Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1224129
6 MATTHEW VELLA THE former MP and Nationalist Party's former shadow environ- ment minister, Marthese Portelli, has been employed as the direc- tor-general of the construction lobby, the Malta Developers As- sociation. It is a staggering U-turn for the former MP who once complained that "the pick-and-choose ap- proach to policies in develop- ment must stop" and called for a bipartisan approach on major projects so as to lessen their envi- ronmental impact. She was formerly the Opposi- tion's representative on the Plan- ning Authority, where she voted on Planning Board decisions on major projects. Now she will be flying the flag for the much-maligned devel- opers' lobby, one which faces a crisis of its own after numerous construction accidents revealed the scale of uncontrolled building practices that have lost people their homes and killed one, Mir- iam Pace, in a building collapse in Hamrun. Portelli was a popular MP, elected on two districts in the last election, who also held important party posts before being elected in 2013. She resigned in 2019 saying that the party was not the right envi- ronment for her to continue her political work. "For the ones who love it, there is no issue but the ones who feel suffocated in such an environment need to take themselves away from it. That is what I did. Although I never had any false illusions about the possibility of normality return- ing to the Maltese political en- vironment and the country any time soon, I soldiered on deter- minedly, always staying true to my principles and objectives that had originally pushed me to en- ter the political arena many years ago. But there comes a time when one realises the current ambience is shackling." Elected for the first time in the 2013 general election, she was re-elected in 2017 from two dis- tricts – Gozo and the ninth elec- toral district. During her stint in politics she was also shadow min- ister for the environment, plan- ning and energy. Portelli, who is a lawyer by profession, was twice elected as the president of the PN execu- tive committee and was the first woman to hold this role. She was recently among 17 MPs who had urged PN leader Adrian Delia to reconsider his position following the disastrous results of a Malta Today survey. In her announcement of her resignation she thanked Oppo- sition leader Adrian Delia and his predecessor Simon Busuttil under whom she shadowed var- ious portfolios. "Politics should only be used to create common good. I wish that whoever ven- tures into politics, will do so to do good deeds… I was proactive and put forward over 300 pro- posals in various sectors, mainly the environment, planning, ener- gy, transport, real estate and EU funds among others." Former shadow environment minister gets top job at developers lobby Marthese Portelli (right) at a conference with MDA president Sandro Chetcuti maltatoday | SUNDAY • 22 MARCH 2020 NEWS Rural Development Programme for Malta 2014-2020 Part financed by the European Union Co-financing Rate: 75% European Union; 25% Government of Malta Sunday 22 nd March 2020 European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development 2014-2020 ANNOUNCEMENT Measure 16.2 - Support for pilot projects, and for the development of new products, practices, processes and technologies Measure 16.4 - support for co-operation among short supply chain actors Measure 16.6 - support for cooperation among supply chain actors for sustainable provision of biomass for use in food and energy production and industrial processes The Director General of the Funds and Programmes Division, within the Parliamentary Secretariat for European Funds announces the re-launch of Measure 16 (sub-measures 16.2, 16.4, 16.6) under the Rural Development Programme for Malta. Measure 16 provides support for new and innovative joint activities by assisting operators in working together to overcome disadvantages faced in the agricultural sector. The Co-operation measure offers support that can be used to make new things happen rather than support joint activities which are already taking place. The measure could also support an existing group of co-operating entities in undertaking a new joint project. Applications will be received until the 30th April 2020. More information can be found on www.eufunds.gov.mt and www.eufundsmalta.gov.mt or email to rdd.mfea@gov.mt Rural Development Programme for Malta 2014-2020 Sunday 22 nd March 2020 European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development 2014-2020 ANNOUNCEMENT Measure 16.2 - Support for pilot projects, and for the development of new products, practices, processes and technologies Measure 16.4 - support for co-operation among short supply chain actors Measure 16.6 - support for cooperation among supply chain actors for sustainable provision of biomass for use in food and energy production and industrial processes The Director General of the Funds and Programmes Division, within the Parliamentary Secretariat for European Funds announces the re-launch of Measure 16 (sub-measures 16.2, 16.4, 16.6) under the Rural Development Programme for Malta. Measure 16 provides support for new and innovative joint activities by assisting operators in working together to overcome disadvantages faced in the agricultural sector. The Co-operation measure offers support that can be used to make new things happen rather than support joint activities which are already taking place. The measure could also support an existing group of co-operating entities in undertaking a new joint project. Applications will be received until the 30th April 2020. More information can be found on www.eufunds.gov.mt and www.eufundsmalta.gov.mt or email to rdd.mfea@gov.mt Rural Development Programme for Malta 2014-2020 Part financed by the European Union Co-financing Rate: 75% European Union; 25% Government of Malta The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas Sunday 22 nd March 2020 European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development 2014-2020 ANNOUNCEMENT Measure 16.2 - Support for pilot projects, and for the development of new products, practices, processes and technologies Measure 16.4 - support for co-operation among short supply chain actors Measure 16.6 - support for cooperation among supply chain actors for sustainable provision of biomass for use in food and energy production and industrial processes The Director General of the Funds and Programmes Division, within the Parliamentary Secretariat for European Funds announces the re-launch of Measure 16 (sub-measures 16.2, 16.4, 16.6) under the Rural Development Programme for Malta. Measure 16 provides support for new and innovative joint activities by assisting operators in working together to overcome disadvantages faced in the agricultural sector. The Co-operation measure offers support that can be used to make new things happen rather than support joint activities which are already taking place. The measure could also support an existing group of co-operating entities in undertaking a new joint project. Applications will be received until the 30th April 2020. More information can be found on www.eufunds.gov.mt and www.eufundsmalta.gov.mt or email to rdd.mfea@gov.mt PN: Fight COVID-19 myths with news fund KARL AZZOPARDI THE Nationalist Party has pro- posed the setting-up of a team of journalists hailing from me- dia houses across the country whose aim would be that of combating fake news and misin- formation, so that it could sus- tain media houses and ensure the protection of journalists. The team would be responsi- ble for publishing correct and factual information surround- ing the COVID-19 pandemic, so that the general public is shield- ed from incorrect and fabricat- ed news. Resources for the team would be taken from a specialised fund administered by the Superin- tendence of Public Health. "It is important that the gov- ernment recognizes media houses and journalists as one of the most crucial tools in bat- tling misinformation on COV- ID-19," Nationalist MP Therese Comodini Cachia said. Asked about what kind of structure she envisions the team to have, Comodini Cachia said that while the funding would be supplied by the gov- ernment, the configuration of