Merchants Street businesses are so incensed at the government’s decision to shift the Valletta monti stalls further up the street, they are prepared to take the matter to court.
The association representing the street’s 72 shops had, before the last general election, been assured that the monti would not remain in Merchants Street, its president Tonio Camilleri said when contacted.
“We are very hurt... we are already in contact with our lawyers and will take the matter to court to stop the monti moving further up,” an irate Mr Camilleri said.
He said he had met Joseph Muscat before the election and been given assurances that any plans to move the monti had been scrapped.
He said the Prime Minister had reiterated the promise in a meeting the Labour Party organised for Valletta businesses at the General Workers’ Union theatre later that day.
Mr Camilleri said he received a call from principal permanent secretary Mario Cutajar about two months ago to inform him the government was intending to move the monti stalls to the upper part of Merchants Street after plans to move the open market to Ordnance Street failed.
Before the last general election Labour had committed itself to relocating the Valletta open market to Ordnance Street, which would have included the area between the new Parliament and the Royal Opera House ruins. The move was due to go ahead at the beginning of this year and metal markings were placed on the paving defining the space allotted to each of the 74 licensed hawkers.
However, it was halted following a public outcry that the monti would mar the area around the Parliament building designed by renowned architect Renzo Piano.
Mr Camilleri said he informed Mr Cutajar the association would resist this latest decision with all its might.
On Friday, hawkers were heard saying they would starting moving from tomorrow, prompting the association to inform its lawyers to prepare the groundwork for an injunction.
One of the shops in Merchants Street is owned by Labour MEP Marlene Mizzi who when contacted also referred to the pre-electoral promise to shop owners.
Ms Mizzi said she was also aware of her party’s pre-electoral promise to hawkers and hoped the government would find a “win-win situation”.
When asked what this could be, Ms Mizzi said this could be achieved if the monti remained in the lower part of Merchants Street between Old Theatre and Archbishop streets.
“I acknowledge that these people have families and businesses to run. They were promised and we were promised too, so something’s got to give. I can understand the change in decision from Ordnance Street and think it was the right move but I hope the government finds a solution so that nobody suffers,” she said.
She added that unlike monti stalls, shop owners had to contend with hefty rents, utility bills, payroll and other overheads.
“We cannot jeopardise employment,” she said.