At least 10 new illegal restaurants have been identified by the tourism authority in recent weeks as the government readies for a crackdown, The Sunday Times of Malta has learnt.
The Malta Tourism Authority has conducted some 200 inspections on catering establishments so far this year. Among the 25 irregularities flagged, the authority found that 10 restaurants were operating without a licence.
The MTA believes around 70 unlicensed catering establishments are operating across the island, but many are slipping through the legal net as loopholes leave the authorities powerless to shut them down.
The issue of unlicensed restaurants was first thrust into the spotlight back two years ago when traditional restaurant owners complained they were being driven out of business by unlicensed operators who could charge lower prices as they avoided tax and were not subject to the same health and safety standards.
Many of their unlicensed counterparts were providing the same traditional fare of fenkata (rabbit) and majjalata (piglet rotisserie), but were not technically considered restaurants. This means the MTA, tasked with governing catering establishments, was unable to close them down.
MTA sources insist, however, that this could soon change. They said discussions for legal amendments empowering the authority to take action were expected to be finalised in the coming months. Meanwhile, the authority was gearing up to take action against the establishments once the new law was approved.
“We have highlighted offenders and as soon as we are empowered to take action, we will,” the sources said. Last year this newspaper reported on one such unlicensed eatery, Scicluna Farmhouse in Gudja, which was operating as a restaurant without the necessary permits.
The establishment was issued with several enforcement notices by the planning authority and was even flagged by the MTA. Despite this, the eatery, originally built outside of the development zone, is still operating, advertising its services on social media.
A planning authority spokes-man said the owners of the establishment had since applied to sanction the property.
However, when asked why it had not been closed down in the meantime and if it was still allowed to operate, the spokesman said that the establishment had formed part of its long list of pending enforcements.
The planning authority has successfully shut down eight places that were illegally operating as catering establishments and has issued enforcement notices against eight others since 2013.
However, it is not yet clear how many of the establishments have ceased to operate.