News | Sunday, 21 June 2009

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Ta’ Xbiex marina to move closer to MIDI’s breakwater

James Debono
The government is claiming it has not pre-selected the MIDI consortium to take over the Ta’ Xbiex marina, which has yet to be privatised.
A tender document seen by MaltaToday has listed MIDI – the developer of Tigné Point and Manoel Island – as the owner of both the Manoel Island marina, but also as the prospective developer of the Ta’ Xbiex marina.
While the Manoel Island marina was granted to MIDI as part of the sale of Manoel Island and Tigné, the government-owned marina in Ta’ Xbiex has not even been privatised yet.
But government wants to move the Ta’ Xbiex marina from the Gzira gardens – which is across the creek from the Manoel Island marina – closer to a breakwater MIDI will have to construct at the end of Manoel Island.
In this way, berthing capacity for MIDI’s concession will be increased, and an additional 99 berthing spaces will be created at Ta’ Xbiex, which currently provides 57 berths.
By far the most lucrative of the marinas, Ta’ Xbiex also has a promenade and adjoining public gardens that can be used for ancillary facilities.
Government is offering 25-year concessions for the marinas at Ta’ Xbiex, Msida and Mgarr.
Industry sources however expressed surprised at reading the tender document in which MIDI was listed alongside the Ta’ Xbiex marina.
The Malta Maritime Authority wants to move the Ta’ Xbiex marina to the new breakwater jutting from Manoel Island, which has to be constructed by MIDI as laid down in the deed for the Tigné and Manoel Island concessions.
In fact the tendering document for the privatisation states that MIDI will be responsible for the infrastructural cost to develop the Ta’ Xbiex marina, giving the impression that MIDI has already been chosen as the owner of this site.
A spokesperson for the Ministry for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications insisted that Ta’ Xbiex has not been allocated to MIDI plc, and is still under the management and control of the Malta Maritime Authority.
The spokesperson cited the ‘Development of Yachting Facilities in Malta’ report, which “links the viability” of developing the Ta’ Xbiex marina at the Gzira gardens, to the new breakwater that MIDI will construct for its own marina at Manoel Island.
The spokesperson said the Ta’ Xbiex marina will only be privatised once the breakwater is completed, and that the timing of the construction of this breakwater still has still to be determined.

jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt

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