It is not true that the education minister will be able to grant university licences without a proper due diligence process being carried out, the government insisted yesterday.

In reply to a PN press conference on the subject of the American University of Malta, the government accused the Opposition of repeating the same incorrect allegations for months. “All the Opposition has to do is to check what the law says.”

The government said it was also not true that the quality of education in Malta had been lessened in some way. To the contrary, higher standards for operators in the sector came into force last year.

The government denied that research was being removed as a parameter needed for the granting of a university status. “In fact new rules mean that all students reading for a Master’s degree have to carry out research in order to attain this level of certification.”

The Opposition was showing how inconsistent it was when, instead of making serious and coherent arguments, it resorted to attacks on the National Commission for Further and Higher Education, an independent authority led by Martin Scicluna. It is not even credible from the environmental aspect. The government said it was carrying out an exercise to identify alternative sites to Zonqor but, on its own part, the Opposition had put forward three proposals which were not viable.

“This is a government that listens. It is open to solutions that can lead to this €70 million investment that will strengthen our education sector and benefit residents of the south.”

It said transparency in this investment project is guaranteed because the final contract will be a public one. “The truth is that the aim of the Opposition Leader is to scare off investment.”