The Freeport with an investment of €3 million in a project for the community of Birżebbuġa
The Minister for Economy, Enterprise and Strategic Projects Silvio Schembri and the Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government, Alison Zerafa Civelli inaugurated the parking lot that the Freeport Corporation handed over to the Local Council of Birżebbuġa.
This car park is built on three floors and can accommodate 450 cars. It was made with an investment of €3 million from the Freeport Corporation. The bottom floor will be used by Freeport workers, while the other two floors have now been handed over to the Local Council of Birżebbuġa for the use of residents and people visiting this village.
“The residents of Birżebbuġa have always understood the importance of the Freeport for the economy of our country, so together with them we worked so that while the Freeport continues its operation and even grows, this is done with full respect towards the residents and the neighborhood. This car park is actually the way Freeport is giving a project back to the residents,” said Minister Silvio Schembri.
Minister Schembri also mentioned the high voltage shore connection project with an investment of €12 million, which will lead to the ships moored in the Freeport turning off their engines and being provided with cleaner electricity from the quay itself, so that there is cleaner air and also less noise.
The agreement for the expansion of the Freeport also protected the interests of the residents, where while it was assured that the private operation will continue to expand its operation, so that it can compete in today’s world, an agreement was reached between the Terminal, the Corporation and the Government that the expansion of the Freeport takes place on the back lot and then the farthest from the residents. “The Terminal through this agreement has waived its right to install cranes in Terminal 1 which is the one closest to the people, while there can be no roll-on roll-off in the early hours of the night. In this way we create the necessary balance between commercial activity, respect for residents and environmental impact,” said Minister Silvio Schembri.
The Parliamentary Secretary Alison Zerafa Civelli said that this project will offer better accessibility of the area and its surroundings, both for the residents and workers of the Freeport and also for those who visit the area. She praised the work of the Local Government Division and Freeport and thanked them for facilitating the process in favor of this project. “This project will reduce the inconvenience of limited parking in this area and the residents of this locality will enjoy it the most,” emphasized Parliamentary Secretary Zerafa Civelli.
The Mayor of Birżebbuġa Scott Camilleri mentioned how this project is the first of its kind in the locality and is part of the holistic regeneration plan of Birżebbuġa. “This project is expected to substantially help the community of Birżebbuġa when it comes to parking and is also a testimony to the Government’s vision to regenerate the location of Birżebbuġa,” repeated Mr. Camilleri.
CEO of Freeport Corporation, David Magro gave an insight into the work done during the last years to make this parking a reality. He thanked the entities that worked together to complete the car park, among them, the Ministry of Economy, the Local Government Division and Projects Plus.
