The Planning Authority will be considering alternative sites in the south of Malta for the new American University, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said this morning during a telephone call on ONE radio.

The university is expected to attract 4,000 students and would be the largest project in this area of Malta, with an investment of €115 million. It is estimated that it will boost Malta’s GDP by 1%, that is, €20 to €25 million a year and create jobs for 400 people.

Dr Muscat stressed on the need of attracting investment in the south of Malta, noting that the income of families living in the area is the lowest across Malta. He said that the university in question was thinking of investing in another country, but the government managed to persuade it otherwise.

Dr Muscat said the government is planning on setting up a natural park close to campus, set to reach a compromise between developments and environmentalists, adding that it is inevitable that such projects bring with them controversy.

 

He said that negations are ongoing and details of the project will be made public following consultations.