Thursday, 12th November 2009 - 10:10CET

Penalties for councils closed on Saturdays

Penalties are to imposed on Tarxien local council after it approved a resolution not to open its offices on Saturday, in breach of directives by the Local Councils Department, the Prime Minister said in Parliament.

He said that surprise inspections by the department had found three council offices closed on a Saturday - at Mtarfa, Qala and Tarxien.

The Acting Secretary of Mtarfa council said that at the time of the inspection, the person in charge was serving a client at the local library. An explanation from Qala council is still being awaited. If the explanations are not found to be justified, those two councils would will incur penalties, Dr Gonzi said.

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Comments

Maria Zammit (on 14/11/09)

Interesting how the Central Government is so high handed where local councils are concerned but takes no action when other government departments / entities default!!!

Just to mention a few The Abbattoir only recently in the news with blood overflow in Marsa!!!
VAT Department - no need to mention what happened there!
ADT - no need to mention what happened there and our roads!

Where is justice? In your dreams!

M. Brincat (on 13/11/09)

In the case of Mtarfa, wouldn't a "be back soon, attending library duties" sticky one attached to the local council's door have sufficed to cool the heated inspector's inspection?

Where is common sense?

M Pisani (on 12/11/09)

Is it worth paying so much overtime out of the tax payers money when only a couple of people are availing themselves of this service .... so much has been invested so that people are more IT oriented and Malta has made great advances over the past years .... the e govt is a success and many use it and are served on line .... traffic fines and complaints are made through this system .... why hasn't this service been introduced gradually ... say only two councils from a district open every Saturday so that costs are kept at a minimum ????

Maria Zammit (on 12/11/09)

The question is, do people want local councils open on a Saturday because if they don't. this is just a financial burden on local councils and staff, who though paid are deprived of a day off!

Galea. L (on 12/11/09)

This is simply an attempt by the Gonzi to do away with Saturdays and bring Saturday back to a working day as it was under previous PN administrations and which was removed by Mintoff who gave the workers 52 days more leave to enjoy with their families.

R Gauci (on 12/11/09)

So...should we be happy simply because the LC office is OPEN on Saturdays and stop there?! What if we take into account the contribution of the LC towards the locality as well?! Donnha nikkuntentaw b'dak li jidher minn barra biss..u s-sustanza ta gewwa..dik naghtu kasha?! Ejja nimmaturaw ftit!!!

Mark Anthony Sammut (on 12/11/09)

Ernest Vella, for your info both Qala and Mtarfa have PN majorities.

It only takes a Google search to at least get the idea of what you're talking about before commenting

Mary Ann Borg (on 12/11/09)

.....and so is Mtarfa. That council switched from Labour to PN after all the troubles Labour had within the council.

laurence schembri (on 12/11/09)

Will the staff be on overtime? And, who is funding the expense?

laurence schembri (on 12/11/09)

Is the Tax, Enemalta, Waterservices, Government offices open on Saturday? I don`t know I`m only asking. How about Schools. I always thought that 5 working days was the norm by law in this country.

D Delia (on 12/11/09)

So the Mtarfa LC person in charge has become a librarian? So if a client comes every hour to be served at the library what does he/she do?

J Camilleri (on 12/11/09)

Is the luqa local council open on Saturdays? Because it is doing absolutely nothing in Luqa. Not even took part in youth programmes. Shame on them.

mary Pace (on 12/11/09)

Surprise Surprise,tarxien council was closed on saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
when was the Tarxien council ever open on saturday???????

M. Galea (on 12/11/09)

@ Ernest Vella

Why do you have to bring politics into the equation?????

The local council was supposed to be open and it wasn't.!!

Paul Stellini (on 12/11/09)

@Ernest Vella

For your information Qala Council has a PN majority

OGalea (on 12/11/09)

Rules are rules and, Councils or not, all must abide. LCs are funded by the people and therefore should serve the people even on a Saturday. The amendments to the Act were clear.

How about introducing limited regional tourist information services from certain LC offices in localities such as Rabat, Vittoriosa, Zurrieq, Mellieha, M' Scala and San Pawl?

Ernest Vella (on 12/11/09)

I ask if these surprise inspections are made also in Local Councils with PN majorities...I am not saying they did not happen but it will be ethicaly correct to say what majorities the local councils visited are...for trasparecy

David Aquilina (on 12/11/09)

Are there any penalties for closed police stations?????

Joann Bugeja (on 12/11/09)

@ J.Cauchi: Pls bear in mind that LC's are elected by the people FOR the people...ie can't do whatever they like either !

Joseph Cauchi (on 12/11/09)

I believe that Local Councils themselves should decide if they have to open on a Saturday or not, as after all they really know what the actual needs of their citizens are; and not as imposed by the authorities.

Unfortunately, I see this decision as enforced by the authorities as “interference” in the autonomy of the local council.

JC.

edmond baldacchino (on 12/11/09)

so we have a local council in Tarxien ?!?!?!

Penalties for councils closed on Saturdays

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