Chris Cardona yesterday. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

The government will soon be issuing calls for expressions of interest to build two yacht marinas in Ta’ Xbiex and Sa Maison, Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness Edward Zammit Lewis said yesterday.

He assured the public that these areas will remain accessible to the public but there is an obligation to generate jobs.

Economy Minister Chris Cardona added that the government had a number of projects in mind, including one involving White Rocks, and will be able to announce them soon.

In November, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had said that a call for expressions of interest would be issued for the development of the prime site at White Rocks – after plans by the previous administration to build a sports complex collapsed.

Dr Cardona and Dr Zammit Lewis were speaking during a public consultation meeting held at the Mosta Technopark as part of the series of meetings entitled A Government that Listens.

Dr Zammit Lewis said the government would be working together with the private sector to carry out a project that the previous administration had not found funds for: to have the best fibre-optic technology.

Moreover, on March 4 it would be launching a digital strategy that would pave the way forward until 2018.

Speaking about gaming, he said he would soon be able to announce the names of new companies that would be investing in Malta.

Turning to property, he was working on branding Malta as a place where foreigners could buy high value property and more details would soon be announced.

As for shipping, he was working with the Education Ministry to have a maritime school. Discussions had started with large companies in the maritime industry, Italian and Norwegian, to move their operations to Malta.

The government was also working on having an integrated maritime policy by September.

Minister Cardona said the economy was strong and was generating jobs.

One year after the general elections, it was clear that the Labour government had built a strong relationship with the private sector.

Dr Cardona added that 2013 was a record year of foreign investment in the country.