Watch: Clyde Caruana Plays Down Land Reclamation And Warns Malta’s Seabed Might Be Too Deep
Finance Minister Clyde Caruana played down calls for Malta to embark on major land reclamation projects.
“Land reclamation is very expensive,” Caruana said in an interview with Lovin Malta’s Tim Diacono. “To justify that expenditure, you will end up having to build a massive tower and I don’t think that everyone will welcome it with open arms.”
“I think the country has other interesting issues to look at before discussing things like this.”
Caruana said that while he isn’t discarding the idea and doesn’t have enough information about it, he is yet to be convinced that it’s the way to go for Malta.
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One of his major concerns is that the vast majority of Malta’s seabed could be too deep to even consider land reclamation.
“Middle Eastern countries went for land reclamation, but their seabed is 10m or less, while we have problems in this regard too.”
Caruana’s declaration is in sharp contrast with the PL’s 2022 electoral manifesto, which states that land reclamation “is necessary in a small country with very limited territory”.
“After years of discussion and studies, we will see how to progress with these types of projects that will benefit the nation, including when it comes to clean energy,” the manifesto reads.
Caruana acknowledged that, with the legislature now past its midway point, it is highly unlikely that land reclamation will take place before the next general election.
“I don’t think you can reclaim land in two years, it’s not just about placing a few stones in the sea,” he said.
He also predicted that it will prove to be a controversial topic if the government had to start formally discussing it.
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