[WATCH] Ian Borg downplays controversy over Gozo tunnel project

Ian Borg assures no controversy will surround the Gozo tunnel project

Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg has insisted that no long shadow will be cast on the multi-million Gozo tunnel project, adding that he had been responsible for the biggest infrastructural budgets of the last two-and-a-half years. 

The Labour government’s big projects since 2013 were mired in controversy, such as the Electrogas consortium winning the lucrative LNG power station contract and the hospitals concession granted to Vitals Global Healthcare, a company with no background in medical care.

“I served as a person responsible for European funds and was responsible for the biggest infrastructural budgets of this country in the last two-and-a-half years. I always saw that there will be no shadow cast on any project,” Borg said.

Borg was, however, reticent on what safeguards would be introduced to make sure that the Gozo-Malta tunnel project would be free from malfeasance or profiteering. This comes at a critical juncture before outgoing Prime Minister Joseph Muscat steps down to make way for either deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne or Labour MP Robert Abela.

Borg was answering a question from MaltaToday after visiting the Centrecom building in Mosta technopark to announce a scheme granting people over 75 free public transport.

He told MaltaToday that the permanent link between Malta and Gozo was part of the Labour Party manifesto and that the government is committed to realising it. 

“Last April, the government and the Opposition came together in a historic vote in favour of this project. The Opposition changed its views, apart from Chris Said, and to this day we don’t know who is truly in favour or against,” Borg said. 

The Opposition, after the parliamentary vote, had asked for the necessary studies to be published before it could say it was truly committed to the project.

Since then, four studies have been published by the government, including a social impact assessment and a geological investigation. 

The government will release the pre-qualification questionnaire for the construction and operation of the Malta-Gozo tunnel in the very near future. 

The pre-qualification questionnaire is one of the initial stages of what is expected to be a long procurement process to select the contractor who will be building, operating and maintaining this permanent underground road link between Malta and Gozo for a pre-defined number of years.

“The point is that the government was committed to issue the call at the end of last year. Now, we’re in the first few days of the new year and I am informed that Infrastructure Malta and the Contracts Department will issue more details in the coming days,” Borg said.

At this stage, companies or consortia interested in bidding for this mega project will be invited to prove they have the necessary technical and financial capability, and an adequate level of experience in similar tunnel projects.

Participants who meet the applicable requirements and pass this stage will then be invited to proceed to the next phases, where they will submit detailed technical and financial proposals for the project.

READ ALSO: Gozo tunnel procurement process to kick-off on Monday