Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday thanked the OPM’s Planning and Priorities Coordination Division for all the logistical work the staff put in to ensure that Malta maximised the benefits from the EU in terms of all funding opportunities.
Dr Gonzi said the benefits that Malta was now tangibly seeing were all down to the hard work and efficiency of the division in ensuring that the country utilised every last ounce of funding that was available.
He addressed the staff of the division personally and said: “You have achieved excellent results and you should be proud. Some people had their doubts over whether we would manage to get all the planning in order to maximise funding and you have delivered the perfect answer.”
An upbeat Dr Gonzi said: “At the risk of sounding cliché, I am going to say it. We have no resources and we can only count on ourselves. Yet again, you have proved just how good the Maltese worker is.”
He said that the division had passed its test with flying colours, but warned that now was not the time to sit on one’s laurels. “We now have to address the 2007-2013 budget allocation. We were the first country to submit our proposals and we are the first country to have been given the unofficial OK. Now all we need is the official green light and the relevant tenders will be issued,” concluded Dr Gonzi.
Prior to Dr Gonzi’s address to the staff, a presentation was delivered whereby the results were confirmed that all pre-accession programmes (EUR35 million) are now closed. The average contracting rate for projects under this programme stood at 95 per cent and full disbursement will be complete by the end of September 2007.
In addition, all three Transition Facility Programmes (2004-2006) have been programmed and the main areas where they were spent were the environment, agriculture and rural development, customs and tax, internal market issues and border control.
In addition, it was pointed out that the EUR75 million under the Italian protocol were also 100 per cent contracted and that 11 out of the 12 projects had been completed. Payments received from Italy already amounted to 86.6 per cent and were invested in roads, the environment, border controls and restoration of cultural heritage.
Other bilaterals included EUR3.2 million under the Norwegian Financial Mechanism. Seven projects are running with a 100 per cent commitment rate in the areas of border control, the environment and cultural heritage. Another EUR1.8 million were allocated under the Swiss Maltese Cooperation Programme and will be invested in the health sector.
The highlights of the Cohesion Policy for the transition period 2004-2006 were also given. Malta was allocated some EUR63 million in structural funds and 100 per cent commitment was reached. There was also a special 10 per cent allocation to Gozo. Eighty-two projects are running under structural funds of which nine are aid schemes for the private sector (EUR7.3 million).
Two aid schemes were also set up for enterprises (161 manufacturing and 53 tourism), two for agriculture (141) and five for fishing (15 benefited). The Cohesion Fund for 2004-2006 resulted in Malta having a 100 per cent commitment for EUR22 million in funds.
Meanwhile, the Cohesion Policy for the period 2007-2013 allowed EUR855 million allocation to Malta. Malta was also the first member state to have its proposals submitted and negotiations on operational programmes have been completed with formal decisions expected in mid-June. Malta was also the first member state to have its full Cohesion Policy package approved.