Dishing out land to Sadeen is feudal not progressive

Under cover of the Christmas festivities, the government wants to approve the land transfer to Sadeen Group even before the Jordanian construction firm is accredited as a university, and before MEPA concludes the site selection process promised by CEO Johann Buttigieg in a meeting of parliament’s environment committee.

Moreover the government has yet to publish the heads of agreement signed with the construction company it handpicked for the construction of the private university on a natural park at Zonqor Point in Marsaskala. 

What the government should surely publish is a valuation of the land in Marsaskala and Cospicua which is being handed over for 99 years at a pittance; a ground rent which starts at €40,000 in the first year and increases gradually to more than €1 million by the time Joseph Muscat is 72 years old. Hopefully at that age the Prime Minister will have plenty of time to assess his legacy.

For Joseph Muscat likes to boast of his progressive achievements and projects himself as some beacon for the European centre-left. Surely his legacy will include a number of revolutionary social reforms like free and universal childcare services and civil unions. But his style of governance is reminiscent of the Middle Ages when land and privileges (in Muscat’s case, golden passports) are dished to rally the powerful around the king and his court.

In Muscat’s case the goal is to secure the illusion of trickle down economics and the allegiance of the global rich. Probably by the time he is 72, Muscat’s most negative legacy would be that of having turned Malta in to a playground for rich people benefitting from the disposal of Maltese public land.

Sure enough Muscat has not re-invented the wheel but he was elected to change the country’s direction. Smart City was also handed a larger a larger amount of public land at a ridiculous price (ground rent of €150,000) in the absence of a public tender. Portomaso was redeemed in full by Tumas Group at the sheer price of €1.8 million. According to the emphyteutical deed, MIDI will pay an annual ground rent of €1,118,100 until 31 March 2025 for land in Tigne and Manoel Island.

But the country has grown since the 1990s. Our standards should be higher not lower. 

In fact what we are assisting is a regression. For by 2007 the Nationalist government started parting with the past, selling the land around Fort Cambridge for a reasonable €53 million.

It makes no sense to attract investors looking for cheap public land. A forward looking progressive Malta is a country which competes in the global market not by selling cheap ODZ and priceless views to ‘investors’ but one which prides itself on high standards, the constant upgrading of skills and enterprise of its population and an impeccable reputation. 

We expect our land to be valued and the social pact to keep ODZ land out of any commercial deals respected.