PM to get tough on inefficiency

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday said he had asked the Malta Environment and Planning Authority to identify a number of sites that could be developed as golf courses.

Speaking during his monthly meeting with the press, Dr Gonzi also said he was prepared to halt any capital project if the financial parameters were exceeded.

A very determined Prime Minister at yesterday's two-hour news conference made it clear time and again that he would continue to insist on accountability.

As expected, Mepa's decision to reject the golf course proposal for Verdala last Thursday was high on Dr Gonzi's agenda, as he yesterday reiterated the need to build two courses - one in Malta and the other in Gozo.

Denying that he had in any way tried to exert pressure on Mepa to approve the Verdala project, Dr Gonzi insisted that the construction of a new golf course was an urgent matter to boost tourism.

Mepa has therefore been asked to submit potential locations for a golf course to government by the end of October.

"Let's take a decision, and let's take it quickly," the Prime Minister said.

Grilled about the capital projects, Dr Gonzi said that a number of high-level meetings were taking place to establish precisely and in detail the cost of the Mater Dei hospital - and whether they are justified.

He confirmed that a cabinet committee was currently looking into the possibility of developing the site of the former Opera House in Valletta, but he would not shed any light about the proposals.

Dr Gonzi said he believed the installation of a lift at the Barrakka was a necessity, but added that nobody had expressed interest in the tender. In the meantime, a proposal to create an underground system in Valletta with relation to the Connections Project had been shelved because it was not deemed "viable".

When asked whether, with hindsight, he believed the government had ventured into unaffordable projects, Dr Gonzi said he stood by every decision.

"We've always wanted to improve the quality of life through these projects, but, yes, there have been times when the government has had to intervene to ensure that timelines are adhered to and costs are kept in check."

Referring to his recent meeting with corporation and agency chairmen, Dr Gonzi insisted that no entity would be permitted to exceed its budget.

Taking a tough stance, Dr Gonzi said that no government chairman was guaranteed a lifetime appointment, and he insisted that no corporation would be permitted to increase tariffs simply to make up for its deficiencies.

The government had adopted a policy not to engage any new workers within the public sector, even for cases of natural wastage. There would only be an intake, he said, when there is a "real need".

The bus drivers and their association evidently upset the Prime Minister. He said it was high time that they abided by the existing regulations before they made any requests.

He vowed that the government would not continue subsidising 133 vehicles that were not being used.

Bus owners were given Lm32,000 in government assistance for every new bus under a Lm4.7 million fleet replacement scheme. The new buses cost Lm45,000 each.

Dr Gonzi defended the decision to select a strategic partner for the privatisation of Maltacom, saying experience had shown that this had brought with it expertise and more efficiency.

He confirmed that the government was in the process of introducing stiffer littering fines in an attempt to clean up the country.

"I just hope the courts also start tackling the littering issue seriously."

Dr Gonzi highlighted the growing problem of human trafficking, especially since the number of illegal immigrants in Malta has now exceeded a thousand - three quarters of whom landed this summer.

Around a hundred policemen and 113 Armed Forces soldiers have been dispatched to deal with the problem.

But the Prime Minister appealed to the public to realise the human tragedy of this situation, as the illegal immigrants risked their lives in search of better pastures.