The Lands Department will be boosting its inspectors from two to six in an attempt to step up the campaign to ensure that people, establishment owners in particular, respect government land, encroachment permits and the rule of law, parliamentary secretary Jason Azzopardi said yesterday.
Dr Azzopardi was speaking to the media in a briefing to explain the current enforcement operations being carried out by the Lands Department. “I believe in the rule of law and we will enforce the law. However, it is a bit difficult to bring about wholesale change when you have only two inspectors to cover the whole of Malta and Gozo,” said Dr Azzopardi. He said that as a result, four other inspectors should be employed, which will see an increase in enforcement activity.
Dr Azzopardi said that so far, some 117 tables, 426 chairs, 32 trees and shrubs and 55 miscellaneous items had been confiscated. “These will go on sale through a public auction within the next six to eight weeks,” he said. So far, inspections and enforcement have taken place in Birzebbuga, Marsascala, Marsaxlokk and Sliema in Malta and Xlendi and Marsalforn in Gozo.
He explained the system. “When inspections are carried out, people who breach encroachment permits are first given a hand delivered letter telling them to regularise their position within 48 hours. If that fails, then the offending bits and pieces are confiscated and on the third strike, the permit is revoked. If that happens, then the person must re-apply for a permit and must pay e1,000 just to have it placed for consideration,” said the junior minister.
If confiscated items are not made good for within one month of their seizure, they pass on for public auction. Dr Azzopardi pointed out that there is also a problem whereby owners of establishments apply for and pay for permits with local councils. “It is illegal to do so and it is bordering on criminal. But we have addressed that in a meeting with the local councils’ representative body,” said Dr Azzopardi.
He said there was only one instance where an establishment owner was given confiscated items back and that was because he had applied for a temporary permit to increase encroachment for a weekend, something that the council is entitled to grant, but only on a temporary basis.
Dr Azzopardi said that inspectors were making repeat visits because the department did not want people to believe that the exercise was just a flash in the pan. “We want a sustained presence so people will know that they cannot expect to simply flout the law and get away with it,” he said. He said that a free-phone number will be set up in the next week or so in order for the public to have better access to the department. “The feedback from the public has been excellent,” he said.
He said that the department will step up its action and another area it wants to target is illegal billboards. “The government has duties but it has rights too. And one of those rights is payment for use of its land. A MEPA permit is not enough, you have to pay the land owner to use it, whether it is private or public sector. Ignorance of the law is not an excuse,” he said. Another issue which the department plans to take up is that of kiosks. “We seem to have permits for temporary kiosks which are to be removed in the shoulder months, yet they are permanent structures in place all year round. That will be addressed in the future,” said Dr Azzopardi. He also said that the Lands Department was in touch with the MTA in order to try and draft a plan for physical demarcation lines to be put down in cases where establishment owners had encroachment permits. The four new inspectors will be drawn from the ranks of the IPSL and the public service if there are any suitable candidates.