10 years ago The Times
Monday, November 24, 2008
Extra charge for sewage possible
Taxpayers will soon have to fork out an additional tariff to cover the full cost of sewage services; ominous news for those worrying about the recent rise in water and electricity rates.
Worse news is that water users might have to pay extra due to EU imposed deadlines that the government has missed. Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt confirmed last week that a sewage tariff would be introduced from next year, as the government comes in line with the EU’s Water Framework Directive.
The directive gives EU countries a 2010 deadline to stop subsidising the collection, treatment and disposal of sewage. It calls for full-cost recovery from taxpayers.
The bulk of this cost is to treat sewage before it can be disposed of into the sea. This must be done through specialised plants that require millions of euros to be developed.
For the most part, the construction of such facilities is meant to be paid for by the EU but Malta has already missed several deadlines and is running the risk of being fined and losing the funds altogether.
In that case, the taxpayers will also have to pay for the investment rather than just the running costs and operations.
The deadline for the construction of the plants was last year but so far only two small sewage treatment plants were built: one in Gozo and one for the north of Malta.
A third, which will cater for the south, was planned for what is now the Smart City site in Ricasoli, so these plans had to change, delaying the construction considerably.
It has been relocated to Ta’ Barkat, Żabbar and this shift may result in a larger cost than planned.
25 years ago - The Times
Wednesday, November 24, 1993
Air traffic controllers want to become autonomous unit
Disgruntled air traffic controllers have appealed to the government to take them out of the military and turn the group into an autonomous unit.
An agreement reached between ATC personnel and the government in 1991 made the ATC a separate unit within the Armed Forces and gave them improved conditions and pay.
At the time, the agreement was seen as bringing the conditions of the controllers in line with the importance of their jobs.
But a review of the Armed Forces’ salary structure earlier this year has meant that ATC personnel have once again been dempted “both financially and morally”.
“At the moment we can under both the armed forces and the civil aviation authority with neither wanting to take overall responsibility for us,” one controller said.
“When it has come to making a decision in the past, both sides have said they are willing but the other is holding it up. Now we want to be autonomous.”
Three controllers who did not wish to be named spoke to The Times about their problems. The fact that they could not give their names, they said, was another cause for concern.
Half a century ago - Sunday Times of Malta
Sunday, November 24, 1968
Maltese priests needed in Portsmouth
“Over 500 Maltese now living in Portsmouth are in need of more priests from Malta to help them both in their material and their spiritual needs,” said Fr Paul Mallia SJ, who has just completed a survey of the Maltese living there.
Fr Mallia, whose visit to Portsmouth was organised by the Emigrants Commission, said at a press conference that the aim of his visit was to find out whether there was any need for more Maltese priests. Maltese residents at Portsmouth hailed from Cospicua, Senglea, Paola and Sliema.
Fr Mallia himself met some 360 of the 500 Maltese, including most of the women, many of whom have been there for many years.
There have been mixed marriages and over two-thirds of the Maltese are married to English spouses. Only six per cent of the population of Portsmouth is Catholic with Maltese scattered among various parishes.
The Maltese have settled down well and the majority do not intend to return to Malta. The only problem they meet with is that they live far away from Catholic schools and churches and some of the children have to attend non-denominational schools.