Go said this morning it has reached an agreement with the government on the transfer of 11 properties to the company in exchange for land at Qawra. The prime site in Qawra had long been a source of controversy, with the government having been criticised for having let it go when the former Maltacom was fully privatised.

In an announcement on the Malta Stock Exchange, Go said the agreement is subject to Parliament's approval.

The properties that are being transferred to the company are already used by it, mostly for telephone exchanges. However, it does not yet have full and proper legal title to them.

The properties are:

1. The three sites without official number situated in Birkirkara, in the district known as "Tal-Brieqex", which sites form part of the complex known as the 'Birkirkara Exchange';

2. The site without official number, known as the 'Ex-Zebbug Exchange', situated in Triq in-Newl corner with Triq il-Watar in the Housing Estate at Zebbug, Malta;

3. The site without official number, known as the 'Mosta Exchange', situated in an unnamed road which abuts onto Vjal il-Labour in the Mosta Technopark at Mosta;

4. The site without official number situated at Naxxar in triq Hal Gharghur, which site forms part of the complex known as the 'Naxxar Radio Link';

5. The site without official number situated at Sliema in Triq Parisio and Triq Moroni, which site forms part of the complex known as the 'Sliema Exchange';

6. The site without official number, known as the 'Saint Paul's Exchange', situated in Triq San Gorg at San Pawl il-Bahar;

7. The site without official number, known as the 'Xemxija Training Centre', situated in Triq Ghajn Tuffieha at San Pawl il-Bahar;

8. The site without official number, known as the 'Mtarfa Radio Link', in Triq San David, Mtarfa, limits of Rabat, Malta;

9. The site without official number, known as the 'Zurrieq Satellite Exchange', situated within the grounds of the Government school in Triq Dun Guzepp Zammit at Zurrieq and accessible from the aforesaid street through a passage that passes through the school grounds;

10. The site without official number, known as the 'Marsascala Satellite Exchange', situated within the grounds of the Government school in Triq Dun Frans Bianco at Marsascala and accessible from the afore said street through a passage that passes through the school grounds;

11. The site without official number situated at Zejtun, which site forms part of and is accessible from the complex known as the 'Zejtun Engineering Complex'.

The company said that in exchange for the properties, it will transfer to the government the full ownership and all rights pertaining to or on the land situated in Qawra, limits of Saint Paul's Bay. The market value of the transaction is €13,809,000.

Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said in Parliament earlier this week that  board of Go plc was committed to the transfer of an extensive plot of land that used to belong to Maltacom plc but was passed on to Tecom when the latter had taken the company over to set up Go.