WATCH | Swieqi’s biggest problems caused by vision-less government, mayor Noel Muscat says

Swieqi Mayor Noel Muscat said the biggest problems Swieqi faces have been caused by the government “which has no vision or solution.”

Muscat pointed to issues of waste, noise and vandalism which he said have all stemmed from the “mushrooming of short-lets over the past nine years.”

Interviewed on Xtra by Saviour Balzan, the mayor stated he is not against short-lets, but rather the lack of regulation.

Muscat said his remarks are not partisan attacks, but rooted in fact. He thanked Tourism Minister Ian Borg for meeting him to discuss the issue, also welcoming the launch of a pilot project in Swieqi and Valletta to address the problem.

The mayor said one of the major problems arising from short-lets is the disposal of garbage, which in an already densely populated locality makes the problem bigger.

The mayor also remarked about the disrupted communication between the council and ministries.

“Sometimes it is more effective if a resident writes to the minister than if I do,” he said.

Muscat also touched on the number of foreign residents in the locality, saying he estimates around half of the 16,000 Swieqi residents are foreign.

“This is not a challenge for us, diversity is a challenge for other localities such as Msida and Gżira,” he said.

Valletta mayor proposes capital city becoming a municipality

Also interviewed on XTRA, Valletta mayor Olaf McKay proposed Valletta become a municipality, with a special status making it autonomous from the Port Region.

Mckay said he had passed the proposal to Culture Minister Owen Bonnici from the beginning of his tenure last year. This status would grant Valletta more resources and make the role of mayor of the capital a full-time job.

He spoke about the need for mayors to be full-time, saying a city like Valletta, which sees more than 60,000 people every day, needs more attention,

Valletta mayor Olaf McKay (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)

Besides the resources, Valletta as a municipality would also benefit from cooperation with businesses that want to contribute back to the city.

“The system as is does not allow these generous businesses to contribute as they wish to the city, besides hosting a project themselves,” he said. The mayor said that like every other council in Malta, Valletta has limited finances and it would greatly benefit from the contribution of businesses.

He explained his duties as mayor of the capital go beyond national level, with many international cities asking to establish a twinning agreement as well as welcoming many ambassadors to work on diplomatic projects.

On the biggest challenge facing Valletta, McKay said it was the rampant commercial activity taking it over.