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maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 25 JUNE 2014 News 6 UNSURPRISINGLY, the Malta Developers Association (MDA) ex- pressed its support for the govern- ment on the way it is approaching the development of the White Rocks site, after the government issued a call for expressions of interest for the site's transformation into an up- market real estate development. Describing the location as one of the most beautiful sites in Malta, the developers said they were cer- tain that such a project would yield economic benefits. "We believe this will be a project that attracts foreign property buy- ers. Hotels and other tourist-related developments must as much as pos- sible be connected to it." The White Rocks area in Pem- broke – now lying in an abandoned state - was earmarked by the previ- ous Nationalist administration for a €200 million sports project, offering real estate and facilities for a wide variety of sports. The MDA urged its members to form consortia to bid for this devel- opment because, it said, it believes that Maltese developers are capable of producing. Developers support government on White Rocks project JAMES DEBONO PLANNING Ombudsman David Pace insists that the government was wrong to include Mriehel by stealth as a high-rise zone in approved poli- cy regulating tall buildings. "The inclusion of Mriehel in the approved zones where the policy is applicable, should have been put to public consultation prior to the fi- nal approval by the MEPA board," the planning ombudsman told Mal- taToday. No reference to Mriehel, which borders on Malta's most densely populated urban centres, was made in a draft policy document issued for public consultation in November. This meant that the public, NGOs and stakeholders had no chance to comment on the choice of Mriehel as a site for high-rise office build- ings. It turns out that it was the govern- ment which recommended the addi- tion of Mriehel as a site where build- ings which are more than 10 storeys high can be built, along with Qawra, Marsa, Tigne and Gzira. The approved document states, "particular attention was focused on the strategic location of the em- ployment hub of Mriehel". The area is presently designated for industrial uses, but in subse- quent revisions to the Local Plan a wider mix has been encouraged and a "generic proviso" in favour of buildings higher than 14m was also introduced for large sites. "Therefore it is clear that there has been an intention to consider higher buildings in this locality over the re- c e n t p a s t " . The document designates Mriehel as an "appropriate location for tall buildings for predominantly office uses". The government's inclusion of Mriehel coincides with plans by Far- sons to construct a business park on the site of the Old Brewhouse and former Packaging Halls in Mriehel, even if the plans published by the company do not foresee high-rise development. But the inclusion of Mriehel by stealth has been criticised by envi- ronmentalists. For Din l-Art Helwa the inclusion of a new area without first present- ing it to the public for comments is unacceptable and undermines the whole public consultation process, which MEPA has successfully devel- oped over the past decade. The two leading heritage NGOs, Din l-Art Helwa and Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar have called on the government to remove any refer- ence to Mriehel from the approved policy. The two organisations have called for a separate public consultation process to be carried out on whether or not Mriehel should become a lo- cation for high-rise buildings. Both ombudsmen Joe Said Pul- licino and MEPA's former auditor, Joe Falzon, had criticised the previ- ous government for making drastic changes to local plans in the absence of public consultation. Planning Ombudsman Pace insists that the principle of public consulta- tion throughout the whole planning process was, and remains, an essen- tial element of the process. "MEPA is obliged to allow for a public consultation process in any proposal for changes to the key doc- uments which regulate the planning system," he said. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt PROVISIONAL indicators on Malta's external transactions with the world reveal a favourable decline in the current account balance of €54.8 million. According to data published by the National Statistics Office, the net deficit of €117.3 million dur- ing the March 2013 quarter de- creased to €62.6 million in the first quarter of this year. Contributing towards this amelioration was primarily an improvement in the net negative balance of the income account of €86 million, as well as an increase in the net positive balance of the ser vices account of €15.9 million. The net balance in the income ac- count was marked by a drop in the retained earnings and dividend payments due to foreign financial institutions operating in Malta. The ser vices account was fa- vourably affected by the combined effect of an increase in earnings from tourism that more than off- set the rise in outlays by residents travelling abroad; as well as by a fall in outlays from a variet y of ser vices acquired by Malta from abroad. On the other hand, the current account was adversely affected by an increase in the net nega- tive balance of the goods account of €36.9 million, as well as by a deterioration in the net positive balance of the current transfers account of €10.1 million. The capital account of the state- ment recorded net inf lows of €28.9 million, as compared with net inf lows of €16.7 million dur- ing the corresponding period last year; whereas the financial ac- count registered net outf lows of €71.1 million as against net out- f lows of €40.4 million during the same period in 2013. Direct investment abroad fell by €86.8 million, while direct invest- ment in Malta dropped by €1,267.4 million due to a reduction in the equit y capital of a financial inter- mediar y operating in Malta. JAMES DEBONO THE Maltese are more likely than the average European to train abroad but are less likely to work abroad. While 11% of EU citizens have worked in another EU country, only 7% of Maltese have done so. A further 4% of Maltese and 5% of EU citizens have worked outside the EU. But while only 4% of EU citizens have followed an internship or a traineeship in another EU country, the percentage of Maltese who have done so rises to 8%. 2% of EU citi- zens and Maltese have undergone training outside the EU. 7% of Maltese compared to 6% of EU citizens have studied in other EU states. Only 1% of Maltese and 3% of EU citizens have studied out- side the EU. Luxembourg has the highest pro- portion of respondents who have spent time working in another EU State (32%), followed by Ireland (22%), Estonia (19%) and Sweden (18%). Respondents in Germany (7%), Malta (7%), Greece (8%), Italy (9%) and Hungary (9%) are least likely to have worked in another Member State. The proportion that has worked outside of the EU is highest in Swe- den and Denmark (both 12%), and is lowest in the Czech Republic (2%), Hungary (3%) and Greece (3%). Respondents in Luxembourg are much more likely than those in other individual Member States to have studied in another EU country (41%). The proportion is also high in Cyprus (20%), followed by Sweden (12%), Denmark (11%) and Estonia (11%). In Lithuania, Romania and Bul- garia, just 2% of respondents have studied in another EU State. The proportion that has studied outside of the EU is highest in Swe- den (8%), Luxembourg (7%), and Denmark, Finland and the UK (6% in each case). Respondents in Luxembourg are also more likely than those in other individual Member States to have been on a traineeship or internship in another EU country (26%). The proportion is also high in Cyprus (13%) and Belgium (10%). Respondents in Italy, Croatia, Por- tugal and Bulgaria are least likely to have been on a traineeship or in- ternship in another EU State (2% in each case). The proportion that has been on a traineeship or internship outside of the EU is highest in Lux- embourg (5%). High rise planning policy: Mriehel included by stealth Planning ombudsman David Pace decries lack of public consultation on inclusion of Mriehel as a site for high-rise development Malta cuts external transactions deficit by €55 million Maltese more likely to train abroad, less likely to work there

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