Labour leader Joseph Muscat this morning unveiled the Labour Party's electoral manifesto for the local council elections, saying the focus was on transparency in administration.
Speaking at a press conference, Dr Muscat said a Labour-led council which still has to be selected would launch a pilot project where a number of people from the locality would be invited to sit in at council meetings when tender submissions were considered before contracts were awarded. The people would be selected after a public call which the council would issue.
He said that Labour-led councils would also introduce a system of regular consultation meetings with their constituents before final decisions were taken on government or council projects which could affect them.
The councils, he said, would also insist on consultation from the government as such projects were planned.
Dr Muscat said the councils would also set up a forum in each locality for regular meetings with businesses and SMEs to improve their working environment and cut down on red tape.
Particular emphasis would be placed on improving the roads - subject to the budget allocation - and on improving the infrastructure of housing estates.
The councils would study the possibility of forging public-private partnership to provide childcare facilities in their localities.
Public spaces would be improved and wi-fi would be installed, wherever possible. The councils would also propose streaming of council meetings on the internet.
Turning to care for the elderly, Dr Muscat said the councils would work on outreach services for the elderly, keeping a watchful eye on elderly people who lived alone, while safeguarding their right to privacy.
In this context too, the councils would work on the installation of CCTV cameras in their localities to improve security, again within privacy safeguards.
Dr Muscat said the councils would promote environmental initiatives and, wherever possible, council offices would be made energy self-sufficient through the installation of renewable energy systems.
He said that Labour-led councils would improve the customer care service of their councils with clear protocols which would lay down that people would be given a reply within five days on how their complaint was being tackled, and whether action was within the council's remit.
He said that regular meetings would be held with schools and other organisations, including the police, to tackle problems in schools, such as bullying.