€5.5m investment in construction of new roads and upgrades in Luqa industrial zone

With an investment of around €5.5 million, work has commenced on the construction of about 1.2 kilometres of roads by INDIS Malta, the government said in a statement.

Through this project, 117 small and medium enterprises operating from this industrial area will benefit from an improved environment, after an absence of about 40 years. These enterprises include both companies and the self-employed, some of which operate within the manufacturing sector.

Visiting the site, Minister for the Economy and Industry Silvio Schembri said that this is part of a chain of projects around Malta, wherein the government is investing €470 million to expand the industrial infrastructure of our country.

Work on the industrial roads in the area, which covers an area of 92,500 square meters, has begun in recent days and is expected to take about six months. The minister explained that this will be staggered into four phases to minimize any inconvenience to tenants.

In the first three phases, which together amount to an investment of around €4 million, an approximate 850 metres of roads will be repaired around the industrial area, and where necessary services will also be improved. Plants and trees will also be cultivated to give the area a brighter and more welcoming appearance to those who use this industrial area. In the fourth phase, through an investment of €1.5 million, infrastructure will be built, services will be added, and a new substation will be built which will improve the electricity supply. About 150 meters of roads will also be built for the first time in an area where they have never been built before.

Minister Schembri explained that part of INDIS Malta’s strategy is to make more efficient use of the industrial space it manages, through improvements in infrastructure and access. He added that two new plots on an area of 210 square meters will also be created in Luqa, which will eventually be allocated to more industrial activity.

The minister also announced that in the coming months, as part of the programme for the development of industrial infrastructure, more road networks will be launched around industrial areas with an investment of €30 million. Work will be carried out in the industrial areas of Ħal Far, Bulebel, Marsa, Kordin, and San Ġwann.

Minister Schembri explained that these projects will be improving access for existing tenants. These will assist them both in improving the logistical aspect of their operation, as well as to better welcome their customers while creating more new plots so that INDIS Malta can meet the demand for industrial land.

“I am committed to continuing to create the right environment to facilitate local and foreign investment in our country. The project we are announcing today is further proof of a whole chain of initiatives which shows that this government is, in fact, paving the way for the economic success of our country, which is only possible if we continue to invest in industry and workers,” concluded Minister Silvio Schembri.