Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1164933
12.09.19 8 NEWS KURT SANSONE ROBERTA Metsola and Da- vid Casa will back Helena Dalli for the post of equality commissioner, a spokesper- son for the Nationalist Party MEPs said. e two MEPs, who form part of the European People's Party, will be meeting Dal- li ahead of the confirmation hearings that will be held to- wards the end of the month. "e PN has already de- clared that we will back Dr Dalli for the post. Our delega- tion will be meeting her in the next days to see the way for- ward," a spokesperson for the PN MEPs told MaltaToday. Metsola and Casa have been vocal critics of the Muscat government in the European Parliament over rule of law failings. PN leader Adrian Delia had announced the par- ty's support for Dalli's nomi- nation when Prime Minister Joseph Muscat put forward her name last July. Delia reiterated the PN's support on Tuesday when European Commission Pres- ident-elect Ursula von der Leyen announced the portfo- lios she assigned her team of 27 commissioner-designates. Dalli was awarded the equal- ity portfolio, with the task of promoting equality and an- ti-discrimination across the union. She will also oversee the EU's implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability, put forward proposals on pay transparency, and push for the EU to embrace the Istan- bul Convention against gen- der-based violence. Dalli's portfolio is in line with the political work she has been doing as a govern- ment minister in Malta since 2013, where she captained the civil liberties and equality portfolio. Commissioner-designates will have to be approved by the European Parliament before they formally take up their roles. e new commis- sion will take office on 1 No- vember. e hearings in front of MEPs will start on 30 Sep- tember and will continue until 8 October, when the hearings of the vice president-desig- nates will be held. PN MEPs to back Dalli for European Commission post PROFESSOR of monetary eco- nomics at the University of Not- tingham, Paul Mizen, will be delivering a public lecture en- titled "Are we nearly there yet? Evidence from business expec- tations and uncertainty about Brexit" at the Central Bank of Malta on 18 September. In his lecture, Professor Mizen will give his views on the com- plexities surrounding Brexit and on businesses' responses to the uncertain economic environ- ment since the EU referendum. He will also refer to the assess- ment that the UK authorities have given about the proposed EU Withdrawal Agreement. e project monitors recent de- velopments in the UK economy by tracking businesses' expec- tations and the uncertainty sur- rounding them. Brexit has been described by businesses surveyed in the UK as part of DMP as be- ing one of the top three sources of uncertainty. And with the 31 October 2019 deadline looming, the situation remains as volatile as ever. e Central Bank of Malta has been monitoring the Brexit situ- ation on an ongoing basis. It wel- comes the chance for the public to hear Professor Mizen's latest assessment of the economic im- pact. Professor Mizen will be in Mal- ta to deliver one of two high-level courses to central bankers from Europe, Africa and the Middle East, who will be joining some of their Maltese counterparts. e courses are part of a three-year agreement with the University of Nottingham, which will result in further bilateral opportunities over its duration. e lecture is being held at the Central Bank of Malta, Binja Lap- arelli, St James's Counterguard, Valletta on 18 September at 3pm. Entrance is free. However, regis- tration is required on publicrela- tions@centralbankmalta.org Central Bank of Malta public lecture on Brexit Professor Paul Mizen David Casa and Roberta Metsola will back Helena Dalli MASSIMO COSTA THE government has reportedly been working on a resolution to the impasse caused by the lack of quarries open to receive construction waste, with the Prime Minister having come up with a possible solution, according to devel- opers' lobby boss Sandro Chetcuti. Chetcuti said that the Malta Devel- opers' Association had been putting pressure every day on the government to solve the problem caused by there being only two quarries in Malta in which building debris can be disposed of. Last week, Chetcuti told this news- paper that the situation had become "alarming" and could risk negatively affecting the construction industry. Asked whether any developments had taken place in this regard during the past week, Chetcuti said that the MDA had communicated to the gov- ernment its proposals to solve the is- sue. He highlighted that he had met with Joseph Muscat on Tuesday, with the Prime Minister indicating that he had in mind a solution to the impasse. The ball was now in the govern- ment's court, however, he said. "The Prime Minister is aware of the problem and is working on it," Chet- cuti said, "We are waiting for the gov- ernment to now tell us their position." The price for dumping construction waste has risen to €15 per tonne for separated waste and €17 per tonne for mixed waste, doubling from the pre- viously agreed price of €8 per tonne. Chetcuti had said that much of the price increase was due to the fact that the two quarries which were still re- ceiving waste had a monopoly, and could rightly charge any price they wished. He said that, if more quarries opened, the situation would adjust it- self through the normal market forces. Contacted about the matter on Wednesday, Environment Minister José Herrera did not give details, by the time of writing, on any progress which had been made in resolving the issue. Herrera said that he was current- ly abroad and would be returning to Malta later this week to "make [the re- quired] decisions." Last week, the minister threatened to use his powers at law to seize pri- vate quarries used for the dumping of construction waste after the closure of one of the sites. Herrera had said there were 10 quar- ries with a permit from the Environ- ment and Resources Authority to receive construction waste, but less than a handful were actually operat- ing, creating a massive problem for the industry. Prime Minister working on solution to construction waste impasse, MDA boss says