Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1208901
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 FEBRUARY 2020 NEWS Senior Professional Officer (Legal) In possession of a law degree and a valid warrant to practice as an Advocate in the Courts of Malta and Gozo. Having previously worked in other legal roles is an asset. Job Title: Qualifications: Experience: JOB VACANCY MAIN JOB PURPOSE: To assist the Lands Authority in legal affairs and representation of the Authority in all legal matters, including litigation, negotiations and all other legal matters as directed by the Chief Officer (Legal) and/or the Authority. Jobsplus permit no. 131/2019 Closing Date: 17th February 2020 Apply at: hr.la@landsauthority.org.mt https://landsauthority.org.mt/about-us/careers/ nary running of any business. Land lease-back Even more concerning to Civil Service officials is the fact that despite the Boston healthcare company's acquisition of the VGH concession, the parent company did not underwrite any guarantee on Steward Malta's commitments to deliver on its contract. "Arguably, it is a situation that could put Steward Malta in default," says one source with knowledge of the situation. Instead, Steward Malta could propose to transfer its conces- sion on the Barts campus at the Gozo hospital to Medical Prop- erties Trust, one of the American shareholders in Steward Health Care in Boston. MPT, a real es- tate firm, would use the transfer to raise funds for Steward Mal- ta, and then 'rent back' the lands concession to Steward. Cash flow issues It was clear during negotiations with Joseph Muscat at Castille that Steward Malta was in need of extra finance to be able to contin- ue operations while in Malta. The first major change here is that Steward wants to extend its transition period to 31 July 2023. Until then Steward wants to be paid the same government budget needed to run St Luke's, Karin Grech, and the Gozo hospitals – just over €70 million today – with an extra percentage on top: 9%. During the transitionary period, the Maltese government was also paying all employees that passed under Steward, with the compa- ny then setting off that payment. Between 2016 and 2018, the gov- ernment paid out €4.3 million in salaries. But Steward incurred millions more in salaries by employing new personnel it required on sal- aries it determined and far higher than government scales: so now it wants to be paid a total of €8 million. A source privy to these talks told MaltaToday government ministers have argued there is no basis with which to pay Steward more cash for staffing decisions of their own making. "But Mus- cat was one of the supporters of this renegotiation. Steward Malta needs this cash flow; should it be the taxpayer who provides it?" Steward in Malta Steward Health Care acquired the concession for the 30-year operation of three state hospitals from Vitals Global Healthcare in December 2017. In Malta, the concessionaires are Steward Malta Limited, a holding company, Steward Malta Management Limited, the management company, Steward Malta Personnel Ltd, and Steward Malta Assets Limited. Armin Ernst, president of Steward Health Care International Ltd, is CEO and leads Steward Health Care's first international presence in Malta. Steward Health Care was founded in 2010 when the struggling Boston-based Caritas Christi Health Care system was sold to private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management. The hospital network was renamed Steward and converted into a private, for-profit company. In 2016, Steward sold its buildings to real estate firm Medical Properties Trust for $1.2 billion, and a 10% stake. Steward wants to extend the grounds on which a 'force majeure' default might incur... controversially including: accidental loss or damage, strikes and work- to-rule situations, and even changes in laws Former PM Joseph Muscat pushed to have Steward's demands for a renegotiated concession accommodated, but deputy PM and health minister Chris Fearne might have second thoughts about endorsing a concession in which Steward wants more taxpayers' money