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A report on the macro economic impact of the extension of building boundaries, prepared by government consultants KPMG, is being kept under lock and key by Environment Minister George Pullicino.
The report could provide a valuable insight of what impact increased construction activity would have the country’s Gross Domestic Product, as well as on property prices.
The Prime Minister had previously gone on record saying that the extension of boundaries would increase the supply of properties, therefore leading to lower property prices.
But Minister George Pullicino always insisted that the most the extension could achieve is to help stabilise prices, and not reduce them.
MaltaToday has reliable information that the secret report considered the inclusion of a far greater land area, especially in Gozo, than was subsequently approved by the cabinet.
Minister George Pullicino was one of the cabinet Ministers pressing for a reduction of the amount of land originally earmarked for inclusion in the new building scheme.
MaltaToday learned of the existence of this report in January, when the Ministry for the Environment and Rural Affairs presented to parliament a list of reports commissioned by the Ministry in 2006.
On that occasion the Ministry revealed that the report was prepared by KPMG and had cost the government Lm 2,360.
For the past three months MaltaToday has been asking the ministry to make public the content of the report.
But the ministry never replied to MaltaToday’s questions, citing the need orf clearance by KPMG.
The ministry also refrained from illuminating parliament on the contents of the report after a parliamentary question was presented by Labour MP Leo Brincat last month asking the Minister to reveal the contents of the report.
Replying to Brincat last week, Pullicino revealed that the report was part of a dossier which helped the cabinet to reach a decision on this issue.
“It is not standard practice that the analysis and alternatives considered by the government are made public,” Pullicino informed the House. |
