Parliament will not be reconvening in its new home at City Gate after all – and the contractors have been slapped with a daily fine for delayed completion.
On October 13, following the summer recess, the House will meet in its customary chamber at the Palace instead of in the building designed by architect Renzo Piano at the entrance to Valletta.
Members of Parliament had no other choice in view of the delays, Speaker Anġlu Farrugia told the House Business Committee yesterday. He did not think they could even consider a new date before December.
Furniture for the new chamber had not yet been installed and that for the third floor had not arrived, he said.
Dr Farrugia was officially informed by Infrastructure Minister Joe Mizzi that the consortium of local companies doing the work had not honoured its obligations to finish by the end of September and was being fined daily.
The Piano project – which includes a new entrance to the capital, the Parliament building and a rehabilitated theatre – was due for completion in 2012.
Last July, Mr Mizzi said the new Parliament would be welcoming MPs after the summer as the contractors were expected to “honour their obligations”.
Yesterday, both sides agreed that the House should continue meeting at the Palace but Mario de Marco, deputy leader of the Opposition, insisted that, as indicated in a government statement issued earlier, the committee should have been briefed about why the work was delayed and informed about the stage of construction.
He questioned the absence of a representative of the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation, responsible for the works.
Dr Farrugia said it was up to the committee to invite a representative.
Amid heated exchanges, Nationalist whip David Agius said the Infrastructure Ministry was monitoring the construction while his Labour counterpart Carmelo Abela insisted the project was originally meant to be completed in November 2012.
It was agreed an Infrastructure Ministry representative and the corporation chairman would brief the committee on October 13.