Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia has accepted calls by NGOs to remove ERA chairman Victor Axiak, who will be replaced by a rubber stamp.
The nine environmental NGOs last week accused the environmental and resources authority of failing to fulfill its mandate to safeguard the environment, and noted that Axiak often appeared to align himself with developers and roadbuilders.
“The minister has acknowledged the NGOs’ request. Prof Axiak has been relieved of his duties. We are also taking this opportunity to reform how ERA works. As of next week, the role of chairman will be filled not by another error-prone human being, but by a rubber stamp,” a spokesperson for the Environment Ministry told Bis-Serjetà.
The spokesperson explained that the red rubber stamp would sit on top of a desk in the ERA chairman’s office at the authority’s headquarters in Floriana.
“Any contractor, developer or Infrastructure Minister who wants to build something in the countryside or tear down a few trees now just needs to bring along all the documents related to their project and give them the seal of approval. No more wasting time with environmental impact assessments or boring stuff like that.”
The rubber stamp was purchased from developer Joseph Portelli for the sum of €2 million. It will receive a salary of €70,000 per year and its own chauffeur.
The spokesperson also reminded Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg that he was welcome any time at the Environment Ministry to urinate on Aaron Farrugia and his staff.
“He didn’t come last week, presumably because he was busy with the Marsa Junction Project, but I just want to reassure him that our mouths are always wide open, ready to gargle his piss.”
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