Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/659044
4 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 30 MARCH 2016 News Chamber calls for lower energy bills to stymie manufacturing slide THE Chamber of Commerce has urged the government to lower energy tariffs for businesses, so as to help Malta's manufactur- ing industry get through a rough period. Chamber president Anton Borg said during a meeting with economy minister Chris Cardo- na on Monday that manufactur- ing registered a negative growth of 0.4% last year. The index for industrial production decreased by 8.1% in January 2016 when compared to the previous year. "Manufacturing employs thou- sands of people and is essential for the country's growth, but a negative trend exists," Borg warned. "We understand En- emalta's financial predicament and the benefits of price stabil- ity, but as the rest of the world has moved ahead, buoyed by lower international oil prices, our commercial tariffs continue to rank amongst the highest in Europe. Nobody owes us a liv- ing, but the country cannot af- ford to impose self-inf licted burdens on businesses." While the Chamber presi- dent welcomed the recent 25% price cut in energy tariffs for businesses, he argued that the growth in the US dollar against the euro was a more significant boost for businesses. "If this had not happened, then I am sure that the negative growth would have been higher," he said. PN to seek legal action if BA refuses to air its right of reply THE Nationalist Party is ready to take the Broadcasting Author- ity to court if the broadcasting watchdog rejects a right of reply that should air on TVM's f lagship programme, Dissett. Addressing a press conference outside the Broadcasting Au- thority, PN MP Clyde Puli and secretary general Rosette Thake accused the government of "hi- jacking" the Broadcasting Au- thority. The PN has accused the BA of making "an obscene U-turn by its right of reply to Mizzi's recent in- terview on Dissett. The BA has rejected the PN's complaint over not being repre- sented in an interview conducted with energy minister Konrad Mizzi. While not finding any grounds of imbalance, the BA had however awarded the PN a right of reply, that would last three minutes. The PN explained that the BA had rejected its original reply, as it had deemed it libellous. The BA sent them another letter, telling them that they were not allowed to bring up 'Panamagate' in their response. "The BA is effectively trying to shut us up," Thake said, standing outside the BA offices. Puli said the BA's chairperson was trying to censor the PN after "reversing" a decision taken by the board. He also said that the PN refused not to include the is- sue of Panama in its right of reply. Thake: No MFSA authorisation required for PN loans scheme CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 When prompted, she said that the PN would publish the names only if the person making the loan agrees to it. "This is a two-way street and I find no problem in publishing the name if the per- son agrees to it," Thake replied. She argued that since the PN would be paying interest, the 'loan' was not a donation. The scheme is not capped, meaning that one person can donate more than €10,000 – as long as they are issued in small loans of €10,000. Thake also said that the Na- tionalist Party had informed the Malta Financial and Services Authority (MFSA) of its scheme but argued that it didn't require the MFSA's authorization. "This is a private contract and the con- ditions have been published in the brochure," she said. Asked whether the capital was guaranteed, Thake replied that "in life nothing is guaranteed " and that the scheme was part of the PN's financial restructuring. The party has several com- mercial loans against high inter- est and the scheme, she added, should help reduce the amount of interest the party is paying. "We want to reduce the outgo- ings," she said. Questioned once again over the capital guarantee, Thake re- plied that she could only guar- antee that "the PN's level of in- debtedness decreased over the past three years". The PN was wracked with a reported €8 million debt at the start of 2013, and has since un- derwent radical cost-cutting in- ternally as well as sold off party club properties. Thake would not confirm the amount of debt the PN had ac- cumulated, nor would she say whether the PN had managed to repay the €250,000 loan con- struction magnate Nazzareno Vassallo issued to party com- pany Media.Link Communica- tions. "We have a good relation- ship [with Vassallo] and there is an agreement," she said. Kappara junction works set to start on April 11 MIRIAM DALLI WORKS on the Kappara junction project are set to start on Aprill 11 and should last at least a year and a half, MaltaToday has learnt. Preparatory works have been going on since last December, with Transport Malta carrying out asphalt- ing and resurfacing works in localities close to the junction which are expected to carry the heav y traffic once works start. According to sources, initial work on the Kappara junction will start with landscaping and removal of trees from the roundabout, followed by con- struction works. It is understood that Trans- port Malta aims to leave as much access through the area as possible, keeping full road closures to the minimum. Drivers can however expect road closures during the night when works intensif y. Whilst Transport Malta is set to meet with stakehold- ers in the coming days for an information meeting, the transport authority has been drafting alternative routes and studying the impact the works are expected to have on traffic. The Kappara junction is one of the heaviest and busiest roads on the island, leading to Gzira, St Julian's, Sliema, San Gwann, Naxxar and Valletta among others. It is a crucial transport node which driv- ers take to travel from one side of the island to another but, oftener than not, creates the worst bottlenecks on the island. When the planning author- ity approved the project in 2013, a Transport Malta ar- chitect had argued that the junction leading to the uni- versity would help reduce traffic congestion. It was estimated that at least 6,000 vehicles pass at peak times, leading to longer wait- ing times in traffic and travel time. In parliament, Transport Minister Joe Mizzi said that all efforts would be made to leave sections of Triq Mikiel Anton Vassalli open to vehic- ular traffic in a bid to mini- mise inconveniences. Access to Sliema Road will be closed for different periods whilst vehicles lanes will be nar- rowed. The Kappara junction will be constructed by a Span- ish joint venture, SJ Kappara K.V., which signed a €22.4 million contract with the De- partment of Contracts. Apart from the construc- tion of the grade separated junction itself, the contract provides for the construction of the merging and diverging lanes to connect the over- pass with the adjoining roads, traffic management during the construction works, road construction works including underground infrastructure and street furniture works, the shifting of existing ser- vices and installation of new services infrastructure, as well as the design and build- ing of other structures. Artist's impression of how the Kappara junction will look The PN was wracked with a reported €8 million debt at the start of 2013