Mr Justice Joseph Zammit McKeon today said that he will decide whether to take action on the possible relocation move of the monti open air market further up Merchant Street within the next 30 days.
In view of the court proceedings, the government this afternoon said it is suspending the consultation process on the monti relocation peneding the decision by the court.
Some franchises will leave Malta if the monti is moved further up Merchant Street, President of the Merchant Street Business Community Anthony Camilleri testified in court, during the compilation of evidence regarding the request for the court to prevent the monti from moving the area between Melita street and Old Theatre Street.
Lawyers representing the ministry, Dr Victoria Buttigieg and Dr Nadine Sant, said that discussions are ongoing and an intermediary is handling discussions to see if a relocation of the monti should occur. They said discussions include the monti, the business community in Merchant Street as well as the Economy Ministry. They said that discussions with the business community have not yet started, and are planned for the first quarter of 2016.
They argued that government has not yet decided on a plan to move the monti and said that while Merchant street is a possibility, other streets are also being considered.
It was later revealed by Alexander Farrugia, a consultant with the Ministry who represented the ministry, that the intermediary was actually a person representing the monti in the discussions, Joe Zrinzo.
Mr Camilleri said he got to know of the monti relocation two weeks ago, when a monti hawker told one of his employees that they would soon move here.
He also said that on 12 August, Permanent Secretary Mario Cutajar had called him and told him government was considering moving the monti to that area. “I objected and told him we would not accept. He promised me to let me know if they were planning to move ahead with something”.
He said that he met a ministry representative once, and the representative was Jonathan Attard. “He spoke with me about stall size and other particulars, however that doesn’t interest me, what interests me, is that the monti not move further up merchant street. It is temporarily situated between Old Theatre Street and St Lucy’s street until works on the Palace wall is complete”.
He said he met with the minister the next day, who also told him “I don’t want them there as much as you do”.
He explained that a number of Franchises will leave should the monti be moved to that part of Merchant street, and stressed that business for shop owners will be lost. He also mentioned the food establishments and the troubles such a move would create for them. He also argued that Merchant Street is classified as Zone A, and thus shop owners pay €500 per sq m for the property to government.
Dr Nadine Sant, representing the ministry, said that such an action to be granted, a decision for the monti to be moved to that part of merchant street must have been made, yet no decision has been made. “Till now, there is only a consultation, and at that, it is still in its infancy”.
She argued that if anyone could get a court injunction before any decision is made then government would never be able to go through with any projects.
She also said that the Trade Licensing Act allows for the monti to be placed in Merchant Street, and does not state which part of merchant street. “What government is concerned with is how this would effect the economy, and that is why government is going through a consultation process”.
Dr Edward Gatt and Veronique Dalli, representing the shop owners, argued that if such a request wasn’t filed, then the monti would be set up in that location today.
Speaking with this newsroom outside the court, President of the GRTU Paul Abela said that the GRTU is completely against the move of the monti to the upper part of Merchants Street and argued that it is unfair, considering that Merchants street is classified as Zone A.