Minister without Portfolio Konrad Mizzi is in China discussing “outstanding matters” with Shanghai Electric, the Times of Malta is informed.
Although stripped of his health and energy portfolios during April’s Cabinet reshuffle, Dr Mizzi still handles all government negotiations with Enemalta’s Chinese partners. Dr Mizzi left Malta last week accompanied by lawyer Aaron Mifsud Bonnici, Enemalta’s company secretary. No official announcement has been made so far about the visit.
Asked to give details on the purpose of Dr Mizzi’s trip, his spokesman only said he was on government business but would not elaborate. “Minister Mizzi is on a work trip in connection with ongoing energy projects,” the spokesman said.
Asked about Dr Mifsud Bonnici, the spokesman replied that the lawyer was accompanying the minister in his capacity of legal counsel to the government on matters related to Shanghai Electric. Government sources said the visit was expected to take over two weeks. Questions to Dr Mizzi’s ministry about the duration of the visit remain unanswered.
His spokesman said he was on government business but would not elaborate
When announcing the Cabinet reshuffle in the wake of the Panama Papers leaks, the Prime Minster Joseph Muscat said Dr Mizzi would no longer be responsible for the energy and health portfolios but would serve as a minister in the Prime Minister’s Office tasked with specific assignments.
The first such assignment was to act as a project manager on the new gas-fired power station being developed by a private consortium, Dr Muscat had said.
The plant was originally expected to be completed by March 2015. However, in December 2014, Dr Mizzi informed Parliament that the project would be delayed, adding energy was expected to start being generated there by June 2016.
A few weeks ago, the Times of Malta reported that the second deadline would also be missed, particularly due to problems encountered with the conversion and delivery of the floating storage unit (FSU) to supply natural gas to the project. The LNG tanker is still being converted in a shipyard in Singapore.
Soon after the latest Cabinet changes, the Prime Minister said he expected to announce a new deadline shortly after receiving a report on the state of the project. On May 16, the Times of Malta asked the Office of the Prime Minister whether the information in question had been supplied and a new completion deadline was set. No reply was forthcoming.
ivan.camilleri@timesofmalta.com