The government, through Malta Industrial Parks, and the GRTU have signed an MoU on the administration and investment inTa' Qali Crafts Village.

The agreement does not mention any new Crafts Village - despite proposals going back years - but instead regulates the responsibilities of both sides. The government is to improve the infrastructure, including the resurfacing of roads. It is also responsible for upkeep of the common areas. The tenants have been given improved groundrent terms that will encourage them to invest in their huts. The new terms include the possibility for the tenants to transfer the groundrent to other artisans.

The artisans are to benefit from Malta Enterprise investment aid schemes.

Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said the new agreement gives the artisans peace of mind and encourages them to invest in their huts, in the knowledge that they will retain their huts for 65 years and the zone will be upgraded.

GRTU Director-General Vince Farrugia described the agreement as being very favourable to the artisans and said the GRTU would be helping its members to access the Malta government and EU funds available for them to support their investment.

The Crafts Village has a history of development plans which failed to materialise.

In 2009 the Finance Ministry announced that a new "master plan" was being drawn up after the previous one was scrapped in 2008 having failed to qualify for EU funding.

The new plan was to make the place look "more like a theme park than an industrial estate". It was to be  a joint investment by the government and the tenants of the village's workshops.