Matthew Pace refuses to resign: Planning Authority board member Matthew Pace told Times of Malta he would not resign despite a court decision which found he had a conflict of interest when voting on the db City Centre project in Pembroke. A day after he said he would not resign, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said Mr Pace should step down.
Construction ‘at a standstill’: The construction industry came to an almost complete halt mid-week as most contractors downed their tools and sent employees home, after new rules were hurriedly introduced one day prior. Architects also warned clients of additional costs as a result of the new regulations. On Friday, Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg said construction projects were slowly trickling back to life.
Townsquare project gets the green light: The Planning Authority board has approved the redesigned 28-storey Townsquare high-rise in Sliema after earlier approved plans were thrown out by an appeals tribunal. The height of the planned tower has been reduced by 11 storeys, or around 37 metres, after the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal last year revoked the original permit issued by the PA in 2016.
200 sign petition to oust Delia: A petition signed by 200 Nationalist Party councillors calling for a vote on Adrian Delia’s leadership was presented to the party administration, as backers of the embattled leader circulated their own counter-petition seeking to block the vote. A day later PN General Council president Kristy Debono accepted to call an extraordinary meeting of the council which would decide on Dr Delia’s future.
Primary benchmark to be phased out: Primary school students will soon no longer be made to sit for their benchmark exams as the education system shifts towards a more ‘informal’ way of assessment. By 2021 students in their final year of primary schooling will undergo ‘informal college exams’ or ‘informal national exams’.
Over 52,000 properties approved by PA in five years: The Planning Authority approved 52,448 properties in the past five years, until the end of 2018, according to published figures. If the number of permits in 2019 remains the same as the previous year, a further 9,500 properties would have been approved by now.
Council of Europe demands Daphne inquiry: A damning report adopted by the Council of Europe demanded that an inquiry into the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia be conducted within a three-month window. It also noted “serious concerns” about the investigation into her death. Reacting, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat did not expressly rule out the setting up of such an inquiry.
One-year minimum set on rent contracts: Minimum one-year rental periods and a price-increase cap of five per cent on multi-year contracts were among the main reforms to the rental market announced by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.
What they said
“You’ll be amazed how many experts come out of the woodwork.”
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat reacting on ONE Radio to the criticism of the government’s new construction rules.
“I have no time to waste to explain anything.”
Neville Gafà, the controversial official employed by the Office of the Prime Minister, refusing, when asked by Times of Malta, to explain his presence in a government delegation to Tripoli last week.
“If we do nothing, there is a risk that there will shortly be no party – or democracy – left to save. We would have lost both and ended up with a one-party State.”
PN councillor and former election candidate Ivan Bartolo speaking as he presented a petition signed by 200 PN councillors which called for a vote on Adrian Delia’s leadership.