No Cabinet reshuffle plans - Gonzi

The Prime Minister said today that he is not considering a Cabinet reshuffle and will see how things develop.

Speaking in a radio interview, Dr Gonzi said his aim was to ensure that by the end of the legislature Malta was stronger and better, and the government would be able to go before the people showing them that it had delivered on its promises.

Dr Gonzi said he had taken certain decisions at the last legislature and they had yielded results. This legislature had four more years to run and he reserved his right to take decisions as the situation developed.

Replying to other questions, Dr Gonzi said the Mepa reform due to be unveiled on Thursday would review the Authority’s policies and practices. He stressed, however, that people who were not eligible for a development permit in the past would not suddenly become eligible.

Dr Gonzi also argued that one could not strike down permits which were issued over the years according to existing law, regulations and policies as long as they were given on the basis of accurate information. That would be unfair. However, where policies were wrong, they would be changed.

The reform, he said, would seek to remove abuse and introduce better timescales for Mepa decisions.

BUDGET PREPARATIONS

Questioned on the Budget, Dr Gonzi said the government would try not to impose new burdens, although one still had to await developments, notably in tourism. Should tourism hold on to 2007 levels, the government might be able to cut spending rather than impose new taxes.

The government, however, had to come out with a formula which ensured that Malta remained a competitive destination.

SMART CITY

Dr Gonzi denied that there were any changes or problems with regard to Smart City. He said final documents were being prepared fo the various stages of the project and there were no changes either in the government’s plans to further develop the IT sector.

CITY GATE

Dr Gonzi said the secret behind the Piano plans for Valletta was that Parliament and many offices would leave the Palace and the lower floor would become full of specialised museums of all that distinguished the Maltese. That would draw people into the heart of Valletta, and eventually Fort St Elmo would be rehabilitated to draw people further inward.

Dr Gonzi said he was glad that most of the people had welcomed the Piano plans.

He said a solution still had to be found for the affected shops. The governemnt, he said, had a right to terminate those leases and it would try to find alternative sites for them, but the national interest had to come first.

In other parts of the interview Dr Gonzi said the EU had confirmed that Malta absorbed all the funds allocated to it between 2004 and 2006. This, he said, belied claims by some who said that Malta lacked the administrative capacity to fully handle this sector.