City Gate project delayed by a year

The completion date of the City Gate project has been postponed by almost a year and it is running over budget by at least €6 million, The Sunday Times of Malta has learnt. The new Parliament building at the entrance to Valletta will not be functional before the second quarter of next year, a spokeswoman for the Infrastructure Ministry said. The supply of stone from a quarry in Qala, which is being used for cladding, as well as the complexity of the design, are partly to blame for the delay. Designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano, the project unveiled in June, 2009, was due to be completed this month. However, the Infrastructure Ministry said the former government did not abide by the original deadlines and works had therefore fallen behind. This contrasts sharply with a number of statements made by former minister Austin Gatt who was responsible for the project. During a site visit last October, Dr Gatt had remarked that the project was on target and on budget. By that stage, €44 million worth of work had already been carried out, he had said. But according to the Infrastructure Ministry, the project’s total financial outlay has soared to €86 million “with updates...