The Labour Party has urged the Prime Minister to provide details about Dutch firm Aviation Cosmetics, which is yet to honour its plan to invest €22 million in a new hangar at the Safi Aviation Park.

Malta Enterprise reiterated talks were ongoing

The party’s investments spokesman Chris Cardona and tourism spokesman Gavin Gulia said Lawrence Gonzi had spoken about this company in the same debate organised by The Times when he announced a major Brazilian company had transferred its headquarters to Malta when it had not.

The Sunday Times this week reported that the company, which was meant to move from Eindhoven to Malta with an investment of €22 million, had only set up a local company with the bare minimum of share capital.

It failed to pay annual rent of €250,000 or post a guarantee of €4 million, as it was obliged to do under contract.

Aviation Cosmetics managing director Tom Jansen admitted as much to the newspaper but insisted the project had only suffered a delay and that Aviation Cosmetics was still committed.

Mr Jansen also suggested the Government had rushed the company, saying: “It is a very complex building and at the time the Government wanted us to sign the contract… but we were not quite ready for it.”

In a reaction yesterday, Malta Enterprise reiterated that talks were ongoing with Aviation Cosmetics on the implementation of this project and that the company has been working since May to ensure it can provide the guarantees necessary for Malta Enterprise to authorise construction works.