The Prime Minister cannot stand idle and thus continue to damage the country’s reputation after further revelations on the secret company 17 Black, Opposition leader Adrian Delia said on Sunday.

A joint investigation by the Times of Malta and Reuters revealed on Friday that  the company belonged to Electrogas power station director and businessman Yorgen Fenech. 17 Black had been identified as a source of income for Panama companies Hearnville and Tillgate, set up for Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi and OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri.

Reiterating his calls for Dr Mizzi and Mr Schembri to resign, Dr Delia said the Prime Minister has been idle while Malta's reputation continues to be damaged.

Do not tell us you are holding inquiries... tell people who is going to shoulder responsibility, Dr Delia said as a meeting with youths taking part in a Future Leaders course organised by Azad. 

"This is an important moment in our country - 25 years of good reputation are being destroyed for the financial gains of a few people," Dr Delia said.

Various sectors in our economy, including the financial sector, were being affected by the damage to the country’s reputation, he added.

In his travels during the past five years, people would ask him "why, what happened and how is that possible?"

"Admission of failure" on waste management

Dr Delia also spoke on waste management and said the government was failing to achieve its targets.

In haste, the government had issued a legal notice taking power from local councils on waste collection, he said.

We need to look at waste as an opportunity and a source of energy, he added.

Read: Waste mix-up leaves St Paul's Bay residents fuming

Turning to growing population concerns, Dr Delia said the government created a sector that sold the country. It created "a scheme to sell what makes us Maltese," he said, referring to the Individual Investors' Programme. The government’s road map was "for the chosen few".

Turning to the health sector, Dr Delia said Malta had been renowned as the Nurse of the Mediterranean during the wars. However, the government’s deal with Vitals Global Healthcare had been a shame, with millions going in the pockets of people who were unknown. 

He also spoke out against the stigma of mental health, saying the government should be helping those most in need who sometimes suffered in silence.