Updated | Department for Local Government accuses PL of bad financial management

The Department for Local Government (DLG) within the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) issued a statement in reaction to a press conference held in Gzira by mayor Chris Bonnet and PL spokesperson Stefan Bountempo.

The DLG said the Gzira local council took unlawful decisions and expected the department to approve illegal decisions. The Gzira local council is being accused of bad financial management and the DLG warned that these illegal decisions will lead to financial repercussions which will ultimately have a negative effect on the residents.

The DLG accused the local council of approving the variation in works without consulting all councillors and without informing the department. The DLG said the Gzira council approved the continuation of works at an extra cost of €57,000 and it only got to know about these illegalities after "some councillors", presumably PN councillors, pushed the council to submit a report on these works.

The Gzira council was chastised by the DLG for attempting to continue the works without its approval and was reminded that local councils should respect the law and financial regulations.

The department, which falls under the OPM's responsibility, also said that the attitude demonstrated by the Labour-led local council and the Opposition does not auger well for a future PL government. The DLG said events in Gzira are a certificate of very bad financial management at local level on behalf of the Opposition, which might repeat itself on a national level.

PL mayor Bonnet addressed a press conference in Stuart Street, Gzira together with Labour spokesperson for local government Stefan Buontempo in regards to incomplete road works which is causing significant trouble to residents of Stuart Street and the streets around.

PL spokesperson Stefan Buontempo expressed his solidarity with Gzira residents and shop owners suffering from these inconveniences and accused government of being insensitive to the people's needs and troubles. He said government should stop taking local councils for a ride and stop using councils for its own partisan interests.

The Gzira mayor said works on the street commenced months ago as part of the Public Private Partnership road resurfacing projects only to be stalled because part of the road is resting on a bed of soil. He explained that the Local Council was informed by the contractor about the need to dig up the road and lay a bed of concrete below part of the street. He added that the Council approved the variation of works in November yet this has not yet been approved by the Local Council Departments.

The Gzira mayor said that the council has been corresponding with the department since, sending over 40 emails, yet the department has not taken a decision. As a result the road works stopped completely leaving the street in a horrible state and causing residents and shop owners considerable inconveniences.

The Gzira Local Council took a vote on whether the works should go ahead without the department's permission to complete the works before Christmas however the council was informed by Transport Malta that works can only commence on 2 January 2011. Bonnet also accused the PN councillors of putting their partisan interests ahead of the resident's interests after voting against the completion of the works on two separate occasions. He echoed opposition leader Joseph Muscat's call on government to end excessive bureaucracy and warned that residents in Gzira will hold government accountable for these inconveniences.

Buontempo said unlike with major road projects, government is inflexible with budgets regarding residential street projects. He also called on the Local Council Department to employ an expert architect on road works and carry out thorough tests to avoid such inconveniences. He added that local councils in Malta only administer 1.8% of allocated funds compared to the 30% EU average.