Still banging on about hubs, I see…oh, and Malta’s “strategic position”
The only time Malta’s geographic position has been strategic since World War II was three years ago when expatriate workers had to be evacuated from Libya as it sank into civil war.
And the last 27 years have been punctuated repeatedly by talk of becoming a hub for this and a hub for that, and yet Malta hasn’t become a hub for anything.
Why? Because it’s not strategically positioned at all.
It’s on the outermost periphery of Europe and cut off by the sea.
It’s exactly as strategic as Lampedusa and Pantelleria.
The fact that Malta is a fully-fledged state does not make its geographic position more useful…except when people need to be evacuated from Libya.
Incidentally, is Miriam Dalli still on Konrad Mizzi’s payroll?
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http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-10-11/local-news/Miriam-Dalli-tells-Parliament-energy-committee-Malta-can-serve-as-an-energy-hub-in-the-Mediterranean-6736123508
I wonder what she means by energy hub.
She probably does not have a clue anyway.
Is Hurd Bank strategic?
I think that her post has been taken up by somebody else. Or has it been left vacant?
What a shallow idea. If Malta were to become a HUB in that sense why are we investing in power generation?
Shallow idea? Hurd’s bank is very shallow. China will be be on our doorstep very soon.
Gonzpeak. The damage it wrought to our thought process has yet to be calculated.
Mentalita’ Mintoffjana
The strategic importance of Malta during the last war resulted from the fact that Sicily, Lampedusa and Pantelleria were on the opposite side during that war. When Italy and its islands are on the same side the strategic importance of Malta is zilch.
The only time that Malta could have placed itself creditably, internationally was when Pardo placed Malta prominently as a possible hub for the Law of the Sea but Mintoff soon put a stop to all that.
Another Chinese fortune cookie?
Why would Algeria or Libya lay their gas/oil pipelines through Malta? the only potential energy hub is the eastern Med.where Israel and Cyprus have discovered large gas fields. But even that may be insignificant for Europe.
Algeria and Libya will soon be taken over by IS, or ISIS, or The Butchers, or whatever name this army is known by.
As you say it’s Cyprus and Israel that will be the energy providers in a few year’s time.
This seems most likely to be the Muscat push for the Azeri pipeline through Turkey to South of Italy to become the alternative source in say 4 years time as per my guess of September 13 and Socar’s priorities-for-next-5-years published in October 13.
Right on plan.
The local powerstation was but a distraction.
How does Gasol benefit from this scenario, and which project was the preparatory work done actually for?
This question may have seemed a strech beyond imagination a year ago, but here it is.
It has been put. A female has put it. Let’s not underestimate the superficial impact of that. The groundwork is being layed. The scenario is acting out. Europe is being wooed at a superficial level. The fact that her father in law got through means that the team is synchronised on this point. Maritime Affairs.
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Under what title was Nair in the Ukraine?
How would he benefit from frustrated Gas supply of other sources to the EU?
What part did he play in laying the groundwork for the frustration?
Just as George Bush Junior feigned ignorance of foreign policy so as not to alarm the electorate as to his intentions, Muscat could hardly have mentioned a foreign policy energy plan to whip up electoral fervour and support.
Misinformation and spiel were key.
The Labour Party has so far misrepresented itself on a number of key points that were instrumental to its mandate in, and its legal mandate to remain should be investigated.
This is not a question of “just another lie.”
One was enough for it to be discredited.
Again, we are nearly two key years into this deceitful administration whose mandate should be undergoing a serious and a prompt legal challenge.
Would the Nationalist Party please oblige.
Muscat’s two fingers up at the World Bank where Nair is concerned has gone a step further:
He’s now getting the witless part of the EU community to do the same.
Let’s hope they see through this one.
This is why it was a very bad idea for the Nationalist Party and its EPs to back the nomination of Karmenu Vella.
To spell it out, the EU and the rest of the world now already have embargoes in place against Russia.
There is the LP effort to link ISIS to Libya on false grounds.
This back-fired badly with the Martin Galea staged episode : they were in possession of facts and details all along, including his whereabouts.
There is the continued LP support of the people in Libya that are linked to Gaddafi money. George Vella is Foreign Minister.
The NP and LP were united in support of the 2% Corinthia controlling share transfer at its crucial moment.
There is a local interest in seeing a certain faction honour the “energy deal” signed with Libya.
How does this play out on the international scene where these interests join up?
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After that think about the satisfaction level of Socar/ Azerbaijan with its successful puppet tool Joseph Muscat. What was the commission scale established for that deal?
What benefits are intended to be left in Malta’s account, as opposed to Maltese accounts, if any?
Who drew up that contract? What is Manwel Mallia’s role in all this? Why was his “switch” to LP concurrent with his discovery of details linked to LP party funding?
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Malta would remain strategic where Libya is concerned, but is fast becoming less so:
Spain and Italy have been more effective, and rapid, in protecting their EU interests. They have far more vision as to where this is leading.
They have quickly allied themselves to the factions in Libya that are controlling what happens on the ground. The US and UK ambassadors there are also coming round to this awareness.
Malta is on another agenda.
If Beppe Grillo manages to rally enough opposition to the route entering via Puglia, we could still be in the running.
http://www.ilsussidiario.net/News/Politica/2014/9/21/M5S-Manifestazione-No-Tap-Vendola-querela-Beppe-Grillo-falsita-sul-mio-conto/530533/
Channel 4 News @Channel4News
The dispute over natural gas supplies will also be on the agenda when the two leaders (Putin and Poroschenko) hold talks in Italy later this week, the Kremlin says.
Malta is a hub for smuggling of goods subject to excise duty – particularly cigarettes, alcohol and oil products.
All together now: Shame on you, Ministru.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20141012/local/konrad-mizzi-gas-plant-target-date-postponed.539329
So let me understand this. The government and The Times say that the government signed the power purchase and gas supply agreements in May 2014. Enemalta’s website says otherwise. After the alleged signing, the Minister and the government continue to repeat that the project “is on track” and that the completion date of March 2015 will be met. The public is led to believe that everything is fine.
Then, within a few months, when the works have not yet started, we are told that the completion date is postponed.
Hands up those who believe this sequence of events.
The catch. If the contract had been signed in May, and the completion date was postponed afterwards, then surely that contract contains penalties which will become applicable from March 2015. Can the Minister publish the details of those penalties to justify the postponement?
Why is he in Shanghai? Has he escaped already?
He can run, but he cannot hide.
He spoke from Beijing, not Shanghai. Beijing is home to Malta’s special trade envoy, Sai Mizzi.
Shanghai Electric is based in and operates around Shanghai, two hours by air from Beijing.
It is not clear whether Shiv Nair is displeased by the latest developments.
So now we all expect the PM to resign to be true to his words and to be credible.
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/44839/gas_plant_wont_be_done_by_march_2015
As pointed out by Malta Today, in March 2014, on Dissett, Joseph Muscat told Reno Bugeja that he will keep his word as set out in Reno Bugeja’s question that he will resign if the power station project is not complete within the time frame declared before the elections: 2 years from elections.
The leader of the opposition and Tonio Fenech never tied their political career to Joseph Muscat’s pet project – I suppose they have other stuff to worry about. They have given no promise which binds them.
The prime minister must understand that he is now standing on a stage where, as The Times says, credibility matters. The public of Malta deserves a prime minister that reflects principles, values and credibility, and not opportunism and sarcasm.
“Ara, Mer hi, l-Enemalta ma ghadhiex falluta.”
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20141012/local/konrad-mizzi-gas-plant-target-date-postponed.539329
“Energy tariffs for businesses will still be reduced in March. “We will be reducing water and electricity bills for businesses by March 2015 because Enemalta is in a very good position to do it,” he (Konrad Mizzi from Xangaj) said.”
So they sold the GoNZiPN powerstation to China and now they are in a very good position to lower tariffs. What other changes have occurred in the past year in the business plan of Enemalta?
So if I understand this well, this means that the Minister is reducing the tariffs from the cash generated from the sale of the BWSC?
Fools and incompetents. Thieves, scoundrels and pimps, when all fails, liars.
If the worst comes to the worst and resignation will be enforced , Konrad Mizzi has to go. The government saw this coming a long time ago and that is why Sai Mizzi was given that generous package.
http://thediplomat.com/2014/09/why-is-china-building-islands-in-the-south-china-sea/
How very convenient. When the bad news breaks out Konrad Mizzi is in Beijing.
“Dr Mizzi spoke to The Sunday Times of Malta in a brief telephone interview from Beijing, where he is meeting officials from the Shanghai Electric Power (SEP), which is investing €320 million in the energy corporation.”
He has no shame. Let us all be happy and look at the bigger picture.
“Nonetheless, Dr Mizzi said that when he looked at where the government was now in terms of the bigger picture concerning Enemalta and compared it to where it was right after the election, he would say it had exceeded my expectations.”
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.timesofmalta.com%2Farticles%2Fview%2F20141012%2Flocal%2Fkonrad-mizzi-gas-plant-target-date-postponed.539329&ei=ujA6VPmTKNDoaNa2gMgM&usg=AFQjCNFJ6o-xrzH8aJFJoDwdSPMtKVFHag&sig2=8XYC167XLeAoykYy0klDPg&bvm=bv.77161500,d.ZWU
“How very convenient. When the bad news breaks out Konrad Mizzi is in Beijing.”
Why, did you really expect them to call a press conference to announce a “big news”?
This news costs more than 2c to voters, so it does not deserve a press conference…
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20141012/local/konrad-mizzi-gas-plant-target-date-postponed.539329
The Maltese public, the media and the opposition must deliver a clear message to Joseph Muscat and Konrad Mizzi.
They have to reduce all tariffs as promised in their electoral campaign, because we want them to maintain all their promises.
And if they are unable to deliver the power plant on time to finance those reductions, as they had promised, they have to resign, particularly the prime minister.
The reduced tariffs must not be paid out of the business plan of Enemalta. If there are other savings or other revenues, those belong to the Maltese public and should be used to lower other tariffs, or returned to the public in other benefits. Hands off those savings or revenues – they cannot be used for reducing the tariffs. Where is the Minister of Finance?
The public was promised that the reduction in the tariffs would come from a contract with a private party which will require the construction of a new gas plant, and the prime minister was brimming with confidence that the private sector would give him those savings as he planned.
So now, the prime minister must turn on the private operator and enforce either of the following:
1. The plant must be commissioned in March 2015.
2. Penalties, which hopefully exist in the contract signed in May (which I believe does not exist) to cover Enemalta for any costs of production in excess of 9c6 per unit of electricity (KwH) from March 2015.
Failing those options, the prime minister and Konrad Mizzi must pay the political price and carry their political responsibility for this added burden on Enemalta and the public.
Allowing the private operater off the hook would amount to corruption in return for Muscat and Mizzi keeping their seats.
I’d trust Ryan Schembri with running the country before I’d trust these barefaced liars.
Remember how “doable” it all was, how they were going “to hit the ground running”?
How they ridiculed the non-believers of their great plan? The only doable thing this phoney did was give his wife an ambassador’s package and made us to pay for his conjugal visits.
Yes, they hit the ground running to China for every ailment that this country has.
A crime hub, of course. We’ve known that for decades.
The Minister wants us to believe that “works on the plant were being “held up by three-way talks between Enemalta, ElectroGas and Shanghai Electric in relation to the way the new gas power station will interface with the BWSC plant.” ”
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-10-12/local-news/After-TMID-investigation-Energy-Minister-finally-admits-power-station-project-is-NOT-on-track-6736123538
So basically the Minister wants us to believe that the project managers have held up the preparation of the site, the excavation, the levelling of the ground, the start of engineering works, because there is a dispute on how the new powerstation will interface with the BWSC plant.
How will the new powerstation interface with the BWSC plant, really? They are separate plants, built by separate suppliers for separate operators, so other than for some peripheral activity like gas intake and power output to the transmission network, why should the two plants interface with each other?
Interestingly, the Minister has belied his prime minister from Shanghai. If he plans to return to Malta, he might find the immigration control waiting for him at the airport to tell him that his Maltese passport has been withdrawn and that China has offered to provide for his political asylum.
And the other thing. What’s this with Shanghai Electric interfering with the internal affairs of Enemalta?
Doesn’t Enemalta have its own board, and is Shanghai a shareholder of Enemalta as yet?
Shanghai should be discussing with the current owner, the government, and not with Enemalta and Electrogas.
The essential ingredients for an ideal hub strategy are: competitiveness, stability and professionalism and today this government is not showing signs of any of these.
I have never laughed so much.
Tajba din Mizzi.
Fenomenali.
Per la serie m’ghandhomx idea fejn se jhabbtu rashom.
Superstitions based on dogmatic belief, or better, Mintoffianism.
‘m’ghandhomx idea fejn se jhabbtu rashom’ – so true. They are lost for answers, they don’t know what to do next so the cabal is out inventing ‘energy hubs’, ‘Dubai in Europe’, and other fairy tales, to try to divert our minds from the real issues.
Pimps, thieves and scoundrels all.
I have one question, hypothetical mostly. Who would be prime minister if Joseph Muscat were to resign?
It would be a bloodbath.
The one strategically placed on the perimeters. The LP “voice of reason.” The one who says one thing…almost, and votes another.
Marlene Farrugia.