The House of Representatives approved Budget 2008 estimates for the Resources and Infrastructure Ministry yesterday evening, after members of both sides of the House discussed a number of issues related particularly to road infrastructure, embellishment of tourist areas and others, and construction.

Charles Buhagiar, Labour’s main spokesman for public works, roads, public transport and construction, expressed his disappointment that despite regular unfortunate accidents at construction sites – some of which were fatal, hardly anything had been done to regulate the industry. He said the government must take all necessary precautions to avoid such accidents.

Mr Buhagiar also mentioned the construction site regulations, which enter into force on Thursday, and questioned why they will only be applicable in certain areas considered to have heavy ongoing construction projects.

Heavy construction is also underway in places like Mosta and Attard, which have not been included in the regulations, said Mr Buhagiar, adding that the Attard local council will be putting forward a formal request to the Environment Ministry, asking for the locality to be included in the construction site regulations.

The Labour MP also questioned what happened to projects intended to reduce the problem of flooding in different localities, even though good work was carried out in certain areas.

He mentioned several projects that have been in the pipeline for a number of years, but have not yet materialised, including a project to tackle the flooding problem in Birkirkara, Msida, Attard, as well as the Burmarrad valley.

Speaking about embellishment of tourist areas, Mr Buhagiar mentioned the planned project to upgrade Xatt is-Sajjieda in Marsaxlokk, which was mentioned in Budget 2007 and Budget 2008. He said this project has been in the pipeline since 1999.

Resources and Infrastructure Minister Ninu Zammit mentioned it in 2003 and again in 2006, said Mr Buhagiar, adding that this project never materialised.

He went on to mention embellishment work at Wied Babu in Zurrieq. He said phase two of the project had to be completed by the end of summer, but it is, as yet, incomplete.

Speaking about embellishment work at Ghar id-Dud in Sliema, the Labour MP said the project got underway before the permit was issued in April this year.

As he went on to speak about rehabilitation committees (for Valletta, Cottonera and Mdina), Mr Buhagiar said their expenditure has steadily decreased over the years.

Referring to the Merchants Street paving project, the Labour MP said such projects should not even begin before everything is in place, as bad planning results in excessive delays.

In his concluding remarks, Mr Buhagiar spoke about Jacob Zahra, an employee at the Resources and Infrastructure Ministry, who had been found guilty of accessing personal files and breaching the Data Protection Act.

Mr Zahra had been given a promotion and will now be appointed assistant director at the Office of the Prime Minister, said Mr Buhagiar, adding that he hoped Minister Zammit will act in a different manner when faced with such a situation in future.

Labour’s main spokesman for infrastructure services Joe Mizzi, spoke mainly about oil exploration and the fact that the Nationalist Party hindered the process by means of which Malta would have had its first oil reserve.

Mr Mizzi said the PN had publicly declared there was no oil in Maltese territory, but appealed to companies interested in oil exploration in Malta to come to Malta, and they would find the Labour Party’s support as soon as it is elected to government in the forthcoming general election.

Enough information exists to encourage companies interested in oil exploration, and technological means can definitely be used to discover an oil reserve in local territory, he insisted.

Next to speak during yesterday evening’s parliamentary session was Nationalist MP Joe Falzon, who expressed his surprise that the Labour MP Charles Buhagiar said the Bugibba project carried out by the 1996-1998 Labour government had no budget, since the previous Nationalist government had already presented the budget for 1996.

As a result, Mr Buhagiar said in Parliament yesterday, there could not have possibly been any overruns, as the PN has been suggesting.

Mr Falzon said he could not understand the MLP’s reasoning and expressed concern over the way the party operates, particularly considering that the Labour Party aspires to be elected to government.

On a different note, he agreed with Mr Buhagiar that the construction site regulations should be applied across the board, not simply in those areas where heavy construction is underway.

Acknowledging that there would be some teething problems when these regulations first come into effect, he said he hoped they will eventually be applied in every locality.

Resources and Infra-

structure Minister Ninu Zammit concluded yesterday evening’s parliamentary session, referring to a number of areas that fall under his ministry.

Speaking about the Malta Resource Authority (MRA), Mr Zammit noted that a year ago, the government introduced a programme to subsidise the purchase of white goods.

He said that six months after the programme was introduced, 17,000 applications had been received, 14,000 of which have already been processed, resulting in a total government subsidy of Lm400,000 / EUR931,749.

Mr Zammit mentioned the MRA’s 2008-2010 National Energy Efficiency Action Plan, co-financed by the EU, which is aimed at improving energy efficiency by nine per cent by the year 2016.

MRA is also working on ways to exploit offshore wind energy and other means of renewable and alternative energy, by means of which the country would reach the 2020 target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent.

Replying to remarks regarding oil exploration by Labour MP Joe Mizzi, Mr Zammit said it was a lie that the Nationalist Party had tried to stop the process that would lead to Malta having its first oil reserve.

He said studies in this area are ongoing and there were companies carrying out seismic and geochemical studies to try and discover any oil reserves in Maltese territory.

Replying to Labour MP Charles Buhagiar’s remarks about projects to avoid flooding, he said it was far from true that nothing was done in this regard. He mentioned work in a number of valleys and catchment areas, including Birkirkara and Msida, saying the government was not only working on projects to avoid flooding, but also on rainwater harvesting to collect water for agricultural purposes, costing about EUR70 million / Lm30.1 million.

Minister Zammit went on to speak about restoration of chapels, historic buildings and fortifications, saying restoration work will continue next year. He said preparations are also underway for the EUR30 million / Lm12.9 million to restore 25 kilometres of fortifications.

Referring to what Labour leader Alfred Sant said last week, regarding collaboration with local councils, Mr Zammit said the ministry carried out work with 47 local councils, so Labour’s proposal puts forward absolutely nothing new, even though the party has been talking about a “new beginning”.

He also mentioned the 1996-1998 Labour Bugibba project, which Labour MP Charles Buhagiar said had no budget. “How is this possible? How can you carry out a project without a budget?” he wondered.

Replying to Mr Buhagiar’s criticism regarding Xatt is-Sajjieda in Marsaxlokk, the minister said the problem with the project was about over-specification in the design. He said, however, that the permit has been issued and tenders are soon expected to be awarded.

Talking about the Merchants Street project, Minister Zammit said the plan was to pave 8,400 square metres, but this did not only include Merchants Street. Rather, it included, among others, parts of Felix Street, Melita Street, Old Theatre Street, St Lucia Street and St John’s Street.

As he continued to provide lists of areas that were embellished, the minister mentioned promenades, gardens and valleys among others, saying the government also invested in new street furniture.

He said that among the projects planned for next year was a sports complex in Zurrieq, as well as the embellishment of village squares and church parvis. He said work has already been carried out in certain areas and work is being carried out in others.

This includes work on the church parvis’ in Zurrieq, Zabbar, Birzebbuga, Qrendi, Balzan and the two main churches in Qormi, among others.

The minister said all this work was only possible thanks to collaboration between different departments and government sections.

In his concluding remarks, before Parliament approved the financial estimates for the Resources and Infrastructure Ministry, Mr Zammit mentioned work at the Ghar id-Dud promenade in Sliema.

He agreed with Labour MP Charles Buhagiar, saying work on this project had to begin before the permit was issued, because a retaining wall in the area was found to be dangerous, so the ministry had to assume responsibility and protect public interest.

The estimates were approved with 31 votes in favour and 23 votes against.