EU funds to be redirected to three educational projects

In a press conference held today, Parliamentary Secretary for EU Funds Ian Borg announced that €5.5 million in EU funds that were earmarked for the suspended photovoltaic schemes for industries will be redirected to three educational projects.

The funds will be used for new sporting facilities at St. Ignatius College, Qormi, the regeneration of educational and vocational facilities at Marija Regina College Boys Secondary School in Mosta, and the construction of a new unit at the Sixth Form campus in Gozo.

Education, research & innovation, energy, job creation amongst youths and facilitating financial access to SMEs are among the priorities the government has set for the forthcoming EU multi-annual financial framework spanning over the next seven years.

Underlining the government's intent to be entirely focused on its priorities, Borg highlighted various initiatives taken during the past eight months.

These include the building of two new wards at Mater Dei Hospital that will be housing 68 new beds for patients undergoing intensive treatment.

Borg said that these actions underscore the government commitment to use EU funds in an "efficient and careful" manner as promised in the Labour Party's electoral programme.

He pointed out that this "contrasted significantly" with the way decisions under previous administrations were made.