Many fret about the increasing cost of living. But others worry more about the cost of dying and what they want to happen to them once they pass away. Today, burial in cemeteries is the prevalent interment option for most people. Despite cremation services being legal in Malta since May 2019, no crematorium has been set up.
A local funeral services company applied to the Planning Authority (PA) in 2017 to set up cremation services. This application was refused. The company submitted a new application in 2021 and the PA has still not decided on this application.
Thus, despite a growing demand and new legislation, Malta still does not have a crematorium. Many believe cremation should be a public service that gives people the right to decide what should happen to them after their death.
In a meeting of parliament’s Environment and Planning Committee earlier this year, various issues were raised regarding the way forward to start implementing the new law authorising the setting up of crematoria.
The NGO Graffitti urged the government to allow only one State-owned facility. The committee chair, Deo Debattista, disagreed with limiting the number of crematoria. He argues: “This is a question of principle. We cannot create a monopoly and should encourage private enterprise.”
Perhaps the most salient fact resulting in the committee’s discussion is that the PA has still not conducted a comprehensive feasibility study on the options available and their commercial and environmental feasibility. The committee was informed that “the remit given to the PA by the government was that of setting guidelines on the location of cremation facilities and to determine how many crematoria were needed”. Commissioning a comprehensive feasibility study is an urgent must-do for the PA. Key issues must be included in the terms of reference of such a study.
The business case for setting up crematorium facilities must identify various options for delivering this project. It will identify the pros and cons of each.
While, with a population of over 540,000, it is likely that there will eventually be enough demand for cremation services, it must be established whether more than one crematorium should be allowed to operate to achieve financial viability. If not more than one crematorium can operate viably, given the limited population, the PA must decide whether it makes more sense to have a public rather than a private monopoly running cremation services.
The business case must consider the detailed financial implications, which would be wholly dependent upon the chosen option for delivering the project and future facility management. The pricing of cremation services must be given substantial importance to ensure that the cost of dying for those who prefer to be cremated when they pass away does not become unaffordable. For many, the estimated cost of €4,500 for cremation services abroad is unaffordable. In the UK, basic cremation services cost about €1,000.
The location guidelines defined by the PA seem reasonable and sensitive to the environmental and ecological risks that crematoria pose. While cremation is the preferred option for many in Europe, ingrained cultural and religious attitudes may prevent a fast take-up of this option locally.
The provision of crematorium services in Malta would provide new facilities to the increasingly ethnically-diverse residents to cremate their loved ones as their religion or beliefs dictate.