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Matthew Vella
The Welcome Europe consortium, organisers of the 1 May spectacular that will herald the accession of the Maltese islands into the European Union, have claimed the seas for a few hours. According to the agreement negotiated with the government for the 30 April-1 May celebrations, the consortium have been granted permission to charge a fee to boats and yachts moored in the Grand Harbour on the night of the 30 April.
An interested yacht-owner was asked to pay Lm60 to be granted access to the Grand Harbour for a 30-foot craft with ten people on board. Speaking to a representative of the consortium on a publicly announced mobile number, he was told access had been restricted to 35 crafts, and around five others were on a waiting list.
MaltaToday was also approached by individuals who had chartered their crafts on the night of the fireworks and light spectacular, and confirmed the Welcome Europe consortium were charging all boat owners a fee of Lm5 per passenger. On one occasion, a consortium representative asked specifically for 10 free VIP tickets apart from the standard fee of Lm5 per passenger on the boat.
Owners who were planning to charter yachts into the harbour remarked how only a week after the celebrations, when they will be chartering their crafts once again for the Malta Fireworks Festival, no fees are expected to be charged. “We have specifically told our passengers that their fee also covers the Lm5 payable to the consortium. I guess we just have to grin and bear it,” one owner told MaltaToday.
The Malta Maritime Authority has issued a notice saying barges will be placed between Senglea Point and St Angelo Point and between St Angelo and Bighi Point to demarcate the virtual borders at the creeks’ entrances. Patrol boats will also be surveying the ‘borders’ between Gun Wharf and Senglea Point, between the Valletta bell tower and Ricasoli Point, and between Ricasoli and Hospital Point at Kalkara.
Contacted by this newspaper, Tourism and Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech said he was not aware of how much was being charged by the consortium to boat owners, but confirmed that this was one of the consortium’s rights as negotiated with the government.
“There are limited access points to the Grand Harbour. This was announced in an earlier press release, and the organising consortium has established the rates payable. It is part of the agreement, to make the event financially viable,” Zammit Dimech told MaltaToday.
Asked whether charging fees for access was a justifiable toll in the light of the national festivities celebrating EU accession, Zammit Dimech said he would not pass judgement on whether such a charge was justifiable: “The consortium submitted a tender to have such a right and for the event to be financially feasible. This guarantees that the extra money to make for the shortfall in finances will not be footed by the taxpayer.”
The government has pledged over Lm280,000 for the organisation of the 1 May celebrations.
The Welcome Europe consortium has, however, reserved the right to cordon off public gardens in Valletta and Floriana to lease out to their sponsors where entry into the gardens will be restricted to sponsors’ invitees. According to the consortium, the idea is to make good for the shortfall in finances needed to organise the event, reportedly more than double the contribution that is to be made by the government.
Four public gardens, Valletta’s Upper and the Lower Barakka, and two Floriana public gardens have been awarded to the consortium to lease out. The consortium originally demanded to have access to the four public gardens in Floriana but the local council only allowed the consortium access to two.
matthew@newsworksltd.com
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