19 - 25 July 2001

MMA to meet Gozo Business Chamber ‘in near future’

by Ivan Brincat

Malta Maritime Authority chairman Marc Bonello will be meeting the Gozo Business Chamber in the very near future to discuss technical issues relating to the proposed Mgarr terminal.
Dr Bonello spoke to the president of the Gozo Business Chamber John Magro last Thursday after a story was carried in The Malta Business Weekly that said the Chamber was told the MMA chairman was too busy to meet them.
Speaking to this newspaper, the chairman said it was true he was busy but he was never too busy to meet people.
“We have held various consultation meetings with the Planning Authority, the Malta Transport Authority, the Police and the Gozo ministry, which has been providing information on the project in Gozo. However, we will meet anyone who wants information about the terminal,” Dr Bonello said.
On 8 June, the Gozo Business Chamber had requested a meeting with the Malta Maritime Authority.
Back then, the chairman was abroad but he had given instructions that personnel from the authority were to meet the Chamber so there would not be any delays.
“The date had been set for last Monday but the Gozo Business Chamber objected because the committee consisted of 12 people.”
Dr Bonello said he found no problem in going to Gozo to meet the Chamber. “However, I have told the Gozo Business Chamber that they must understand it is not easy for the CEO and the Project Manager to be missing from the office for half a day because that would cause logistical problems.”
The Malta Maritime Authority said neither did he nor his secretary receive phone calls from the Gozo Business Chamber, however Mr Magro had spoken to another secretary at the MMA.
The Gozo Business Chamber president had been very critical of the fact that a meeting had not taken place. “At the end of the day, our members are every-day users of the Mgarr harbour and we want to be consulted on the issue. We cannot comment on the designs because we have not seen them yet,” he said.
Dr Bonello said it was important that the two bodies met to discuss the issues at stake. “We will listen to everyone’s concerns and if there is a need for change, we will do it,” he said.