The Truth about Malta Shipbuilding

The Truth about MaltaShipbuilding

Mr John Dalli, Shadow Minister of Finance, criticised MaltaShipbuilding for practices which were introduced in the shipbuilding yardwhen he was responsible for the yards under the previous Nationalistadministration (The Times, 6th January 1998).

When Mr John Dalli was Minister of Finance, he authorised therecruitment of several Polish welders and other foreign tradesmen to work onthe building of vessels at Malta Shipbuilding. Moreover he criticisedthe Labour Government for winning work orders for Malta Shipbuilding.

In fact the vessels being built at present by MaltaShipbuilding were contracted for under the previous administration. Thecontract for the building of three Gozo ferries at Malta Shipbuildingwas signed a few days before the 1996 General Election, when Mr Dalli was stillresponsible for the Maltese shipyards.

Mr Dalli also objected to the way ships are being built at MaltaShipbuilding. Mr Dalli knows full well that when he was Ministerresponsible for the shipyards he approved the complex multi-party agreement forthe building of the Gozo ferries. The agreement between Gozo Channel Co Ltdand Malta Shipbuilding Co Ltd, signed in October 1996, did not evenspecify the amount which Gozo Channel would pay for the servicesprovided by Malta Shipbuilding. It is obvious that short-term politicalobjectives were very much on Mr Dalli's mind when he was still responsible forthese decisions.

IL-VERITA` DWAR IL-MALTA SHIPBUILDING

Is-Sur John Dalli, Shadow Minister tal-Finanzi, ikkritikal-Malta Shipbuilding ghad-drawwiet li dahlu fit-tarzna meta din kienettahtu fi zmien il-Gvern Nazzjonalista (The Times tas-6 ta' Jannar1998).

Meta s-SurDalli kien Ministru tal-Finanzi, huwa awtorizza r-reklutagg ta' ghadd ta' haddiema Pollakki u bosta haddiema barranin biex jahdmu fuq il-bini ta'vapuri fil-Malta Shipbuilding. Fuq kollox, huwa kkritika l-GvernLaburista talli hadem biex jikseb xoghol ghal Malta Shipbuilding.

Fil-fatt il-vapuri li qed jinbnew bhalissa mill-MaltaShipbuilding kien sarilhom il-kuntratt taht il-Gvern ta' qabel.Il-kuntratt ghall-bini tat-tliet vapuri ta' Ghawdex fil-Malta Shipbuilding gie ffirmat ftit tal-jiem qabel l-Elezzjoni ta' l-1996, meta s-Sur John Dallikien ghadu responsabbli ghat-tarznari ta' Malta.

Is-Sur Dalli maqdar ukoll il-mod kif qed jinbnewil-vapuri tal-Malta Shipbuilding. Is-Sur Dalli jaf sew li meta kienMinistru responsabbli ghat-tarznari huwa approva l-ftehim kumpless umulti-partitiku ghall-bini tal-vapuri t'Ghawdex. Il-ftehim bejn il-GozoChannel Co Ltd u l-Malta Shipbuilding Co Ltd, iffirmat f'Ottubru1996, lanqas ma semma l-ammont li l-Gozo Channel trid thallas ghas-servizzi pprovduti mill-Malta Shipbuilding. Huwa ovvju li s-SurDalli kellu f'mohhu oggettivi politici fuq medda qasira ta' zmien meta kien ghadu responsabbli ghal dawn id-decizjonijiet.