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I refer to the article ‘Mr Prime Minister, please note!’ by Dr Anna Mallia published in Maltatoday of Sunday 3 October 2004.
I will not waste space in your newspaper defending the performance of the Departments forming part of the Government Property Division namely the Land Department, Estate Management Department and Joint Office over the last years. I leave that in the hands of those who are prepared to carry out such assessment objectively considering all relevant factors especially the resources available.
The Ministry for Justice and Home Affairs however objects to Dr Mallia’s assertion that “a blind eye” is turned “as if nothing were happening” in the case of leased commercial property. This is far from the truth. Allow me to assure your readers that action for the non-renewal of lease agreements is taken immediately, in every case where the Land Department has reasonable proof, not just hearsay, that some form of sub-letting or management agreement is being entertained. In fact this procedure has been adopted in a number of cases in the last years. In these cases, there is no policy that Government acts when it is requested to do; the Land Department simply acts, sometimes even in the face of adverse opposition from many quarters, including lawyers who would have originally advised their clients.
The Ministry for Justice and Home Affairs is sure that Dr Mallia appreciates the fact that even though the offices of the Government Property Division are situated in Valletta, it does not necessarily follow that an officer stumbles on proof of sub-letting when walking to and from office or from one office to another. Dr Mallia can be assured that any information she can provide the Government Property Division would be very welcome and the Land Department would definitely investigate. On other occasions where Dr Mallia put queries to these offices, they always endeavoured to supply her with an answer.
Joe Azzopardi
Communications Coordinator
Ministry for Justice and Home Affairs
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