Med Design Associates, a company owned by Labour MP and former minister Charles Buhagiar, was awarded the contract for the construction of an enterprise hub at the Xewkija Industrial Estate, according to Investment Minister Chris Cardona.

Asked about the project in a parliamentary question by MP Chris Said, Dr Cardona said that a tender had been issued in 2016 but that this was cancelled. It was then awarded to the architectural firm by negotiated procedure.

Dr Cardona did not say why the tender was cancelled, referring to a clause in the procurement legislation which says that cancellation may occur in specific circumstances, such as when no bids at all or no appropriate bid has been received, where the parameters of the project have been altered, in the case of force majeure where the project is not longer possible, and when there have been irregularities, among other cases.

A list of cancelled tenders was given in reply to a separate parliamentary question. See below.