Godwin Grima

The former head of the Civil Service, Godwin Grima, is to be nominated by the Government as regulator of the Citizenship Scheme, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said this evening.

He said Mr Grima was trusted even by the Nationalist government showing that the Government had nothing to hide.

The amendments provide for the setting up of an Individual Investor Programme for the granting of citizenship to foreign individuals and families who contribute to the economic development of Malta.

Eligible persons will be required to pay €650,000, and €25,000 for spouses and children.

The Prime Minister is addressing a press conference minutes after the approval from second reading of amendments to the Citizenship Act.

He said that tomorrow, the Government will also propose a committee to monitor the scheme. This committee will be made up of the Prime Minister, the Home Affairs Minister and the Opposition leader.

This, Dr Muscat said, was being done to ensure transparency.

"We are ready to enter the market but we are also ready to listen. We need to put people's mind at rest on the issue of good governance and on the issue that there would be no tampering," he said.