The government will propose splitting the controversial American University of Malta project between Marsascala and another location in the South, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said tonight.

Speaking during the final public consultation meeting, this time held at Fort St Elmo, Dr Muscat said people from Marsascala will get “what they deserve,” but he did not mention the new site in the South that has now been earmarked.

Dr Muscat said the use of virgin land should only be considered as a last resort, but the choice cannot be ruled out completely for schools, hospitals and other projects of “national importance.”

Traffic

Traffic is set to become one of the biggest issues in Malta, and there is no overnight solution to the problem, Dr Muscat admitted.

One short-term measure that the government has taken is not to have major traffic works happening concurrently.

Malta’s strong economic growth has led to increasing pressure on its road networks and there is the need for a better public transport system, Dr Muscat said.

Following the troublesome launch of the new bus card, Dr Muscat said the operators “were not up to it,” as it was obvious there was going to be strong demand on the first day.

There had been a surge in applications for the card in the final days prior to its launch.

“The customer is always right, there should have been more people on stand-by to take care of things in Valletta. The operators did not make excuses and admitted they underestimated the demand.”

The Prime Minister said decisions need to be taken on new types of transport such as monorails, be it underground or over ground.

A tunnel network for commuter traffic is another option being assessed, Dr Muscat said.

Asked by a member of the public about the proposed bridge to Gozo, Dr Muscat said the idea of a bridge “does not excite me.”

The feasibility of an underground link is being considered, yet this will still have an environmental impact, he said. 

Greece

On Sunday’s referendum in Greece, Dr Muscat said the matter is now out of the EU’s hands.

“The ball is in Greece’s court now. We lent them money and this was the right thing to do. We were the only Parliament in the EU that voted unanimously for it.”

Dr Muscat said the referendum boils down to whether Greeks wish to remain in the EU or not.

“There is a need to respect the Greek population, but what other EU populations want also needs to be respected.

“The most important thing is that Maltese banks are not exposed to Greece.”

"The best thing to do for the Greek people would be to vote in favour of the package they are being offered,” Dr Muscat said. 

Mepa split

The Prime Minister admitted that splitting Mepa is not as easy as it sounds, and the proposed split it is in its final stages.

“Getting a divorce is more complicated than getting married,” he quipped.

Dr Muscat said there will always be people who feel they have not been served by in a timely matter.

Though it is functioning better, Dr Muscat said the complex policies mean that there is no predictability when it comes to Mepa decisions.

The Prime Minister said some architects are not helpful, as they tell their clients one thing, when they know an application will not be successful. 

On the terrorism threat, Dr Muscat said the increase in lone-wolf attacks means that terrorist acts have become very hard to predict, though there is no information that Malta is in any imminent danger.

 

Asked about the first-time-buyer scheme, Dr Muscat said the scheme cannot continue indefinitely, as if it does the property market will factor this in and start selling at higher prices. 

Migration

Dr Muscat contrasted the “unprecedented” amount of migrants making the crossing between Africa and Europe and the record low illegal arrivals in Malta this year, at just 92.

The Prime Minister said he receives daily updates on the amount of boats making the perilous crossing.

He said Malta cannot fall into the trap of letting anger turn in xenophobia.

“We don’t want the migrants accepted by Malta to stay in camps. I want integration, but this means we can only take in manageable numbers.”

Malta has shown it is willing to play its part, and Dr Muscat said he hopes other EU countries will take note of this and help when Malta needs assistance. 

Housing and Marsa race course

Dr Muscat said the government is in the final stages of implementing a process whereby companies in debt to the government will have to option of relinquishing their property in payment or part-payment of their debts.

This will continue to ease the housing problem, he said.

On the Marsa race course, Dr Muscat said a call for development has been issued and if there is enough interest,a derelict part of Marsa will be regenerated and transformed.