The government has issued three calls for expressions of interest related to the regeneration of Valletta.

Parliamentary Secretary Michael Farrugia said this morning that one call was for  interest in the drafting of a masterplan for Valletta.

Another was for the regeneration of Strait Street while the third was for the regeneration of the old market.

The calls close on April 14.

Dr Farrugia said that the government was calling for ideas to further regenerate Valletta and the surrounding areas even after the 2018 events. The governemnt wanted to give life to Valletta through the creation of projects with government and private investment or a mixture of both.

Asked about the idea of having an underground car park, Dr Farrugia said having an underground car park in the City was problematic, but the government was identifying areas around Valletta which could be used for the purpose. It was also considering better use of sections of the Valletta ditch.

He said that plans for an extension of the MCP car park were still in place but the plans were being revisited at the car park owners' request.