I refer to the press release issued by the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (TMID, 13 January).

I do agree with a post mortem report, but I do not agree at all that, during the course of the sickness, the MHRA did not take any action to try and revive the situation in Bugibba and Qawra.

First and foremost, I am disappointed that the local council was not invited to express its views on matters concerning the locality. Everyone is aware that, while local councils are responsible for their locality and its residents, they are not directly responsible for the commercial outlets. It was under the council’s initiative that, during a meeting at which the MHRA and the MTA were present, I – as mayor of St Paul’s Bay – mentioned a number of initiatives that could help the commercial sector in the locality, namely as mentioned in the press release by the MHRA regarding uniformity in rubbish collection.

My suggestions were that a portion of the contribution of the licences paid to the MTA should go towards the administration of a common swill refuse collector whom, we suggested, should have special trucks with trained staff for the job.

Unfortunately, the GRTU did not agree. It had other proposals which up to now have not materialised.

The council felt that the catering outlets were being faced with the new smoking regulations and evaluated the need to reduce the problem that such establishments were facing. The council had to decide between the livelihood of the owners of these commercial outlets and spaces for vehicles to park in front of the premises. Studying the two problems, it was decided that the livelihood of the commercial outlets came before the parking of vehicles: a difficult decision with which many residents did not agree. This decision has resulted in a great number of catering outlets being given a new lease of life.

Open sites, which seem to be detrimental to the whole island as far as our guest tourists are concerned, are worth commenting on. Undeveloped sites seem to attract locals who do not appear to care much about the environment. We, as a council, have many times held meetings with the MTA, the MHRA and Mepa, with the latter issuing a press release on 28 November 2006 saying that these sites would shortly be placed under council control.

Again, nothing has materialised. My council has asked, many times, to be allowed to erect boundary walls around all undeveloped sites, but unfortunately Mepa has not given us any rights to be refunded for the expenses incurred. We are still awaiting a reply to an email sent to Mepa on 7 December.

With regard to the lack of maintenance mentioned in this press release, I am very sorry to say that it is far from true when it says that there is lack of maintenance on the promenade. Thanks to the central government’s workers, all railings, bollards and litterbins were maintained and re-painted before the summer season. Thousands of Maltese people confirm that the Bugibba and Qawra promenade has been well-maintained. All tree pruning was done professionally before the tourist season and a number of litterbins for dog excrement have also been installed along the promenade.

All MHRA members who have been away on holiday or business, and have been to tourist resorts, know that no resort has as many public conveniences as do Bugibba and Qawra. I further point out that the public conveniences that were closed were replaced by a portable toilet! Even more, the local council has placed a portable toilet in the bus terminus.

With regard to the Christmas decorations, the local council has always accepted all suggestions and has helped the owners of outlets who wanted to decorate for the festive seasons, but not even one has come to the local council. To add insult to injury, the local council has always voted part of its budget for activities to be carried out in the tourist season in conjunction with the MHRA and the MTA, but for several consecutive years, this budget has not been spent.

In the last few years, the local council has acknowledged the problem of a lack of parking spaces in both Bugibba and Qawra. Last year, the council addressed this problem by providing a temporary car park situated in the Ta’ Fra Ben area which caters for around 400 vehicles.

The council has filed an outline development plan with Mepa for a new bus terminus and a car park that can take over 2,000 cars, all to be built below street level with a massive green area at ground level. A sports centre is also planned as part of the project.

The great majority of hotels in Bugibba and Qawra do not have parking facilities for either their staff or for their patrons.

The local council has done its utmost, within its parameters, to revive the situation in our locality by helping set up a new association comprising all restaurants and bars and I am pleased to record that the SPB Bars and Restaurants Association has over 70 members.

I am of the opinion that all the authorities concerned should get together and make one big effort to revive the tourism industry in the whole locality of St Paul’s Bay. Our council is always ready to play its part and help everyone concerned, for the benefit of the locality and the Maltese islands.

Paul Bugeja

Mayor

St Paul’s Bay