In a recent leader, this paper spoke about the St John’s Co-Cathedral museum and expressed the fear that, although approved by the PA permit, the building works to create a huge hall where the Gobelin tapestries can be enjoyed will not be ready for 2018 when Valletta will be the capital city of culture.

There has been no reply from the Museum but this may be because people are on holiday or because the Foundation is without a president seeing that Mgr Carmelo Zammit has been appointed Bishop of Gibraltar.

There is however another deadline that looks like not being met.

One of the fundamental events in 2018 is planned to be the opening of the new Museum of Fine Arts. But, at least seen from our perspective, looks increasingly uncertain.

The original plan, dating from the previous administration, was that the Auberge d’Italie would become the new Museum of Fine Arts. Later elaboration created the acronym MUZA for it is envisaged that the new museum will not be just a museum in traditional sense but will be a museum that co-involves the visitor.

However, soon after the election, rumours were rife that the plan had been shelved. Then minister Karmenu Vella had told this paper the plan to evict the Malta Tourism Authority and transfer it to the old Museum of Fine Arts could not be implemented because it involved the MTA employees working in dingy rooms, some without air or light in the South Street subterranean.

The plans to restore two adjacent palazzos would take time and money and it made no sense to split MTA in different locations.

But there was a huge outcry from the arts people and the government again reversed the decision. The Auberge d’Italie would be the museum of arts and MTA would go to an alternative location.

Accordingly, the restoration of the auberge’s facade was taken in hand and this has now been completed with brilliant results. However there is still need for much internal restoration and adaptation for the building to become a museum. Apart from anything else, work still has to be done to give back to the auberge its main door, which is not, as many think, on Merchants Street, but in the De Valette Square, behind the statue of the grand master.

Then it was announced that MTA would relocate to Smart City. That was the last we heard of it. In fact, it was not even mentioned at a recent Business Breakfast hosted by The Malta Business Weekly where MTA explained its strategies and plans. One would have thought the relocation would have figured in these plans.

Without relocation, and the emptying of the auberge, internal work will not be able to be done. The 2018 deadline will most probably have to go.

Having said all this, one must question the wisdom of sending MTA to Smart City. Connections there are abysmal and, like any other relocation, it would put an incredible strain on the employees.  It would have been far better to, for instance, choose some derelict factory at Fleur-de-Lys and build a new building there.

The general public probably knows little about all this but the authorities do know and, for once, they have lost their usual loquaciousness. Possibly too, seeing the two bodies fall under different ministers, it will be difficult to settle the matter.

Time, however, is pressing.