Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/404410
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 26 OCTOBER 2014 26 Letters Send your letters to: The Editor, MaltaToday, MediaToday Ltd. Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 | Fax: (356) 21 385075 E-mail: newsroom@mediatoday.com.mt. Letters to the Editor should be concise. No pen names are accepted. "Our company policy is to talk to our clients and not to the press," so declared the Chairman of Skanska follow- ing his inconclusive meeting with the Prime Minister. This bullish attitude of the Chairman of one of HSBC's blue chip companies contrasted with the sincere declara- tion of Lawrence Gonzi expressing his disappointment at the inconclusive talks. The reaction of the well meaning Prime Minister has highlighted that relations between Skanska and the Malta Government are at a knife's edge. This further ferments an already bad feeling in the country by in- creasing people's scepticism over the whole project and fears about the haemorrhaging effect the opening of the hospital will have on the countries finances. The Prime Minister is right to throw the ball back into Skanska's court. He rightly demands that the company lets Government know what the final costs will amount to and the date when the hospital works will be com- pleted. These requests seem extremely reasonable and if not forthcoming within the ten day period set we would favour termination of the contract inspite of the inevita- ble serious consequences including payment of penalty clauses, and the deterioration of the property pending the outcome of court litigation. We are certain that the breakdown of the talks carries equally dire consequences for Skanksa and its global reputation throughout busi- ness circles. This potential tarnish to its reputation should egg on the company to take the well headed advise of settling for a substantial lowering of final costs of the project. The options facing both parties at this eleventh hour are far from rosy. Sanity demands and we are certain that following an analysis of all cost overruns arising from the sub-contracting arrangements, there will be a reduction in the price and the project can carry on within an agreed deadline set. It is clear that this is the Government's goal. If achieved, it will be a feather in the cap of Lawrence Gonzi and a tribute to his hands on ap- proach and determination to analysis uncover and verif y every cost of this mammoth of projects. The costs have almost certainly spiralled as a direct result of Skanska's sub-contracting of all the works. Herein lays the root of the cost overruns. The Prime Minister need look no further. The worst scenario is if Government is forced to take legal action. This will be lengthy and carries the serious consequences of the deterioration of the unused property and the tragedy of a costly project turning into an idle asset. This worst scenario however like all clouds does have a silver lining. It should give us all the opportunity to question whether the country can really afford to meet the running costs of such a costly hospital. The present cost of running St Luke's is Lm900,000 per week. The costs to run the new hospital is estimated to cost be- tween one and a half to two million Malta liri per week. This cost is certainly unsustainable more so if a free health service is to be maintained. The choice at that moment in time inevitably is to either maintain the serv- ices provided at St Luke's general hospital or to introduce a service by payment with all the social net safeguards. Any avoidance of this reality smacks of irresponsibility and carries serious consequences. Accordingly the Prime Minister need not be too preoccupied if he is forced to terminate the project or to put it on the back burner as a result of legal action. Indeed it could well turn out be our national financial moment of truth. Possibly our financial salvation. It could also get us all to take a second look at St Luke's. This hospital can carry on being upgraded, government land in the vicinity if unused could be put to use by the hospital, if used as in the cases of the medical school and the nurses institute these could be transferred else where to make room for an expanded St Luke's. It is clear that we simply need to cut our dress according to the cloth available. The costly expansion of the new hospital to a general hospital with a double bed capacity appears with hind-sight as ill-thought out. It was driven by a wish list of the medical profession all too self seeking in having comfortable medical quarters and a medical centre of excellence which regrettably at this moment in time the country can ill-afford. It managed to persuade Labour Government to immediately embark on an expansion of the number of beds a decision that was stupidly quickly approved by the new Nationalist administration in 1998. The doctor driven plan expanded new hospital now stands as an incomplete, expensive monument to the in- competence of a spendthrift political class all too driven by the desire to build monuments with little thought to the sustainability of the running costs. May it serve as an eye opener before government rushes into future costly projects. The golden mean must be good house keeping balancing costs with value for money. No differently to the well run family budget we should only spend what we can afford. Following the passing of the ultimatum deadline, all issues relating to this project need to be laid bear for public scrutiny. It should be discussed on national televi- sion; it should certainly be also discussed in Parliament. The people have a right to know. Independent media and the public interest dictates that people know what was the role played by the foundation for Medical Studies? Who was controlling the sub-contractors? Who took the decision to pass over the project hook line and sinker to Skanska? Why was such a cost plus contract entered into with Skanska? These and all relative correspondence need to be discussed openly in a public hearing prefer- ably at the Public Affairs Committee where politicians civil servants and contractors will give evidence. Skanska may not favour talking to the press but in the public in- terest the independent media should demand that all the facts relating to the case are laid open to public scrutiny. Mater Dei end it here Editorial • October 31 2004 Clarification on Dalligate Following the publication of the article "Dalligate, two years later" (October 19, MaltaToday) OLAF [the EU anti-fraud agency] would like to clarif y the following issues. In the case concerning former Commissioner Dalli, OLAF car- ried out a thorough investigation which revealed serious, verified and verifiable facts. OLAF has accurately reported these facts to the competent authorities for follow-up. Subsequent criminal investigations and court pro- ceedings on the liabilities of the persons concerned are ongoing. OLAF has not exercised pres- sure on any witnesses or persons concerned. You assert that the OLAF Supervisory Committee "accused OLAF of instructing the key Dalligate witness – a Maltese- based lobbyist, Gayle Kimberly – to lie". At no point in the publicly available Opinion of the Supervi- sory Committee is there any men- tion of such an accusation. Your assertion is therefore abso- lutely false and misleading. OLAF reserves its right to have recourse to any legal action available in order to defend its reputation against such statements. The assessment of the legality of OLAF's investigations lies solely and exclusively with the compe- tent courts. To date, there has been no court ruling concerning this case. OLAF is ready to cooperate with the Maltese judicial authorities if and when they should formally request OLAF staff to testif y." OLAF press office Revision of planning conditions Reference is being made to an article published in MaltaToday (October 15, 'MEPA to decide on revocation of Rabat communications hub'). The authority would like to clarify that the MEPA board met on Thurs- day, October 16, 2014 to discuss a request to amend and not revoke the planning permit for the communi- cation tower in Dwejra, Rabat. The request to amend a condi- tion to this planning permission was initiated by MEPA after it was informed by the Malta Communica- tions Authority (MCA) that it could not honour a planning permit con- dition imposed in PA5885/06, since MCA can never enter into a legal agreement with an applicant. On Thursday, the MEPA board approved the request to change the wording of this planning condition to address the issue raised by the Malta Communications Authority. The revised condition still ad- dresses the requirements of the previous condition, which condition obliges the applicant to ensure that the permitted transmitting struc- ture must accommodate all eventual operators requiring such a facility in the area. Peter Gingell, PR & Communications Manager, MEPA The new archbishop We have to draw the line between what is spiritual and profane and then what is pastoral and adminis- trative. All parish priests should be scru- tinized and checked on how they are carrying out their pastoral work. They must do home visits helping families, the sick, the abandoned, the lonely, and old people. Parish priests must be totally forbidden from any- thing profane, such as politics and village feasts. There should be an overhaul of the Curia and job descriptions must be given to all valid Monsignors; not productive ones to be retired. Remove all canons; no more collegiate churches. Reorganise all religious orders, all to be part of the diocesan management. The APS bank, joint office prop- erty, all properties of all religious orders must be managed for poor families, refugees, missionaries, education, old age welfare; it is a shame to leave large buildings empty and deteriorating; EU funds can be sought and the refugees could earn their living by rendering services in these houses and homes. Religious tours could be organised in empty convents. I would expect in this NeuroAge that the archbishop would have management skills; leading by example is not enough, he must have the ability to take over the Church in Malta and carry out the necessary measures to run the Church in a secular State. Alfred Galea San Gwann Foul oil smell over Cottonera For about a week now – mainly in the evenings and at night – residents of Cospicua and Senglea have lived behind closed windows. A pervasive, nauseat- ing and headache-inducing smell of oil has invaded our cities, which seems to emanate from the dockyard below the bastion, and is felt all over town. The matter was immediately brought to the attention of the authorities. Sadly, so far, it has been met mostly with resigna- tion, disinterest or indifference. Isabelle Cerruti, Senglea