Wasteserv board hands in resignation, new non-executive board appointed

Environment Minister Leo Brincat has appointed a new non-executive board at Wasteserv after the government accepted the resignations offered by the previous board.

A former assistant to the Prime Minister during the years he served as member of the European parliament, David Borg has been appointed by the government as the new non-executive chairman.

Engineer Helga Pizzuto has been appointed deputy chairman while PL mayor Edric Mifsud together with Godwin Pulis, Peter Gatt, Iris Camilleri Mifsud and John Darmanin are members.

It is not yet clear whether current CEO Saviour Abela will retain his position. Asked whether Abela had submitted his resignation, the minister said that "technically he hadn't".

"However, the responsibility of who should be Wasteserv's chief executive officer is not mine but a decision that should be taken by the board," he said, adding that the board will "not jump the gun".

Announcing the board members, Brincat described the appointment as the first step in a process after a strategic review into Wasteserv's operations was commissioned.

The review is expected to take six weeks.

"None of the board members will be recommending any strategic decisions before the review is completed and their appointment doesn't mean that now we're back to business," the minister explained.

"Before we take any strategic decisions, we must first see what are the strengths and weaknesses of the company."

Brincat described the new board as composed of qualified individuals with mixed experiences in engineering, sciences, management, private sector and public administration.

The minister also reiterated government's and MEPA's commitment to do what is possible to meet the EU target to have a Waste Management Plan finalised by the end of this year.