Tourism Minister Karmenu Vella did not include the cost of infrastructure projects in his estimate of V-18’s cost, according to Parliamentary Secretary José Herrera. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Valletta’s stint as European Capital of Culture will cost some €130 million and not €48 million, Parliamentary Secretary José Herrera said yesterday.

Addressing a public consultation entitled Meet the Cabinet, Dr Herrera said the estimate of €48 million given in reply to a parliamentary question to Tourism Minister Karmenu Vella did not include a number of large infrastructure projects.

Describing these as “window dressing”, Dr Herrera said a major part of the V-18 legacy would be tied to large infrastructure refurbishment.

Among the projects highlighted was the rehabilitation of the old power house in Marsa, which would cost some €20 million and incorporate a number of initiatives including a museum and exhibition space.

The regeneration of Strait Street, the indoor market at Merchants Street and the St Elmo lighthouse would be among other infrastructure schemes.

The €48 million mentioned in Parliament on Tuesday covered the proposals put forward in the candidature booklet which the V-18 Foundation had submitted in September 2013 to the Capital of Culture selection committee. This figure would also cover the administrative and communications budget between 2012 and 2018.

Dr Herrera said a chunk of the funds would also go towards art restoration projects such as one earmarked for a number of archival sites. This alone, he said, would cost some €6 million.

“There are documents dating back to the 1500s which are in a state of disarray. We need to preserve these just as much as we do the palace and theatre,” he said.

Gozo will also benefit from the funds. Dr Herrera said the upcoming restoration of the Xagħra stone circle was just one example of a number of projects planned for the sister isle.

In the coming months, Dr Herrera said, he would have a better idea of how much money would be spent on such projects, once a number of EU funds were finalised.

Tourism police

Tourism Minister Karmenu Vella said the new tourism police unit would be operational by this summer.

Members of the new unit would be given high visibility jackets and would start operating in St Julian’s and Buġibba during the peak summer months.

The unit was announced by Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia during a separate consultation meeting earlier this week.

Cheaper wardens

The warden reform will save taxpayers up to 30 per cent, which would then be reinvested into local councils, according to Parliamentary Secretary José Herrera.

The reform, he said, would not put at risk the jobs of wardens now employed with any of the three private companies and would aim to address the public perception that the system is a money-making machine.

Wardens would remain under the remit of the secretariat, which would launch a number of training initiatives.

Wardens entered the Maltese enforcement landscape in 2000 when local councils were authorised to engage them from private companies to enforce traffic and environment laws.

Since 2011, €10 million worth of citations have been issued, of which €3.7 million are unpaid.