The Nationalist Party has accused Heritage Malta and the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage of “not fulfilling their obligations” and “only reacting to the Ggantija permit after various environmental organisations and the Nationalist Party had made their voices heard.”

The PN slammed the approval of “the scandalous development” in the area of the Megalithic Temples of Ggantija in Gozo, which are protected by UNESCO as a world heritage site.

In a statement the PN said that “this confirms that the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage and Heritage Malta are not fulfilling their obligations, while the Planning Authority follows its own will.”

It added that, “it is only after bad decisions and because they find their backs against the wall that they sometimes react.”

The Nationalist Party demanded that the Planning Authority, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage and Heritage Malta “do not take reactive actions,” and appealed to the Government “to not only not interfere in the decisions of the authorities, but to provide every tool necessary for them to do everything expected of them to safeguard our national heritage.”

The Nationalist Party also demanded that the Planning Authority, the Superintendency of Cultural Heritage and Heritage Malta “do not take half-baked actions, but must take the necessary actions so that the permit is revoked according to law and without further dragging of feet.”

The Nationalist Party said that it will therefore “join in a request for the appeal from the decision of the Planning Authority to protect and safeguard the historical sites in Malta and Gozo, while creating a fair balance between the interest of the development that remains important for our country and our national heritage.”

The statement was signed by Julie Zahra Spokesperson for National Heritage, Arts and Culture and Stanley Zammit Spokesperson for Planning, Research and Innovation.

Photo: PA/artist impression

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