An Auditor-General report about the way the government transferred the former site of the Institute of Tourism Studies highlights serious shortcomings that need explaining, the Chamber of Commerce said on Tuesday.
Last month, the National Audit Office raised doubts about the regularity of the request for proposals issued by the government for the transfer of the site in George's Bay.
The huge piece of land was controversially handed to the Db Group, which plans to build a massive mixed-use complex including a hotel, leisure, retail and residential facilities.
In a strongly-worded statement, the chamber said the report highlighted a number of “serious and legitimate concerns” over the tender first issued by Projects Malta five years ago.
The chamber said that in view of the report's findings it felt compelled to call for explanations on this case “in the interest of good governance”.
The NAO’s findings, the chamber said, were “disturbing” as they posed serious doubts over the “sense of urgency” that drove the government to dispose of the ITS site.
The NAO report also raised transparency concerns with respect to the information disclosed in the request for proposals.
While acknowledging that the permit for this project had effectively been revoked, the chamber said several questions remained, mainly surrounding the basis, content and changes to a new application that was subsequently lodged at the Planning Authority.
The chamber said the project should be an opportunity for the country, to achieve its ambitions related to the standards in tourism that the country envisions.
“As Malta’s foremost representative body of ethical business, The Malta Chamber is compelled to call on government and all competent authorities to practice the highest ethical standards with regards to the disposal of public property,” the statement reads.
In closing, the chamber said that while the authorities are presently focusing on an unprecedented health emergency, they must leave no stone unturned in getting to the bottom of this matter.