Is anybody going to ask how much that platform cost to set up and dismantle on the steps to the Auberge de Castille?
Published:
June 18, 2013 at 6:20pm
And who did it? Some direct order again?
It should have been the first question reporters asked, but maybe they were scared stiff of those cannon pointed right at them.
What a waste of money. But that’s OK, because it’s Joseph, not Gonzi or Austin Gatt. Ara kieku biss…
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In substance, the first 100 days have been 100 days of stage managed media events.
Those two cannons and the metal cage have got “Let’s reign in the media” written all over them.
I have a question. Is Mrs. Muscat on Castille’s payroll?
She says her work is voluntary, and she does it out of Villa Francia, given that it was left to the state and l’etat, c’est moi decided it’s hers.
Let’s say she is on our payroll.
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Why do I get the feeling that Muscat must have felt very much at home with this crowd? http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130618/local/civil-unions.474416
The reporters look like prisoners behind bars while also facing a firing squad.
Hopefully Emperor Joseph will grant them a pardon or a 100 day amnesty.
It turns out the storage facility required for Konrad’s plant is 180,000 cubic metres not the piddly 65,000. That’s six Mosta domes.
The industry doesn’t cater for fractions of the amount being mentioned now and never will if profit has to be made and prices kept competitive.
The solution seems to be having one of these permanently anchored in the bay, as other ships feed it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wn0COMjOLk
Not surprised, renting one would be the only way of making the ridiculous deadlines.
Another told you so, Daphne.
http://www.maltarightnow.com/?module=news&at=Il%2DPN+jappella+lill%2DGvern+biex+jag%26%23295%3Bmel+l%2Distudji+kollha+me%26%23295%3Btie%26%23289%3Ba+dwar+il%2Dpower+station+il%2D%26%23289%3Bdida&t=a&aid=99848167&cid=19
Renting an LNG tanker is no joke:
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-09-08/lng-tanker-rents-top-100-000-on-ship-shortage-fearnleys-says.html.
And look what happened in Marsaxlokk:
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-06-18/news/cargo-ship-contaminated-marsaxlokk-bay-ngo-insists-1853259776/
How can these problems be turned into opportunities?
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-06-18/news/pn-demands-detailed-risk-assessment-studies-on-new-power-station-1854537728/
For Joseph it remains a problem and for Simon it proves that this government is heading straight into a brick wall, as he predicted.
Joseph keeps his small inexpensive promises, but it seems he won’t be able to keep this ginormous one.
Ghal gol-hajt.
The idiots actually intend to have two tankers side by side.
Anyone thought how the two behemoths carrying what is effectively the second most volatile gas, can be berthed alongside for transfer?
Static charge, currents, swells, the sheer gravitational pull those two things produce, does anyone do it anywhere else, especially next to a picturesque fishing village?
Where’s Miles Seaman?
When the tanker’s are side by side that will be a dozen Mosta domes.
Yes.
Tuzzana koppli tal-Mosta.
Dear Daphne, I think that our journalists have not yet geared up to Joseph’s tactics and the meaning behind them. Probably they felt honoured instead of ridiculed to be on that pedestal.
What about the Facebook adverts for Joseph Muscat’s page? Who is paying for the propaganda telling us what a great government this has been for the last one hundred days?
Back to China Communications Construction Corporation Limited (CCCL), the Chinese company which, we learned last week, will be digging a hole of Euro 4 million in its pockets in order to produce a pro bono study for the Maltese government about the feasibility of a Gozo channel bridge.
This is a company listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
http://asia.cdn.euroland.com/arinhtml/CN-CYY/2012/AR_ENG_2012/index.htm
As such, it therefore has an accountability towards its public shareholders, its providers of finance, and its regulators for every penny and for every important expense.
It must also be able to publicly explain transactions of this size with governments of independent states for the purpose of good governance and transparency.
There is a very important question that needs to be asked here.
Will the Chinese company be performing the feasibility study out of its own resources, or will it be subcontracting the works to a local business?
In other words, will it be pumping Euro 4 million on its existing Chinese resources, or will it pump Euro 4 million with some Maltese businessmen?
This is incidentally one of the basic but fundamental questions asked in any public procurement process.
This is a very important question because it establishes who is the ultimate beneficiary of the funds and which influences and powers are participating in the process, and is necessary in the interest of public transparency of public transactions.
Which means that in effect, if there are any local subcontractors, the transaction would be taking place between the government and those beneficiaries/subcontractors, and CCCL would be used only as a smokescreen and as the benefactor.
Incidentally, the ‘domestic’ and ‘international’ auditors of the Chinese company are Pricewaterhouse Coopers (Pwc).
Incidentally, as a matter of fact and without insinuating anything, only yesterday, Pwc in Malta announced a fund of Euro 1 million of pro-bono services towards new business and budding entrepreneurs. The Times of Malta was also being involved in this initiative – and incidentally, The Times did not ask Pwc if they had won the lottery. Incidentally also, is Pwc the independent auditor of the company which publishes The Times, and if so, can they do this sort of collaboration together?
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130617/local/i.474230
One wonders if this initiative will be forming part of the Youth Guarantee of Joseph Muscat? Just a question.
Incidentally also, and as a matter of fact and without insinuating anything, only last week, a Senior Partner of Pwc in Malta was appointed on the new foundation created by Joseph Muscat for national festivities.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130615/local/bondi-in-new.473989
The Times article referred to a finance expert, omitting any reference to Pwc.
Bottomline: The government should publish all information about the transaction with CCCL.
The China Connectors.
PWC is the auditor of Allied Newspapers Ltd., publishers of The Times.
Then it has to explain what sort of financial arrangement it entered into with The Times here. An independent auditor is not supposed to enter into financial arrangements with clients other than for professional fees.
Adrian Hillman’s dismissal of the notion that the link between the news organisation and entrepreneurship being “odd” is not sufficient in this case – there is euro 1 million involved here. And he has to explain the relationship with the company’s auditor.
May be exaggerating here, but if, and only if, there is any link between the entities mentioned here, then we need to ask if the Chinese are buying not only our sovereignty, but also our media’s independence.
More questions arise.
According to The Times, in Parliament this evening, PM Joseph Muscat confirmed that according to the contract signed with CCCL, the Chinese company will be conducting a feasibility study, and not preparing the designs of a bridge.
In fact, CCCL is not a company whose business is that of conducting feasibility studies. Its four core businesses declared in its 2012 annual report are infrastructure construction, infrastructure design, dredging (Delimara?) and heavy machinery manufacturing. Companies of this type normally sub-contract feasibility studies for their projects to specialists.
So why would one enter into a contract with CCCL to prepare a feasibility study for a bridge if the preparation of feasibility studies is not their business?
Feasibility studies are normally carried out by financial advisory firms.
Besides, it is a well known fact that negotiations with the Chinese may take years. It is therefore interesting to know how the government concluded negotiations in 100 days. Who was involved in the negotiations? When? Was anyone paid for negotiations, and how much? Were negotiations carried out pro bono as well?
According to The Times, “In this case an offer had been made by the Chinese government, with no obligations.”
The PM should clarify this statement. Is it the Chinese government that is actually paying, or is it CCCL, which is a limited liability company listed on 2 international stock exchanges, and hence a legal entity of its own?
He also said that a due diligence is only necessary when services are paid for. False. Does this mean that the government of Malta is willing to accept free services from corrupt and fraudulent companies or individuals?
As it turns out, the euro 4 million has already been paid out of Malta’s reputation, which risks being tarnished because of this transaction with a company which is black-listed by the World Bank because of fraud.
But a further issue arises. If the Chinese company CCCL is owned and controlled by the Chinese government, as in fact confirmed by the PM according to The Times, then the government is dealing with the effective controller of the company China Power Engineering Consulting Group Corporation (CPECC) which is bidding in the public procurement process for electricity generation at Delimara. The other bidders in that public procurement process should be aware of this new information and they may be in a position to challenge whether this information was provided in the expression of interest by CPECC.
Who says it took a hundred days?
http://www.scribd.com/doc/128130324/Joseph-Muscat-says-he-signed-an-agreement-with-China-on-Malta-s-behalf-it-Torca-18APR2010
So Malta is being sold to China instead of Libya this time around?
Your comments are very interesting indeed.
Are there any real journalists out there?
Your valid questions need to be answered. This calls for Reno Calleja to come forward and explain. I am sure he can enlighten us.
But the responsibility remains that of that of the prime minister.
I bet you the PM invited the journalists to coffee after, he is an astute man, he is trying to neutralise his opponents. The Maltese will fall for it.
Paul, I agree with you.
The proper word is neuter not neutralise.
It will be easy for Joey for the simple reason that there are no Maltese journalists, in the strict sense of the word, whatsoever.
We need a James Delingpole and a Robert Peston.
That will be the day.
Then Joey is in deep, deep shit.
What are Konrad’s interests?
He’s already married to a sweet Chinese lady.
Must have been payment for an iced bun. He’s got 4th floor friends you know.
How could the reporters hear Joseph from such a distance? I cannot see a megaphone in sight.
We laughed and made all sort of observations about the picture. On a serious note, whoever took that picture deserves the reward for Picture of the Year in the “Media” category. Excellent picture.