Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/570058
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER 2015 News 9 JAMES DEBONO AN agritourism project along Marsalforn road in Xaghra, Gozo could become the first beneficiary of a policy allowing agri tourism development in the countryside. The development is set to in- clude a shop, a winery, tourist accommodation, and other ancil- lary facilities as being proposed by Ta' Mena Estates over a 43,995 square metre site in the Ta' Srug area of Xaghra. The proposed development is set to include 10 suites, each of which will occupy an area of around 50 square metres and a breakfast area. The development will even include a free range area for the Maltese black chicken, beekeep- ing facilities and an olive press. Through the new policy ap- proved last year owners of agri- cultural land will be allowed to construct up to 10 rooms over a 400 square metres floor space. But the policy explicitly states that such development can only take place on sites occupying 60 tumoli (67000 square meters). The new policy also allows de- velopers to incorporate other facilities like boutique wineries, horse riding establishments and stables, swimming pools, olive oil production, bee keeping facilities, farm shops and other develop- ments in the same area. Ta' Mena Estates is already in- volved in agritourism activities, organizing tours and wine and olive oil tasting sessions and BBQ nights on the estate. It also offers accommodation in farmhouses and in an apartment in Marsal- forn Bay. The site where the agritour- ism is being proposed has been subject to an enforcement notice since 2007 due to the illegal con- struction of room and structures and a gate. In 2008 MEPA dis- missed an application to sanction rooms, a BBQ oven, the removal of top soil, a concrete platform, and a timber gate. MEPA also re- jected an application to sanction the excavation and dumping of screed in the area. An application to construct a winery presented in 2005 was later withdrawn by the applicant. The applicant also has a pending application to demolish the exist- ing retail shop and reconstruct it with a basement store. MCAST reserves the right to accept or refuse in part or in whole, any or all tenders submitted. Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology Administration Building, MCAST Main Campus, Corradino Hill, Paola PLA 9032. T: 2398 7100 F: 2398 7316 E: tenders@mcast.edu.mt www.mcast.edu.mt Invitation to tender Operational Programme II – Cohesion Policy 2007-2013 Empowering People for More Jobs and a Better Quality of Life Project part-financed by the European Union European Social Fund (ESF) Co-financing rate: 85% EU Funds; 15% National Funds Investing in your future MCAST T. 21/2015 TENDER FOR THE SUPPLY, DELIVERY, INSTALLATION AND COMMISSIONING OF EQUIPMENT RELATED TO MARINE ENGINEERING Tender documents may be requested by email (on the email address below) or collected from the Purchasing Department at the MCAST Administration Building (at the address below), from Monday to Friday, from 08:30hrs to 16:30hrs. Tenders should be placed in the pre-addressed envelope and deposited in the appropriate tender box at the MCAST Administration Building, at the address below, by no later than Monday 28th September 2015 at 11:00hrs. The Principal of the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology notifies that offers from interested parties will be received for: EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND 1.130 Citizen's complaint rumbled Sammut's visa scam MIRIAM DALLI A complaint by a frustrated Mal- tese citizen to the Employment and Training Corporation (ETC) and Identity Malta led to the police investigation that ferreted out Joe Sammut's visa scam. Mosta auditor Sammut is facing charges relating to money launder- ing, fraud, misappropriation and forgery after three Libyan nation- als admitted that Sammut helped them obtain a residency permit by creating companies with fake stocks. The three men spilled the beans after they were promised immu- nity from criminal action. It now transpires that it was actu- ally a complaint by an individual at the edge of his tether over receiv- ing numerous letters at his address, that unwittingly sparked the whole investigation. Informed sources told MaltaTo- day that the ETC had started no- ticing a number of irregularities in residence applications being submitted, including multiple ap- plications holding the same street name, but with different locality names. In February 2015, one Maltese man went to the ETC to reported receiving several letters from the ETC which were addressed to peo- ple with a Libyan name. Explaining that he was the only resident at that address, the man told the ETC that he was annoyed by the repeated letters. After making the necessary veri- fications through their systems, the ETC and Identity Malta passed on the information to the police, which led to the discovery of Sam- mut's fraudulent acts. As investigations proceeded, it emerged that more Maltese citizens had their address used abusively. One woman, owner of a Sliema apartment, had at least 50 foreign- ers who submitted the apartment's address as their official residence. "I am the victim of this fraudulent activity. I was not aware that my ad- dress, or even my name, were being used illegally to provide an address to the authorities. I am a victim of this too," the woman had told the Times of Malta. Sammut, a former Labour Party treasurer and a close associate of the Gaddafi family for several years, is known for his close ties with the North African country. Sources said that when late last year the Maltese government was forced to withdraw diplomats from Libya, it became harder for Sam- mut to issue visas for his Libyan clients. But while Sammut may have been facing some difficulties in obtain- ing the required visas, the Mosta auditor realised he could help his clients: in 2010, the ETC intro- duced various investment schemes for foreigners, one of which enti- tled a person investing €100,000 in an existing business or a start-up to be given a work permit. In 2011, these guidelines were updated to include conditions specific to self- employed applicants and company directors/shareholders. By making use of this scheme, Sammut would provide his appli- cants with a single permit, allegedly by providing false information and fraudulent documents. Agritourism project proposed in Gozo GRTU wants further energy rates cut in Budget THE Chamber of SMEs has said it wants the government to further reduce energy bills for small and medium enterprises by 30% in the forthcoming Budget 2016. Writing in its weekly newslet- ter, the GRTU said that the gov- ernment was making significant savings and that these should be passed on to the businesses. "For a long number of years, Maltese businesses not only had to face high prices because of high international oil prices, but also because they were asked to repeatedly sustain inefficiencies of the electricity supplier," the GRTU said. "Now that the international price of oil has drastically gone down, there are substantial sav- ings from the efficient BWSC operation, and energy is availa- ble at significantly cheaper rates through the interconnector, we expect a significant reduction in the price our SMEs pay for elec- tricity," the GRTU said. It added it expected the gov- ernment to reduce electricity rates for SMEs by 30%. The executive council met on Friday morning to agree on its proposals for Budget 2016. "GRTU believes that this year's Budget should give utmost pri- ority to the issue of enterprise competitiveness and the GRTU believes that the cost of electric- ity impinges heavily on our en- terprises' competitiveness." YOUR FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY www.maltatoday.com.mt Auditor Joe Sammut