A property rented by the government from the Gozo Curia in 2013 for use as a home for the elderly is still not operational, despite €1million having been spent in rent so far. And it is still not clear when the first residents will move in, a report by the Audit Office has said. The project to transform the former Għajnsielem youth hostel, Dar San Ġużepp, into a government-run residence for the elderly was announced by the Gozo Ministry in 2013. The home was to have 70 rooms and 140 beds. The Audit Office said the agreement is still in place and rent is still being paid. However, the building remains unfinished, without basic structures such as apertures, and hence it has never accommodated older persons. The project suffered a string of delays, some of which the Gozo Ministry had no control over. Among them was two-year delay between 21 July 2013 and 18 February 2015 related to the issuing of planning permits. But the Gozo Ministry published a tender for the finishing, furnishing, outfitting, operations, management and maintenance of the residence more than two years after the conclusion of a study outlining the preferred financial and economic options for the project. "While...
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