Government to pay Mepa €7.9 million for services rendered

Labour spokesman on Mepa Roderick Galdes told Parliament yesterday that the financial situation in Mepa was so critical that the government would have to give the authority €7.9 million by the end of the year despite the sharp increases in tariffs. Instead of giving subsidies the government would have to pay for services received while Mepa would charge for employees engaged with other authorities.

This meant that taxpayers had to pay for these shortcomings. The government could also use €7 million accruing from car park funds to curtail the shortfall.

The Mepa reform was translated into heavier expenses for clients, more waiting time for processing of applications and less revenue for the authority.

The financial situation worsened because of higher recurrent expenditures due to new personnel engaged by the authority. It was considering introducing a new tariff for printing costs with estimated revenue of €600,000 for the authority.

Mr Galdes said the new tariffs had to be revised after three months into the reform because some of them were grossly exaggerated. Through the Authority, the government continued to squeeze money out of clients because that was the only source of income to pay its 450 employees.

The reform also failed to address anomalies in local plans, leading to over development. It addressed administrative problems instead of reforming policies and planning. The structure plan itself needed to be updated. The reform did not give direction.

Planning had to be divorced from the environment, as suggested for by the opposition. For the first time, the planning section would end the year at a financial loss despite charging excessive tariffs for permits.

The number of cases before the Appeals Board had increased tenfold.

The new planning brief, which replaced the online application system, did not attract any applications. Applicants had given up hope when permits for such applications were valid for one year only.

Mr Galdes also referred to the issue surrounding Hexagon House. He said that after 10 years the government was acknowledging that there was a health problem.

He said the building had ventilation problems, part of which only would be solved through an expenditure amounting to €200,000. He tabled a report on a health syndrome resulting from ventilation problems in a similar establishment.

He claimed that not all the full-time members on Mepa boards were valid. Some came from other government departments while others were Mepa employees who had been given a promotion.

Clients expected much more from the reform which was too bureaucratic. If the government did not change its ways, a Labour government would engage in a reform that would reflect clients’ needs and greater efficiency, Mr Galdes said.