The government will not, for the time being, be publishing the heads of agreement with the Jordanian investor interested in setting up a university in Malta because talks are still under way, and the site of the university has not been decided yet, Economic Services Minister Chris Cardona said in reply to parliamentary questions this evening.

Replying to a question by Marthese Portelli, Dr Cardona said the agreement would be published 'at the opportune time'.

Pressed by the Opposition as to why no call for expressions of interests was issued for this investment, Dr Cardona said talks started immediately in July last year after the investor met the prime minister and was persuaded to consider Malta for the university, after having initially considered Spain.

Malta could not turn away investors who were interested in setting up here, Dr Cardona said, adding that the project was being worked out on the same lines as Smart City.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said he was sure all sides could reach a compromise on the siting of the proposed university in order to safeguard the investment, placate people who were genuinely worried about the environment and still ensure an economic injection into the south.

He said that even today, contrary to the opposition which had made unrealistic suggestions for the project’s siting, an environmental NGO had submitted four plausible alternative sites and the government was studying for viability.  

The government was seeing how the project’s impact on ODZ land could be reduced, possibly with a second part of the campus being sited in another area in the south. Public consultation was still under way.

Besides the four proposals received today, the government was considering  other proposals, not least in the context of accessibility.

With regard to proposals for Fort Ricasoli, the government had asked the National Film Commission what this would do to the film industry in Malta. Another issue was the proximity of the tank cleaning farm, visiting which was a prerequisite for any ship to enter harbour. Siting the university at Ricasoli so close to the farm would not be good.

Besides, moving the farm would probably have to rope in virgin land, Dr Muscat said.