The Malta Environment and Planning Authority, MEPA has issued a draft document in respect to Areas of Containment, and Open Storage Areas in Malta and Gozo for public consultation, GRTU said.

The scope of this document is to prepare guidelines to clarify the way forward on Areas of Containment. These Areas of Containment are identified in the Central Malta Local Plan (CMLP), North West Local Plan (NWLP), and the South Malta Local Plan(SWLP) and predominantly accomodate industrial or commercial related activities located outside development zone.

GRTU said that it will be holding meetings in relation to this document with its members in Gozo, these included construction contractors, haulers, gas distributors, owners of heavy machinery, unscheduled bus owners, and all operators of heavy machinery. “Open Storage Areas in Gozo have for now been a prickly thorn on the Government Agenda. Whilst this document is open for consultation, the union said.”

Meetings will also be held by GRTU in these Areas of Containment across Qormi, Mosta, Naxxar, Lija, Iklin, Burmarrad, Ghaxaq, Kirkop, Luqa, Mqabba, Qrendi, Safi, Siggiewi, Zabbar, Zebbug and Zurrieq.

GRTU said that it “hopes that Government will also keep its feet on the ground after hearing submissions from the business community.”

“Small and Medium Sized Enterprises are the heart of Malta’s economy. Businesses cannot keep on waking up daily to new bureaucratic regulations which suit only the white collar boys sitting over a desk.” GRTU continued, “it is time for these boys to take themselves to task. We can no longer tolerate a situation where an SME that has been in place for over twenty years is now faced with so many tantamount problems, and the only reason for this, is because they either want to expand their operations or hold firm their operations.”

The closing date for the Public Consultaion is the 16th of April 2012.

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