Government wasting €4 million on less efficient grain silo crane, PN claims

Government is rubbishing a multi-million euro crane that forms part of the grain silo in Kordin by repairing it, resulting in reduced pumping capacity, the Nationalist Party claims.

The Opposition said in a press release issued by PN Maritime Spokesperson Ivan Castillo, that the most recent grain pumping system built had a capacity of 600 tonnes per hour, compared to the previous system's 1200 tonnes per hour. This "apathy," according to the PN has also cost more than three million euro in transshipping.

The PN further noted that this problem has taken up more berthing time at the port and raised the running and staffing costs of the Kordin Grain silo.

Castillo noted that larger bobcats are required to gather the grain at the bottom of the vessel since the crane's reach is likewise constrained. The PN said that this causes an additional issue because Bobcats' limited movement is a result of their size

It was also said that this problem is leading to a state of price volatility, in which prices occasionally also hit new highs.

That paints a very different picture, according to Castillo, than the one economy minister Silvio Schembri promised at a press conference on June 15, 2022, when he pledged smoother, more efficient operations, cost savings, and the promise that the new crane would be cutting-edge and capable of serving much larger vessels.

The PN further asked how the government would keep its promises with a crane that only has half the capability of the machine that was previously in place.