Maltese investor on cusp of taking over Ragusa marina, plans daily catamaran trips

A new catamaran link between Malta and Sicily is planned following the imminent takeover of the Ragusa marina by a Maltese businessman, sister newspaper BusinessToday reports.

Paul Gauci, owner of PAMA Shopping Village and co-owner of PAVI Shopping Centre, is leading a small group of investors which has finalised the purchase of the marina in Sicily’s southeastern tip.

BusinessToday quotes an Italian online tourist and news portal that says Gauci intends developing extensive retail and residential units around the marina and refurbishing the existing ship repair facilities.

The logistics involved in having a medium-sized catamaran visit the harbour on a regular basis were discussed earlier this year at a meeting called by Ragusa mayor Peppe Cassì.

Sources said the possibility of a catamaran link between Malta and Marina di Ragusa appears to have gained more impetus following news in early October that Ponte Ferries had suspended its catamaran service between Valletta and Augusta, a year after launching the route.

The long-established Virtu’ Ferries already operates a daily catamaran service between Valletta and Pozzallo.

The tourist port in Marina di Ragusa was developed after Tecnis, a consortium of Italian companies, was awarded a 60-year lease in 2005. The development received €30 million in EU funds.

However, the company went into liquidation in 2016, with a number of top officials under investigation for fraud and misappropriation.

BusinessToday reports that the Maltese investment group, principally Gauci, has assumed the debt still owed to Italian banks by Tecnis, and is placed to take over the title to the lease of the port in Marina di Ragusa, pending judicial approval.

In a video posted online, Maurizio La Micela - editor of online news portal TursimoIbleo, confirmed that the deal with ‘the Maltese investor’ was welcomed in Ragusa, with locals hoping the sale would lead to an increase in tourist numbers.

The marina in Marina di Ragusa is one of the best equipped in Sicily, with 700 berths for yachts of up to 50 metres.

Cassì said the port in Marina di Ragusa was crucial for the region and was a point of reference for many boats visiting southern Sicily.

Many Maltese boat owners, including Prime Minister Robert Abela, are regular visitors to the marina.