Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/994982
4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 JUNE 2018 NEWS The Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects is seeking to recruit individuals who are ready to join a dynamic team and thus, also offering an opportunity to those individuals who would like a career within the Public Service. Applications are being received for the following posts: Manager II (Procurement) Manager I (Procurement) Assistant Manager (Procurement) Quantity Surveyor's Assistant Applications together with a CV will be received by the Customer Care Unit at the People Management Directorate, Blk A, Francesco Buonamici Street, Floriana or through the Online Government Recruitment Portal on http://recruitment.gov.mt by not later than noon (CET) of Monday 2nd July, 2018. Further details may be obtained from the Government Gazette of the 15th June 2018 or by sending an email on recruitment.mtip@gov.mt The application form may be downloaded from: https://publicservice.gov.mt/en/people/Pages/Pe opleResourcingandCompliance/FormsandTempl ates.aspx Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, Francesco Buonamici Street, Floriana, Tel No: 2292 7864, Email: recruitment.mtip@gov.mt Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects KURT SANSONE BORMLA has the highest con- centration of separated indi- viduals on social assistance, according to figures tabled in Parliament last week. Just over 3% of the resident Maltese population in the har- bour city are separated and receiving social assistance or an equivalent unemployment benefit. The figures also show that the locality has the highest con- centration of single mothers receiving social assistance. Valletta, the capital, places second in both league tables. The figures for separated peo- ple and single mothers on so- cial assistance for each locality were tabled by Social Solidarity Minister Michael Falzon. He was answering a parliamen- tary question by Labour MP Etienne Grech. MaltaToday worked out the numbers as a percentage of each locality's Maltese-only population to determine the concentration. And while there are other localities with more separated people and single mothers liv- ing there than Bormla and Val- letta, the two localities have the highest concentration, given their relatively smaller popula- tions. Population figures were taken from the estimates released by the National Statistics Office earlier this year. The figures show that St Paul's Bay had the highest number of separated peo- ple on social assistance with 225 living in the northern seaside locality, followed by Birkirkara with 220. However, the Maltese-only population for both localities stands at 14,597 and 21,392 re- spectively, which means they have a lower concentration. The top 10 localities with the highest concentrations are pre- dominantly those around the Grand Harbour, confirming the higher prevalence of pov- erty in the Southern Harbour region. There are 3,305 separated people in Malta and Gozo and 2,464 single mothers, who are receiving social assistance. A spokesperson for the Social Solidarity Ministry said that more than 80% of separated people on social assistance are women. "Most of these cases are women, who were never in a job when they were still mar- ried or who had to stop work- ing to take care of their chil- dren after the separation," the spokesperson said. In the case of women recog- nised as single mothers, these would never have been mar- ried, and include teenage preg- nancies. The small Gozitan localities of Fontana and San Lawrenz have no single mothers on so- cial assistance. San Lawrenz also has no separated people living there who are on social assistance. ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt JAMES DEBONO THE Environment and Resources Authority is objecting to a hotel proposed by the wife of former Gozo minister Anton Refalo in the Tal- Malvi area of Qala, in Gozo. The authority said the proposed development was located outside development zones in a pristine area of Qala, and expressed concern that approval of a hotel in the area would result in "foreseeable pressures for subsequent future ancillary interventions and activities". The ERA declared that the proposed hotel was "objectionable in principle". The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage also alerted the Planning Authority to the fact that part of the property has "evident historical value", noting the presence of a "cave", the na- ture of which is unclear. While calling for more information on the proposal, the Superintendence noted that the latest application was the last in a series "leading to an incremental extension and intensification of development outside development zones." Piecemeal development on the 2,000sq.m site, including various additions to the existing farmhouse, a swimming pool approved in 2004, and extensive landscaping works carried out be- tween 1998 and 2018, have drastically changed the topography of the site as can be confirmed by a comparison of aerial photos taken by the PA. In 2009 the PA justified the regularisation of a reservoir and landscaping works as these were in line with the landscaping layout already ap- proved in the previous applications, while the reservoir was deemed acceptable as it compli- mented the use of the garden. All applications presented up to 2004 had been presented by Anton Refalo who was already a Labour MP at the time. But all applications pre- sented on the site after 2009 were put forward by his wife Lina. The latest application foresees excavations beneath the farmhouse to accommodate hotel rooms and ancillary services. The 2014 rural policy allows the development of basement lev- els and facilitates a change of use of legal estab- lishments. Refalo served as Gozo minister between 2013 and 2017 and is today chairperson of Malta's national heritage agency, Heritage Malta. Gozo Labour MP's hotel 'objectionable' says ERA Anton Refalo Bormla, Valletta with highest concentration of single mothers on assistance HIGHEST CONCENTRATIONS Single mothers receiving social assistance 1. Cospicua (154) 3% 2. Valletta (133) 2.4% 3. Senglea (61) 2.3% Separated people receiving social assistance 1. Cospicua (164) 3.2% 2. Valletta (138) 2.5% 3. Floriana (35), Hamrun (162), Xghajra (30) 1.9% The numbers in brackets represent the actual cases. The percentage represents the number of cases as a proportion of the localities' Maltese-only population, giving the concentration. Ranking is based on the percentage. "Most of these cases are women, who were never in a job when they were still married or who had to stop working to take care of their children after the separation"