Busuttil sounds warning over ministers taking back power on land use

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil issued a warning in the House today against concentrating more power on land use policy in the hands of the minister for planning.

The debate continued Wednesday morning on the Bill on Planning and Development, where the Opposition raised serious concerns on separating the MEPA board’s powers between an executive council handling the planning authority’s daily operations and a planning board that issues planning permits.

Busuttil raised a red flag on the fact that the law proposes that the minister hand-picks the council’s representatives, making them answerable to the minister.

The MEPA board currently includes the MEPA chairman, ministry delegates, as well as an NGO representative and appointees from the PL and the PN.

“To find such a large concentration of power on land use in the hands of a politician… is a big step backwards. Instead of putting the power in the hands of the experts, so that the politician and MPs scrutinize their advice, we are pushing the clock backwards.

“Politicians are taking back power on land use, and will be able to turn people into millionaires from one day to the other. This is what creates corruption… why can’t we have some semblance of accountability and transparency?”