News • November 92003

Pass the buck time for incinerator replacement

Julian Manduca
Ever since the Department of Contracts announced that the company awarded the tender for the replacement of the St Luke’s incinerator was not in a position to honour its commitments, MaltaToday has been trying to find out what will be the next step.
Several irate residents from the Pieta area have contacted this newspaper to find out what is happening. These long suffering people blame the government for gross ineptitude and are expecting action.
MaltaToday wrote to the Director of Contracts Mr J V Spiteri on 18 September to ask whether the competing tenders would be considered or whether a new tender would be issued. MaltaToday also asked whether the company that did not fulfil its tender requirements would be fined for non-fulfilment.
Nearly three weeks later, on 7 October Spiteri replied to say "We have no comments to make."
On 8 October MaltaToday wrote again to Mr Spiteri to remind him that Malta is a signatory of the Aarhus convention which obliges the government and civil servants to reply to questions that are environment related. The reply came the next day: "You are no doubt aware that, in our case, the behaviour of Civil Servants vis-a-vis journalists is regulated by the relevant Code of Ethics and the Estacode and not the Aarhus Convention.
"If you wish to refer your questions to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and he instructs me to answer your questions, I will, otherwise I cannot reply."
On 10 October, MaltaToday wrote to the Ministry of Finance to ask whether it would give the go-ahead for Mr Spiteri to answer the questions. The reply on 23 October was that we should write directly to the Permanent Secretary within the ministry.
On 23 October MaltaToday wrote to Paul Zahra the Permanent Secretary to ask whether he would give the go-ahead for the questions to be replied by the Director of Contracts. Reminders were sent on 5 and 6 November and MaltaToday tried to speak to Mr Zahra, to no avail. Finally, Friday, came the curt reply: "You will appreciate that perhaps it may not be prudent for the Department of Contracts to provide an exclusive interview about specific cases."
In the meantime the residents of Msida, Pieta, Guardamangia and surrounding areas and boat owners in Msida creek, continue to suffer the bellowing black smoke from the malfunctioning incinerator.
julian@maltamag.com