Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1345126
WORKS on the regeneration of the Ta' Qali Artisan Village are well underway, with ten- ants – both current and future ones – currently investing to develop their new properties as part of the second phase of the project, with INDIS Malta now stepping up to support the artisans address the chal- lenges they are facing and thereby expedite the process. Indeed, the COVID-19 pan- demic has had a severe im- pact on the artisans' liquidity and consequent availability of capital to carry out their reno- vations. In addition, they were already encountering difficul- ties in finding skilled masons and construction workers spe- cialized in local stonework that could build the new properties according to the established guidelines and within the stip- ulated timeframes. Within this context, in ear- ly February INDIS Malta launched a Framework Agree- ment by means of which it will be engaging the contractors at pre-established rates on behalf of the tenants, who in turn will be repaying INDIS Malta over an agreed period of years. Through the support provid- ed by this Framework Agree- ment, construction on all the remaining plots is envisaged to start by June. This will be di- vided in clusters of properties that will be built concurrently by different contractors, thus speeding up the process. Details of this assistance and an update on the current take-up by the artisans were provided by the Hon. Minister for the Economy and Industry Silvio Schembri during a visit to the Ta' Qali Artisan Village, accompanied by INDIS Malta Chairperson Jean Pierre At- tard and CEO Karl Azzopardi, as well as Malta Crafts Foun- dation CEO Elton Micallef. Once completed, the Ta' Qali Artisan Village will house around 70 tenants. Around 20 tenants had already com- menced construction prior to the issuing of the Framework Agreement, and almost half of these are by now operation- al from their new premises or part thereof. From the remaining tenants, around 35 have expressed their interest in the scheme issued by INDIS Malta for the construction of their plots, with meetings currently ongo- ing to confirm this interest and finalize negotiations, as well as to assess whether any other tenants will likewise be taking up the offer for assistance. Tenants who in any case will not be making use of the INDIS Malta support but will make use of their own contractor are being requested to commit to finish construction within the stipulated timeframes. In the meantime, INDIS Mal- ta is also working on the instal- lation of additional services that will contribute towards Gearing up the completion of the much-awaited Ta' Qali Artisan Village THS FEATURE IS PAID FOR BY INDIS MALTA SILVIO SCHEMBRI (ABOVE AND TOP), MINISTER FOR THE ECONOMY AND INDUSTRY MEETING ARTISANS AT THE TA' QALI CRAFTS VILLAGE