Government cancels €13 million private partnership project

Parliamentary Secretary Jose Herrera has cancelled a decision taken by the St Julian’s council to award a €13 million public private project to a bidder without issuing a tender. Following a call for expression of interest, CareMalta, one of the three bidders, was, on August 19, chosen as a strategic partner to the St Julian’s council for the construction of a community home for the elderly, a car park and new council offices. There was no call for tenders and the other two competitor bidders were not given the right to appeal against the decision of the council. CareMalta, a private elderly care provider is owned by construction magnate Zaren Vassallo. Dr Herrera said he was alerted by a report in MaltaToday and clarified that he had nothing against the chosen bidder. “I am not attacking the technical credibility of the consortium - it could be the best bidder in the world, but if the procedures followed were not regular than it is unacceptable,” he said. He said that his ministry was not informed about the procedures at any stage, and he compared the way the bidder was chosen to “a beauty contest”, with the winner being decided upon by the architect of the St Julian’s...