[WATCH] 30 local council projects approved for government funding

30 local council projects approved for government funding • Video by Ray Attard

Minister for local government Owen Bonnici announced that 30 projects pertaining to 29 different localities have been approved by a selection board to benefit from the capital projects fund, during a press conference at St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity earlier today.

“The fund was launched by Parliamentary Secretary for local government Stefan Buontempo and myself some two months ago, with the aim to strengthen local councils,” Bonnici said.

Bonnici added that a board consisting of representatives from various sectors including culture and architecture among others, had been selected to review the proposals made by the various local councils across the island.

According to Mario Azzopardi, chairman of the selection board for the projects, 83 proposals from 53 local councils were collected by the end of January.

“Today, we are pleased to announce the 30 projects chosen on the basis of various criteria with sustainability and the financial situation of the councils in question at the core of the selection,” Azzopardi said.

Among the approved projects are parking areas, rehabilitation of various public areas and the building of social and educational centres.

Azzopardi said that three of the chosen projects cost over a million euros, and that the government would try to bring private companies in on their development.

“The projects that have not been ultimately selected, will be reviewed for potential future use, and those that feel they should have been selected will also have a ten day period to contest the board’s decision,” Azzopardi added.

Bonnici said that the governments and the local councils were making a collective effort to choose projects that might ultimately lead to the fund being regenerated and even increasing.

“This government believes that local councils are there to serve the people and businesses of the various areas, and one of the ways we can do this is by removing bureaucratic processes that hurdle development and get closer to the people,” the minister said.

Bonnici then stressed the importance of sustainability, saying that the government was committed to not making the mistakes made in the past with regard to local council funds.

“Our number one priority in the projects chosen for funding has been sustainability,” Bonnici added.