In his article titled Joseph Muscat’s Mess In Mosta (March 1), Charlò Bonnici concluded that the Labour-led council will be leaving Mosta in a total mess.

... the irresponsible behaviour of the Nationalist councillors led to the closing down of the Youth Empowerment Centre in Mosta- Charles Buhagiar

Mr Bonnici has conveniently forgotten what the Labour-led council had inherited from the previous council led by Nationalist mayor Joe Demartino but, to remind both Mr Bonnici and readers, the Labour-led council inherited a bankrupt council.

One need only mention that in just one project (the embellishment of part of Ta’ Mliet housing estate carried out by the previous council) there was cost overrun of hundreds of thousands of euros and the council agreed with the contractor to pay him over a period of years. The interest on the outstanding sum, to date, amounts to €100,000.

Mr Bonnici also failed to mention that when the Labour councillors started administering Mosta they ordered a financial audit, which found that tens of thousands of euros had gone missing. There are pending court proceedings about this matter.

The Labour-led council also commissioned a report on the state of the roads in Mosta and, from this report, it resulted that out of 320 roads, 100 have more than 60 per cent damage, which means they are no longer the responsibility of the local council (which does not have the funds for reconstructing roads but only for maintaining them) but the responsibility of the central government. In spite of this, for the past three years the government of GonziPN did not even carry out one road project in Mosta.

Mr Bonnici also failed to mention that, for the past 12 months, whenever the council had to discuss the award of tenders during its meetings the Nationalist councillors (together with independent councillor Paul Agius) walked out, as a consequence of which no tender has been awarded for the past year.

As a result of this irresponsible attitude, the Mosta local council is seriously risking the loss of €500,000 that the Labour council had managed to obtain from the EU for the restoration of the Speranza bridge and part of Wied il-Għasel.

The council also lost the funds from the central government for the restoration of small monuments because works could not start as the tender for the work that had to be completed by the end of last year could not be awarded. Likewise, works on the upgrading of the playing field in Ġnien Reggie Cilia could not start even if the funds are available (UIF funds from the Malta Environment and Planning Authority). Hence, the contract could not be awarded.

But of more concern is that the irresponsible behaviour of the Nationalist councillors led to the closing down of the Youth Empowerment Centre in Mosta. This centre, which gives free educational services to Mosta youths, was previously funded by the central government but, about three years ago, the government informed the council that it did not have the funds for this initiative (about €8,000 a year)!

The council, therefore, decided to fund the initiative but when it came to a vote, the Nationalist councillors walked out of the meeting. As a result, this initiative was stalled. It is highly irresponsible for the Nationalist councillors to act in this manner and disrupt the educational services given for free to Mosta youths. They should be ashamed of themselves.

It is very clear that for purely partisan political reasons (the Nationalists want to win back the Mosta local council), both the central government and the Nationalist councillors have disrupted the legitimate work of the local council. Now they have the arrogance to state that the Labour-led council did not carry out any projects and has left Mosta in a mess. This is just plain sheer hypocrisy.

In view of the forthcoming local council election my appeal goes to all the residents of Mosta. Let us give these Nationalist councillors, led by Mr Demartino and Shirley Farrugia, what they deserve for their irresponsible behaviour by voting for all the Labour candidates.

The author, an MP, is Labour’s main spokesman on infrastructure, public works, capital projects and sustainable development of central Malta.

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