No call for tenders was issued for a €3.5 million resurfacing project in Buġibba, the Times of Malta is informed.

Direct orders were instead given to various road contractors within the framework of a system usually resorted to for small emergency works, industry sources said.

Transport Minister Joe Mizzi and Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis announced a few weeks ago the government had decided to resurface all Buġibba promenade roads in a bid to upgrade the popular tourist area.

According to the government, the project, which enjoyed the support of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, would be financed through funds raised through the tourism tax.

The sources said the method employed by Transport Malta to carry out the works lacked the basics of good governance.

READ: Buġibba promenade to be resurfaced

“Despite the fact that the project had been planned for a number of years and Transport Malta had time to make necessary arrangements, no call for tenders was issued as is usually done in similar projects,” a contractor said.

“Instead, works were distributed to a few contractors through direct orders,” he said.

Another contractor said that since the job was being done within the framework of a scheme usually used for small emergency works, the costs were likely to be higher. This includes much higher rates than usual as is for emergency works.

The government would be paying emergency rates for a project that should really be a normal job, he noted.

A Transport Malta spokesman yesterday confirmed that no call for tenders was made for the roads resurfacing.

“Works have been assigned under a framework agreement for the construction and maintenance of roads in different localities,” the spokesman said.

He did not say why such a method was chosen.

“To date, Transport Malta has engaged five contractors for the first five phases of the project. Five more contractors will be engaged in the coming weeks,” the spokesman added.

A number of hoteliers in the area have complained to this newspaper about the timing of the project, insisting the job should have been done in winter rather than at the start of the traditional tourism season.

“Although it is positive that this project is finally being done, as we had been asking the ministry for many years, we can’t see why it was left for May and June. Tourists do not vote in an election,” a hotelier remarked.

“Works are planned to be ready before summer kicks in,” the Transport Malta spokesman said.

ivan.camilleri@timesofmalta.com