A tender for the conversion of the former Mtarfa Military Hospital to an international school will be issued in the coming days to cater for the increasing number of foreigners working in Malta, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced this evening.

Addressing a public consultation meeting at the Ċittadella in Gozo, the last in the Gvern li Jisma' series, Dr Muscat stressed that this would ensure that no land outside the development zone would be taken up.

He noted that the current economic growth would mean a further influx of foreigners in sectors like the gaming industry, as well as the expansion of the European Asylum Support Office and possibly the European Medicines Authority, for which Malta is one of the bidding countries.

The Prime Minister said that one of the requirements would be the provision of enough educational facilities to teach a specialised curriculum, which is only provided by international schools.

Photo: Marlon George Grech

He added that whoever won the bid would have to restore the building at his own expense and provide a number of scholarships to Maltese students every year. 

Touching on the issue of the permanent link to Gozo, the Prime Minister said initial results of the geological survey were "interesting" but gave no further details. On the other hand, he acknowledged that if this project were to be deemed feasible, the decision regarding the entrance and exit points would, most likely, fuel controversy. 

"Do not expect the tunnel to start in Ċirkewwa and end in Mġarr. It will m probably have to start somewhere near Xemxija with the exit being further inland from Mġarr in Gozo," he added. 

In the meantime, the government would be beefing up sea transport through the introduction of a fast ferry service. Dr Muscat said that the tender for this service would be issued soon. He said that the service might also include various stops between Ċirkewwa and Valletta, such as St Paul's Bay, to alleviate traffic congestion during the rush hours. 

Asked about Air Malta, the Prime Minister dodged the issue regarding possible layoffs but pledged to make the national carrier financially viable.  He said the government was taking the best decision for the airline to move forward.

"We have a good track record in when it comes to the financial turnaround of state entities such as Enemalta and the Gozo Channel," he remarked.