Opposition leader Joseph Muscat this morning raised a number of questions on the proposed sports village at White Rocks, while reiterating that the Labour Party agreed with the concept.
Speaking at a political activity in Balzan, Dr Muscat noted that it was being said that this project would not cost the government a penny. Yet the government would make available a 200 tomna prime site which, according to former minister Michael Falzon, cost €1 million per tomna. The sale of the apartments alone was expected to yield the developers €170 million.
Mr Falzon had also raised the point that despite the much heralded Mepa reform, it appeared that Mepa would have to adjust its policies to fit this project, and not the other way around, Dr Muscat observed.
He asked how the developers were selected. Had there been a call for interest or for tender? Had other developers shown an interest?
Who was representing the foreign developers in Malta? Who had handled the talks with the government and who spoke on behalf of the government? Who would the subcontractors involved in this project be?
What access would Maltese sports organisations and people have to the new facilities? Would such access be free of charge?
Turning to the planned Corporate Village Malta project in Mriehel, Dr Muscat said everything needed to be done within a strategy.
At a time when there was strong demand for industrial land, he could not understand how offices and restaurants would be built on important industrial land.
MATERNITY LEAVE
In his address, Dr Muscat said that Malta's long term interests would be better served if maternity leave was extended and paternity leave was introduced, as was being proposed in the EU.
Reacting to claims by business organisations that the extension of maternity leave and the introduction of paternity leave would raise business costs and undermine competitiveness, Dr Muscat said that the PL agreed that Malta should have a playing field with its competitors, but the people who had produced their calculations of the business costs of such an extension should also calculate how much it would cost the country if maternity leave was not extended or paternity leave brought in.
Indeed, the same argument being made now was similar to the arguments made when pensions and other social services were introduced.
Dr Muscat said the PL was and would remain the party of sustainable social services.
PENSIONS REFORM
Touching briefly on indications by the Prime Minister about further pensions reform, including the introduction of a second, contributory pillar, Dr Muscat said that the government first said that no austerity measures were being introduced, despite the international crisis, and then the prime minister spoke on this reform. If this was not an austerity measure, what was it?
TAXPAYERS' CHARTER
Dr Muscat backed calls by the Institute of Taxation for the government to introduce a taxpayers' charter and said it was needed for taxpayers to be assured of their rights and that their money was used in a proper manner.
SECRETARIAT'S REACTION - SPORTS FACILITIES TO BE GOVERNMENT OWNED
The Secretariat for Sports in a statement said the land was being given to the developers in return for the building of the sports facilities. The sports facilities and the family park would be built and maintained by the developers, but they would be Malta government property as soon as they were completed, the secretariat said.
The secretariat point out that the developers were backed by a formidable team which had built top sports facilities in Manchester, Sheffield, Wembley, Lyon and Dubai.
This project, apart from giving Malta new facilities, would also serve for the international branding of Malta as a modern sports destination.