The centralisation of all road works within one agency - Infrastructure Malta - will mean greater efficiency at lower costs, Roads Minister Ian Borg told parliament on Monday.

Speaking at the opening of the debate on a law for the setting up of the agency, Dr Borg said that while Transport Malta would remain the regulator of the transport sector, Infrastructure Malta would take over from TM's Roads Directorate and assume responsibility for road works and maintenance.

The new agency would also eventually handle road works currently within the responsibility of local councils in residential and rural areas, but the councils would not lose any funding.

He said the new agency would be asking local councils to prioritise the roads which they needed to be redone first, an idea which had been well received by all mayors, Labour or Nationalist.

The setting up of the agency, Dr Borg said, was key to the government's promise to rebuild all roads within seven years at a cost of €700 million.

The debate continues.