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Continuing delay at Waterport Terraces, says Opposition
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The Opposition condemn the Government for the continuing delay in the completion of Waterport Terraces. This follows the information given at the last meeting of Parliament that Albert Risso House for the elderly is estimated to be completed this summer and the remainder of Waterport Terraces by June 2009.
It will be recalled that the housing estate was originally scheduled to be completed in three phases between January and June 2007. The original completion dates did not materialise and have been pushed back several times. Last year the Government said that the project would be completed in the first quarter of this year which means by the end of March. Now they have said it will not be completed before June.
The Opposition considers that the way in which the Government have behaved in relation to the completion of this project leaves much to be desired. It is also totally unacceptable that they have tried to avoid taking any responsibility for the delays even though a Government owned company is the developer.
In the past, when accused by Shadow Housing Minister Charles Bruzon of breaking their promises in relation to the completion dates, Mr Caruana is on record as having said that the Government ?has never made any promise, nor even a commitment, to any purchaser about any completion date.? Mr Caruana then attempted to redefine the meaning of the word ?promise?. This kind of behaviour is totally unethical and it shows that the GSD cannot be taken at their word for anything that say might say.
Indeed, to make matters worse on the eve of the November 2007 general election the Government announced unrealistic completion dates and gave the impression of general compensation for the delays. It emerged after the elections had passed that purchasers would have to wait more time for their flats and that there would be limited compensation for some of them only.
The plain fact is that completion dates were given at the outset to purchasers by the Government owned company that is the developer of the project. These were repeated or changed in subsequent newsletters. More dates were given in answer to Opposition questions in Parliament. It is quite incredible how none of these is considered by Mr Caruana to be either a ?promise? or even a ?commitment?. In the meantime purchasers are stuck with paying bridging loans to the banks which will not count towards their final mortgage payments or stuck with paying a rent for accommodation elsewhere while they continue to wait patiently for their flats.
Shadow Housing Minister Charles Bruzon said: ?It saddens me to see Mr Caruana play with words in this way. If he never promises anything then why does he publish a manifesto. It is obvious that purchasers will regard the information given by the Government, as the developer, precisely as a promise and as a commitment. The attitude of the Chief Minister shows a level of contempt for the public which is not very proper or very healthy. Is the Government never to blame for anything and is Mr Caruana never at fault? It is clear to me that they have a lesson or two to learn in humility and political honesty.?
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