Updated - Adds PN reaction - Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in his first comments on poor quality concrete in sections of the hospital A&E Department, said today an inquiry by Judge Philip Sciberras should establish who was responsible for the work and who had certified it.
He said the government had no problem discussing the conclusions in all the necessary fora.
Furthermore, tests were being carried out in other parts of the hospital to ensure that no other unpleasant surprises turned up.
"I want to make sure that whoever was responsible, criminally and civilly, will shoulder his responsibility," Dr Muscat said.
He explained how tests had been carried out in three laboratories. He had seen footage showing how some of the concrete was strong, but other concrete could be crumbled with one hand.
This was a matter which could not be taken lightly, Dr Muscat said. Eventually, he said, political responsibility too would be discussed.
FINE FOR ELECTRICITY THEFT RAISED TO 200% OF AMOUNT DUE
Speaking in an interview on One Radio, Dr Muscat said the government was on track to reduce utility tariffs for businesses and to convert electricity generation to gas.
The government was bringing in a scheme to reduce interest on arrears of electricity bills once the amounts were paid or arrangements were made accordingly.
At the same time, people who tampered with their electricity meters and had not regularised their position would be taken to court.
The fines for those convicted of stealing electricity were also being raised, he said. The old fine was so low that it almost encouraged theft. Now the fine was 200% of the value of the stolen electricity.
BEST PERFORMING ECONOMY
Early in his interview, Dr Muscat said economic performance had to be measured by the normal statistics and also by the way the people felt. The official figures showed Malta had the fastest growth in the EU, and he was pleased to note that the people too were feeling the difference, not least after the reduction in utility tariffs. The government would work to maintain this momentum.
Malta was also seeing a drop in unemployment. In the year to July, despite labour force growth, unemployment was down 6%. However more needed to be done and the Budget would target this sector, offering assistance for all those who really wished to work.
MALTA NEEDS HIGH QUALITY PROPERTIES
On the Individual Investor Programme (the citizenship programme), Dr Muscat said law firms and advisers, including some from the Nationalist camp, were coming forward with major investors who were interested in Malta's programme. These investors were buying expensive, quality property here. Indeed, Malta needed a stock of high quality property projects.
Dr Muscat said the leader of the Opposition was completely isolated on this issue. However he could assure him that the IIP Monitoring Committee would be convened, in line with the law.
On poverty and those at risk of poverty, Dr Muscat said the key was not about issuing cheques, but facilitating education and job opportunities. In this context, the allowance being introduced this year was attached to conditions, such as education. The law would also be amended to increase the penalties imposed on parents who did not send their children to school.
AUSTRALIA HALL
On the sale of Australia Hall by the Labour Party, Dr Muscat said it should be remembered that this property in Pembroke was acquired from the government when the old party headquarters, the Freedom Press, a prime site was requisitioned by the then government for the Malta Shipbuilding.
In the 1990s Labour sold a section of its property to a private schools foundation but a promise of sale on other property did not materialise after a court case instituted by the PN. The case fell through but new, vindictive, cases were instituted by the PN government as the Labour Party approached a settlement for the sale.
Dr Muscat insisted that the property was far from being worth €10 million.
Now, he said, it was being claimed that the PL had under-declared the value of the sale to evade tax, yet political parties were not subject to tax on property sale, a legal provision made use of by the PN itself.
The PN, Dr Muscat said,was showing itself to be amateurish.
PN REACTION
In a reaction, the Nationalist Party said the prime minister needed to get off electoral campaign mode and his words needed to be matched by action.
It noted that he had said nothing about the bus service and the jobs of its employees.
In his comments about the economy, the prime minister had shown that he had not accepted the reality that the average pay and retail sales were down. Nor was he acknowledging that poverty had increased.
Dr Muscat was also not honest in his comments on Australia Hall.