply obeying the rule of law: you do not take that which does not belong to you.
D Kitney
Jan 22nd 2009, 11:55
All those rejoicing that public land has been given back to the public - can you tell us how you plan to use this land? Are you going to spread your towels up there now away from the sea in summer? I think that the majority are just jealous that they did not do like others did. I didn't have a caravan there but I was not jealous of those who did and I really cannot see how I'm going to benefit because these, Armier's, Ghadira's or Gnejna's are removed....
Joe Galea
Jan 22nd 2009, 11:40
Another qassata by GonziPn and we have to pay most probably.
C.Sammut
Jan 22nd 2009, 10:35
I agree with all posted comments re worthiness of the exercise. The confiscated material can be offered for sale and the €40,000 would not be a taxpayer's loss in addition to the environmental gains!
John Xuereb
Jan 22nd 2009, 10:32
Wouldn't it have been easier and cheaper to have halted it when the problem originally arose rather then let it drag and mushroom.
Incidentally, when is action to be taken against the illegal structues in Armier, Gnejna etc. etc. ??
Mark Seychell
Jan 22nd 2009, 10:24
What worries me most is as Joe Vassallo rightly said that the authorities are not able to track these people down.
a.agius
Jan 22nd 2009, 10:15
I say it is worth every cent & it imparts a message that what is public property remains & not be gobbled by the egoists whose mission statement is, Tieghi tieghi u tighek tieghi or l-ewwel jien it=tieni jien u tielet jien ukoll.
Joe Vassalo
Jan 22nd 2009, 10:13
Is this a joke?
I have no issue with us tax payers paying for a clean up of the country from our money, but surely it would only be fair and just if the caravan owners are made to pay for the costs. After all, they created the problem in the first place.
If the money is not recovered it will only be another confirmation of the general incompetence of the civil servants in charge of the operation.
Are we now being told that our police corps and/or wardens can’t even manage to trace a few caravan owners?
R.Zammit
Jan 22nd 2009, 09:37
I'd say its €40.000 well spent.
Even better if they are recuperated, and no effort should be spared to do so. The association should also be held accountable.