Updated | Businesses oppose monti move • government: 'no decision taken'

An association of businesses that operate out of Merchants Street in Valletta have filed a judicial protest against economy minister Chris Cardona, asking the court to order the the government to back down from plans to move the monti open-air market further up the road.

The protest, signed by lawyers Edward Gatt, Veronique Dalli and Ramona Frendo, argues that such a move would result in a drastic loss of commercial activity and cause the complainants serious harm.

The introduction of market stalls would degrade the prestige of the area and the nature of goods they sold, the association argued.

Catering establishments would suffer because their clients would be unable to enjoy a tranquil environment, and would have to “snake through the stalls,” the hawkers and their clients to pass through.

In addition to the potential loss of earnings, the association argued, the move was not covered by a Mepa permit. Moving the market without the necessary permits would be a breach of the the law.

Government today said that consultations on the transfer of the Valletta market are continuing and no final decision on the relocation has been taken yet.

"There is no official decision on the relocation yet, and the rumours circulating in the media that the monti hawkers are moving up Merchants’ Street on Monday are therefore unfounded," the ministry said in a statement.

"The ministry received a petition from the Valletta monti hawkers pledging that they will fully cooperate with the Government’s conditions, if they are relocated further up Merchants’ Street. This is a sensitive issue involving the interests of various economic players and, given this, the Ministry will act with caution so as to safeguard the interests of all the parties involved."

The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry together with GRTU, The Malta Employers Association, MHRA, The Valletta Alive Foundation, The Republic Street Business Community Association and The Merchant Street Business Community Association all expressed their position against the relocation of the open market to upper Merchant Street.

The street now enjoyed a Class A classification, at par with Republic Street.

The associations voiced a united front that they were against this relocation for a number of reasons, amongst which the investment made by shop owners in the past years, when there were no plans to set up the open market there. "This would also put at risk franchises pulling out of the country, at the cost of employment," the associations said.

"The decision to relocate the open market will negatively affect the newly UNESCO-approved St John’s Co Cathedral museum project and therefore coordination is definitely warranted in this regard."

They added that alternative placing for the open market existed and were keen to discuss possible solutions to the problem with the authorities.