Minister to support Freeport's business expansion

Minister for the economy Chris Cardona today toured the Freeport facilities as well as the Medserv and Oiltanking depots, where he was flanked by parliamentary secretary Edward Zammit Lewis.

In a short message, Cardona said the new government was committed to the Freeport's business expansion and the development

"The ministry has already acted as an interlocutor between Freeport and the harbour master after chief executive Uwe Malezki flagged an ongoing issue relating to dredging in the area which was taking longer than it was supposed to. It was a technical problem which we helped by intervening to speed up the process," Cardona said.

Zammit Lewis added that the government would also be helping the Freeport by expropriating a piece of government-owned land nearby to be used by the company as storage space.

"The company has continued to expand and its forecasts see further increases. We are therefore looking into the process of expropriation for this piece of land. As a government, we want to see Malta on the forefront as a maritime hub and a customs free zone," Zammit Lewis said.