The hospital’s concrete

 

The issue came to the fore last September when Minister Konrad Mizzi said that there were problems with constructing additional wards on the Emergency Department of Mater Dei Hospital.  The contractor whose tender had been selected proceeded to carry out the necessary tests to ascertain that the existing buildings had the specified load-bearing properties. It was found that they did not.

All hell broke loose. Questions were asked as to how this was possible. Only one person kept his cool, former Finance Minister Tonio Fenech who, in September ,  declared  that he was not at all surprised by what was being said. He added that he was aware that Skanska, the contractor in charge of the hospital construction project, had repeatedly refused to construct additional floors because (it maintained)  the structure was not designed to carry such additional loads.

How come that only former Minister Tonio Fenech seems to have been aware of the design limitations of the hospital’s concrete?

On the other hand, whilst an inquiry is under way, Minister Konrad Mizzi is unethically disseminating selective titbits of information in order to make heavily loaded political statements.

Arup Group, a UK engineering firm, was commissioned by the government to analyse  the concrete used in the hospital’s structure. The report, which has already been submitted to the government and parts of which are being selectively quoted by Minster Konrad Mizzi, has not yet been published.

Likewise, the government is selectively quoting a waiver agreement between the Foundation for Medical Services and Skanska, signed on the conclusion of the project, presumably putting in writing what had been  agreed when addressing the final list of pending issues between the parties. The quotes being made lead to the conclusion that the waiver agreement was a blanket waiver. In fact, Minister Konrad Mizzi is actively encouraging such a conclusion. A full disclosure of the agreement would make it possible to consider whether the selective quotes are misleading –  as they most probably are.

Contrary to the manner in which the public debate has so far developed, the issue of the hospital concrete is primarily one of quality control on site, that is whether adequate quality control existed on site throughout the duration of the project. Such quality control requires that all concrete used on the Mater Dei project should have been sampled on use and tested according to established standards. Generally speaking, 28  days after use the project management team would have been in possession of the laboratory results on the concrete’s strength.

The questions which logically arise are whether the project managers had results indicating that the concrete supplied was not compatible with the relative specifications and, if such results did in fact materialise,  the manner in which they reacted to them.

The answers to these questions will point to the technical responsibilities arising both professionally and managerially.

Are there political responsibilities? I do not know. However,  the question of political responsibilities could arise if the politicians in charge interfered (directly or indirectly) in the technical decision taking. Political responsibilities  could also arise if the politicians obstructed the Foundation for Medical Services in the performance  of its duties by, for example, withholding funds or by dishing out appointments to persons who were not fit for purpose.

These are undoubtedly issues which the inquiry led by Mr Justice (retired) Philip Sciberras will examine, hopefully in some detail.

The sooner this whole saga comes to an end, the better. It is about time that everybody’s mind is at rest. This includes the taxpayer, who is not yet certain whether he will end up footing the bill.

Published in The Malta Independent on Sunday, 31 May 2015

Aħjar jagħti każ dak li qallu Mario de Marco

L-artiklu fuq iNews il-bieraħ bil-kummenti tiegħi dwar l-attività tal-PN li għandha issir iż-Żonqor Marsaskala iktar tard  illum kien riżultat ta’ telefonata li kelli f’12.00pm mingħand Albert Gauci-Cunningham, ġurnalista ta’ Union Press.

Il-kummenti li waslu wara li Albert ippubblika l-artiklu kienu numru kbir. Min jaqbel u min ovvjament ma qabilx.

Dawk li qablu mal-kummenti tiegħi fehmu illi la jiena u l-anqas Alternattiva Demokratika m’aħna ser inħallu l-opportuniżmu politiku ta’ Simon Busuttil jinqeda bina. Għax la f’Simon u l-anqas fil-PN ma’ hemm xi konvinzjoni li għandhom japprezzaw l-ambjent. Anzi, Simon Busttil jidhirlu li l-PN għamel ħafna suċċessi ambjentali!

Ma nafx min qed jagħtih dawn il-pariri!

Kien ikun ħafna iktar għaqli għal Simon Busuttil u għall-Partit Nazzjonalista kieku  jimxi fuq il-parir ta’ Mario de Marco li fissru nhar il-Ħadd li għadda waqt il-Kunsill Ġenerali tal-PN. Għandu bżonn li l-ewwel ħaġa li jagħmel tkun li jara sewwa fejn il-PN fil-Gvern għamel il-ħsara ambjentali: jiġifieri għandu jeżamina ftit il-kuxjenza politika tal-PN. Jipprova jifhem ftit kemm hi kbira l-ħsara li għamel il-PN fil-Gvern lill-ambjent. Din il-ħsara, tmur lil hinn minn dak li bi prudenza kbira qal Mario de Marco. Ma saritx biss f’isem it-tkabbir ekonomiku.

Meta jagħmel hekk, imbagħad, forsi, meta jitkellem dwar l-ambjent ikun xi ftit kredibbli.

Imma jidher li sa ma jasal hemm għad baqa’ ftit mhux ħażin!

 

Meta l-Parlament ta’ Malta ivvota favur il-bini fl-ODZ

Il-Front Ħarsien ODZ għadu kif talab lill-Membri Parlamentari kollha biex jiddikjaraw il-posizzjoni tagħhom dwar il-bini fl-ODZ.

Tajjeb li niftakru li l-Parlament ta’ Malta nhar l-Erbgħa 26 ta’ Lulju 2006 ivvota favur li artijiet kbar li kienu ODZ isiru tajjeb għall-bini (Rationalisation).

Fil-Parlament Malti illum għad baqa’ 14-il Membru Parlamentari li dakinhar ivvutaw favur li l-ODZ ikun jista’ jinbena. F’ordni alfabetiku dawn huma l-14-il Membru Parlamentari  li nhar is26 ta’ Lulju 2006 ivvotaw favur li artijiet ODZ jingħataw għall-bini :

Agius David, Arrigo Robert, Azzopardi Fredrick, Azzopardi Jason, Cassar Joseph, Debono Giovanna, Fenech Tonio, Galea Ċensu, Galea Mario, Gonzi Michael, Mifsud Bonnici Carmelo, Puli Clyde, Pullicino George u Zammit Dimech Francis.

L-Opposizzjoni Laburista ivvutat kontra. Għax sa dakinnhar il-Labour ma kienx jaqbel li l-ODZ jinbena!

Illum bidlu l-poszzjoni!

Il-listi fil-bidu ta’ dan l-artiklu huma estratt mill-minuti tal-Parlament u juru kif ivvutaw il-Membri Parlamentari kollha fuq il-bini fl-ODZ. Hemm tlett membri tal-Parlament li isimhom ma jidhirx għax dakinnhar ma attendewx Parlament. Dawn huma Chris Cardona, Mario de Marco u Karmenu Vella!

Lil min tafu tistaqsix għalih

Għada l-Ħadd, fiż-Żonqor, f’Marsaskala, ser jinstemgħu dikjarazzjonijiet dwar kemm il-Partit Nazzjonalista għandu l-ambjent għal qalbu. Forsi ukoll ikollna dikjarazzjonijiet dwar kemm dan il-PN irid u fi ħsiebu jipproteġi ż-żona barra l-linja tal-iżvilupp (l-ODZ).

F’kull rokna ta’ Malta għandna x-xhieda  ta’ kemm, meta kellu l-opportunità, l-Partit Nazzjonalista fil-Gvern mexa mod ieħor. Kemm art ODZ ingħatat ghall-bini.

Il-passat ma jgħaddix, ma jintesiex. Għax għadna nbatu l-konsegwenzi tiegħu.

Il-kredibilità bil-mod biex tiksibha lura.

Il-ġimgħa l-oħra qalulna : “l-ambjent hu l-futur tal-PN.”  Jiġifieri, l-PN għandu quddiemu l-opportunità biex jieħu rikba tajba minn fuq l–ambjent!

Lil min tafu m’hemmx għalfejn tistaqsi għalih.

Labour & the Environment : it gets better every day!

The map above indicates the 4 marine protected areas around Malta.

The proposed location of the cruise terminal/yacht centre/luxury villas project at Tas-Simar Qala Gozo is in site Number 2.

Labour’s credentials on environment protection get better every day!

 

Tas-Simar in Gozo : the design says it all

The online media have published what the proposed Gozo cruise liner terminal at Tas-Simar limits of Qala would look like.

The proposal is to develop a former limestone quarry along the Qala coast. It includes a yacht marina, a terminal building, a luxury hotel, villas and other residential units and obviously retail and leisure facilities with fantastic views.

The phallic design describes visually the impacts of the project.

The area is a Marine Protected area. But more about that later.

Il-konkos f’Mater Dei: min kellu idu fil-borma?

 

Fil-konferenza stampa ta’ Konrad Mizzi u Chris Fearne intqal li l-konkos dgħajjef f’Mater Dei twassal fuq is-sit fl-ewwel sitt xhur tal-1996.

Lawrence Gonzi, dal-għodu qalilna li l-ftehim [dwar il-waiver] bejn il-Fondazzjoni għas-Servizzi Mediċi (FMS) u Skanska qatt ma tela’ l-Kabinett għall-approvazzjoni. Dan minnu innifsu jnissel ħafna iktar mistoqsijiet dwar x’ġara fil-fatt u dwar min realment kellu idu fil-borma.

Imma l-gazzetti jidher li m’humiex jagħtu piż biżżejjed lil biċċa informazzjoni oħra li sirna nafu biha f’Settembru li għadda. Dakinnhar meta ħarġet l-aħbar li l-konkos kien dgħajjef u l-bini għaldaqstant ma jiflaħx piż addizzjonali, Tonio Fenech kien qal li xejn ma kien sorpriż. Kien żied jgħid li kien għalhekk li Skanska kienu irrifjutaw li jżidu l-għoli tal-bini.

Dan kollu jfisser li hemm min ilu ħafna jaf li l-kwalità tal-konkos użata f’Mater Dei kienet inferjuri minn dak ippjanat. Probabbilment ħafna qabel ma ġie iffirmat il-ftehim li skandalizza lil kulħadd.

Il-mistoqsijiet li jeħtieġu tweġiba huma bosta. Liema kienu l-idejn iħawwdu fil-borma tal-konkos ta’ Mater Dei? Kemm kienet ilha magħrufa din l-informazzjoni? X’kienu d-deċiżjonijiet dakinnhar li kienet magħrufa din l-informazzjoni?

Qabel ma jkun hemm tweġiba għal dawn il-mistoqsijiet ser ikun diffiċli ħafna li nifhmu kemm x’ġara kif ukoll min hu responsabbli.

 

Il-konkos ta’ Mater Dei

Dak li qed jintqal dwar il-konkos ta’ Mater Dei hu gravi ħafna.

Mhux biss għax mir-riżultati tekniċi qed jirriżulta illi l-konkos użat kien wieħed inferjuri. Imma fuq kollox għax qed jingħata l-messaġġ ċar li l-kontrolli interni li kien hemm f’sit ta’ kostruzzjoni tal-kobor tal-isptar Mater Dei, ma ħadmux.

Qed jingħata messaġġ ieħor gravi ħafna: li hemm irregolarità kbira li seta kien hemm min kien jaf biha u ipprova jostora.

Għax meta jinġieb il-konkos fuq sit ta’ dan il-kobor jittieħed kampjun li wara jintbagħat fil-laboratorju biex tiġi ivverifikat is-saħħa tiegħu. Wara 28 ġurnata suppost li l-managment tas-sit kien konxju tar-riżultati dwar is-saħħa tal-konkos. Għax inkella x’jiswa’ l-biżibilju periti u tekniċi oħra li kienu impjegati biex jagħtu servizz fuq is-sit u li tħallsu flejjes tajba għal snin kbar biex propju jagħmlu l-kontrolli u l-verifiki neċessarji?

Il-mistoqsijiet ewlenin li għalija jeħtieġu tweġiba huma:

1. saru t-testijiet tal-konkos?
2. min irċieva r-riżultati mill-laboratorju dwar dawn it-testijiet?
3. x’ħareġ minn dawn ir-riżultati ?
4. x’passi ittieħdu wara li ġew eżaminati r-riżultati dwar is-saħħa tal-konkos?

Qed nistenna l-konklużjonijiet tal-inkjesta immexxija mill-Imħallef Philip Sciberras li nittama li fosthom insib risposta għal dawn il-mistoqsijiet bażiċi.

Huwa wara li jkollna dawn it-tweġibiet li nistgħu nikkunsdraw xi ftehim sar bejn l-FMS [Foundation for Medical Services] u l-kumpanija Skanska.  Iżda jkun tajjeb li qabel ma nikkummentaw dwar dan il-ftehim inkunu nafu l-kliem eżatt tiegħu għax dan jista’ jagħmel differenza kbira.

Sadanittant ikun għaqli li jieqfu l-ispekulazzjonijiet għax dawn m’huma ser isolvu xejn. Meta l-fatti jkunu magħrufa jkun stabilit ukoll min ikkontribwixxa biex seħħew dawn il-fatti. Imbagħad ikun possibli li kull min kellu responsabbiltà jerfa’ dak li jmissu.

Nittama biss li ma jiġrix bħas-soltu u jintefa l-piż fuq iż-żgħir.

Fuq dan il-blog dwar l-istess suġġett ara:

Skanska u Tonio Fenech dwar il-konkos f’Mater Dei.

Mater Dei: Ir-responsabbiltà ta’ Tonio Fenech hi li tingħata spjegazzjoni.

 

Titfaċċa l-kuxjenza l-ħadra tal-PN

Fid-diskussjoni pubblika li għaddejja dwar l-Università taż-Żonqor f’Marsaskala nieħu pjaċir nosserva li ħafna illum qed iqiesu ruħom bħala li huma favur l-ambjent.  Dan irrispettivament mill-passat li ġejjin minnu. Inkluż passat li jikkuntrasta mal-posizzjonijiet li jieħdu llum.

Il-passat għadda, jgħidulek. Spiċċa.

Verissimu. L-passat għadda.

Imma min jinsa’ l-passat ikun qed jikkundanna lilu innifsu biex jerġa’ jgħixu. Għax għandu ħabta kif jirrepeti ruħu dan l-imbierek passat!

Fi ftit kliem hu faċli li l-Partit Nazzjonalista jiskopri kuxjenza ambjentali waqt li qiegħed fl-Opposizzjoni. Ir-realta hi li meta l-iktar kellu bzonnha din il-kuxjenza ambjentali ma kienet tidher imkien!

Opportuniżmu? Ma tarax! Probabbilment li konverzjoni! Din hi r-realta’ tal-ħajja! Il-PN wiċċu u sormu xorta.

 

 

 

Muscat’s priorities : the environment not included

 

The manner in which the government is handling the Żonqor University issue is a failure in environmental governance. It is a mishandling of Malta’s natural resources.

How can the government say that the feasibility of the Żonqor project depends on the low monetary value of the ODZ land and expect to be taken seriously? Is this not placing the profits of the Jordanian businessman above everything else, including Malta’s interests?

After the government signed a preliminary agreement with Jordanian businessman Hani Hasan N Salah on what has been labelled as the “American University of Malta” (at Żonqor Point) civil society erupted. The site site earmarked for development will gobble up thousands of square metres of agricultural land. Earlier this week, Joseph Muscat  tried to minimise the impact by stating that only one per cent of the agricultural land to be taken up for the project is used for growing crops. He was immediately rubbished by the farmers themselves who told the Independent on Friday that most of the agricultural land in question was, in fact, used to produce potatoes for the export market.

The term ODZ (Outside Development Zone) is associated with rural areas where development is limited to what is necessary in the interests of agriculture. There have been a number of exceptions, but, so far, such exceptions have been made where ODZ development was considered to be in the national interest. Such instances included the state hospital, the airport terminal, Malta’s only University, the Freeport, a number of both state and private schools, a home for the elderly, industrial estates, sewage purification plants and waste management facilities.

We have also had the case of Smart City. This replaced the former Ricasoli Industrial Estate but the site was extended into ODZ territory.

The general feeling is that ODZ land should only be developed in exceptional cases which have a social policy dimension or else are required in the national interest. The proposed American University is not such a case.

The government has not done its homework: in particular, it has not, to date, examined alternative sites for the proposed University. The ongoing debate has identified a myriad of such alternatives, most of which are located in Malta’s political south. In some instances, the alternatives sites that have been identified are competing with other uses proposed through “expressions of interests” currently being assessed. Whilst this might be understandable at this point, the government needs to explain why it has issued these “expressions of interests” when it knew quite some time ago that it had this competing demand for a substantial area.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister  Muscat embarked on a damage limitation exercise through which he seeks to collect from the public a list of possible alternative sites for his consideration.   This is a farce in the making, because suitable sites for this type of project are not selected in this manner.  The government  should have embarked on a meticulous search months ago, and should have entrusted a group of experts with the study of all possible options, analysing in detail the advantages and disadvantages of each site, including the relative opportunity costs.

The fact that it did not proceed in this manner is a testimony to the amateurishness of the Muscat administration, an administration which clearly imagines that it knows it all. It is bad governance at its worst.

Malta has a right to land use planning that is sensible and sensitive. Each one of us has the right to expect as much from Labour, which promised that the environment would be its priority.

By now it should  be pretty obvious to everyone that the Audrey Harrison billboard stating that, for Labour, the environment is a priority is just another gimmick. The environment never was a Labour priority, and it will never be.

Published in the Independent on Sunday, 24 May 2015