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maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 7 MAY 2014 8 News Bahar ic-Caghaq coast earmarked for water-ski park JAMES DEBONO A planning application has been submitted to the Malta Environ- ment and Planning Authority for the development of a water-ski and wakeboard cableway at Bahar ic- Caghaq. Cable-skiing is a type of water- skiing in which the skier's rope and handle are pulled by an electrically- driven cable, whereas traditionally a water skier is pulled by a motorboat. The proposal involves the con- struction of massive cable structures and other amenities on the sched- uled rocky shore and the surround- ing sea. These include five towers set on both land and sea, ten 800-metre conveying cables and a floating safe- ty platform. The local plan approved in 2006 had identified this area of Bahar ic- Caghaq as a Marine Sports Access Improvement Area. The local plan states that devel- opment proposals in this area may include jetties, slipways, quays, hard standings and moorings. On 14 May, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority will also be meeting to decide on an application for the placing of a new snack bar on the Bahar ic-Caghaq coast set on the same area of the jet ski application. The case officer is recommending a rejection of this application as it is in breach of structure plan policy protecting the coast from private structures. The application for the proposed snack bar represents the fourth at- tempt to develop a kiosk in the area as three other applications for the same purpose have been refused in the past two decades. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Maltese want more Europe on migration, less on taxes JAMES DEBONO THE Maltese are more likely than other EU citizens to expect a more united Europe on migration issues but are less likely to agree with greater harmonisation of economic and tax policies. While 80% of the Maltese think that there should be a more collec- tive decision-making in Europe on immigration, only 38% of the Maltese that there should be more collective decision-making on economic policy and taxation. The Maltese are the most likely in Europe to agree with more European action on migration. The least likely to agree with the Maltese on the need for more Europe on migration are the Finns (35%) and the British (37%). Only 59% of respondents in all EU member states think that there should be more collective decision- making on migration while 48% agree with more collective decision-making on economic policy and taxation. The Belgians (60%) and the Portuguese (68%) are the most likely to agree with co-decision making on taxes and eco- nomic policy (69%), while the Swedes (21%), the Finns (28%) and the British (30%) are the least likely to agree. 69% of the Maltese – compared to 72% of EU respondents – agree that there should be more co-decision making on environmental issues. This emerges from a recently pub- lished Eurobarometer survey con- ducted among 500 27,739 EU re- spondents, which included 500 from Malta. Moreover, while 46% of EU respond- ents favour the creation of a European arm, only 36% of Maltese respondents agree. 50% of the Maltese are opposed to the idea. 67% of the Maltese favour the direct election of the President of the EU Commission. The same opinion was expressed by 69% of EU respondents. 'No political discrimination in POYC' – pharmacists, GRTU MIRIAM DALLI THE Chamber of Pharmacists and the GRTU have both told the health ministry that they "never claimed" there was political discrimination in the Pharmacy of Your Choice System. This was stated in a press state- ment issued by the Ministry for Health following a joint meet- ing between the pharmacists, the GRTU's healthcare division and the parliamentary secretariat. In comments given to Sunday newspaper Illum, the Chamber of Pharmacists said it had received reports of alleged discrimination from its members, reports which were then passed on to the health division. The health ministry described the meeting as "productive", with all parties committed to the Phar- macy of your Choice initiative and its evolution. "The Chamber of Pharmacists and GRTU stated clearly that they have never claimed that there was politi- cal discrimination in the POYC sys- tem," the ministry said. On its part, the ministry assured the two entities that the POYC was not being subjected to political dis- crimination in its operation. Reports of alleged discrimination were made by a pharmacist dur- ing a political activity organised by the Nationalist Party. The PN media had also alleged that Labour MP Silvio Parnis was "personally distributing" medicines at the PL's clubs – an allegation Parnis cat- egorically denied. However, both the Chamber and the GRTU pointed out that the inefficiencies of the procurement system and the POYC system was leading consumers to complain to POYC. This occurred when specific med- icines were not available at pharma- cies. "POYC, from their end, often seek to address such shortages at phar- macies. All parties recognise the need to improve the system without requiring customers to complain about such matters," the ministry said. The POYC business process re- quires significant improvements, something that was conceded by all parties. The Chamber and the GRTU both agreed to collaborate in the design and implementation of such urgent improvements. "We are committed to restructure the POYC, improve business proc- esses and communications with pharmacies, and enhance IT sys- tems," the ministry said. The government has launched a change programme that will seek to improve all aspects related to the procurement, distribution and dis- pensing of medicines. 80% of Maltese think there should be more collective decision-making in Europe on immigration The local plan approved in 2006 had identified this area of Bahar ic-Caghaq as a Marine Sports Access Improvement Area

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