The Labour Party will be investing at least Lm10 million by undertaking two projects in each locality.

Party leader Alfred Sant reaffirmed this yesterday as he closed the fourth congress of Labour local councillors in a St Julian’s hotel.

The Lm10 million will be over and above the allocations due to each locality.

Dr Sant said that, right from the beginning, a new Labour administration would launch new public investment that will come under the administration of local councils.

He said the party has had a good response, both from Labour-led local councils as well as from PN-led ones.

He also mentioned some of these projects: the continuation of the ring road in Zejtun, the upgrading of all fortifications in Cospicua, the upgrading of Narbona Square in Qormi and the central square in Luqa, the devolution of Villa Psaigon in Dingli, the upgrading of Wied Blandun Valley in Paola, and so on.

Labour will not accept mediocrity, inefficient administration and the friends of friends syndrome. The way public investment has been handled in recent years is the prime cause of stagnation in the country. In three successive years, the government promised a certain sum as capital investment, but then did not spend it. It had underspent by Lm5 million in 2005, by Lm15 million last year and by Lm39 million this year.

Dr Sant promised a law that enshrines the role of local councillors and announced a five-point reform of local wardens to even out the economic benefits of the scheme, to ensure that wardens also care about the environment and to provide local wardens with better conditions of work.