Maltese constituted bodies which may wish to open an office in Brussels may do so at Dar Malta against commercial renting fees, said Parliamentary Secretary Tonio Fenech, as the refurbished building opened yesterday.

Dar Malta, a 13-storey building situated just metres from the European Commission’s headquarters in the Belgian capital, has attracted much controversy since it was bought by the government in 2004 with the intention of housing the Maltese embassy and EU Permanent Representation there.

Speaking to The Malta Independent yesterday, Mr Fenech said the government had promised at the time of purchase in June, 2004 that it would rent four floors of the building which would partly help offset the Lm9 million it cost, including the Lm2.5 million refurbishment which has now been completed.

“At the time, the government was heavily criticised for the cost of the purchase,” said Mr Fenech, adding that the government cannot subsidise rent now that the building is open for use.

Mr Fenech said most constituted bodies already own premises in Brussels and he did not envisage they would forgo their investment for a new office at Dar Malta. However, those who wished to rent space could do so when lease offers are issued.

Mr Fenech said the process would be transparent and according to law. He admitted that renting an office at Dar Malta would not come cheap, as expected from a building situated so close to the European Commission’s headquarters. The government, he said, had commissioned a professional study, which showed that the property’s value has markedly increased.

Asked whether the refurbishment cost had gone over budget, Mr Fenech said the Lm2.5 million cost stipulated in the contract excluded furniture, security and IT, however, costs were very well-contained. Furniture was procured under the Sino-Maltese protocol. As for security, Mr Fenech said this matched the security of any other building which housed an embassy.

The opposition had criticised the high costs involved in the purchase of the building and this had led to the matter being scrutinised by the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives.

Government sources said over 50 Maltese officials moved to their offices at Dar Malta in the weekend after the refurbishment was completed last week. The renovation, which started last March, included the removal of dangerous materials such as asbestos.

Mr Fenech said an official opening date has not been determined as yet.