The Nationalist Party has argued that “the Labour Government is pushing a Permit Authority instead of a Planning Authority that safeguards the national heritage and plans the country’s future based on a clear and transparent vision.”

In a statement on Wednesday the PN said that “once again, the Court revoked permits that should never have been issued after the Planning Authority stretched policy interpretations excessively.”

It insisted that “this continues to happen because the Labour Government dismantled the Authority’s capacity and competence, leaving it unable to make quality decisions. The Government remains passive in the face of poor decisions and court ruling violations.”

The Nationalist Party argued that “this environment fosters corruption, where the strongest continue to benefit.”

It went on to say that, “after the Labour Government abdicated its responsibility as the owner of Fort Chambray to conserve and restore this jewel in Gozo, it also failed to protect the British-era barracks through higher scheduling.”

As a result, the PN stated, “iconic architectural elements of great aesthetic and historical importance will no longer be fully enjoyed.” The PN said, “Planning Minister Clint Camilleri, who hired an unqualified consultant paid for work never done, cannot inspire trust that the Planning Authority has any genuine commitment to protecting this heritage. The same goes for the Cultural Heritage Superintendence.”

The Nationalist Party added that it has “long insisted that it is time for our country to stop considering development as an activity to be pursued at all costs, regardless of potential harm.”

It argued that “with empty promises and lack of action, the Government led by Robert Abela is endorsing development atrocities and the destruction of historical treasures.”

A clear example, the PN said, “is his recent promise to suspend permits under appeal until the appeal is resolved. We do not need leadership that makes half-hearted changes resulting only in a bureaucratic system that favours the powerful and crushes the weak.”

The Nationalist Party stressed that it will “continue opposing unjust policies and shallow measures by making the environment a fundamental right for all Maltese and Gozitans. The environment also includes our shared historical and cultural heritage.”

The statement was signed by Stanley Zammit Shadow Minister for Planning and Lands, Rebekah Borg Shadow Minister for the Environment and Julie Zahra Shadow Minister for National Heritage, the Arts, and Culture.

File photo: Moviment Graffitti

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