Bidders threaten Maltese government with lawsuits over marina tender

A group of berth holders who bid in the Maltese government’s tender to overhaul the marina in Gzira are threatening the authorities with a lawsuit over the non-transparent procedure.

The 15 boat owners who set up a local company, Berth Holders Ltd, to take part in the tender filed a judicial protest to the country’s First Hall of the Civil Court. The company was part of the Island Group JV consortium titled ‘A Concession for the Rehabilitation, Operation, Management and Transfer Back of Gzira Gardens Yacht Marina’.

The bidders claim they were not informed who was appointed to evaluate the offers on behalf of the selection board, and how they were compensated, among others, according to the information obtained by The Malta Independent.

Their bid was eventually discarded, and the tender was won by another entity, Gzira Gardens Marina Consortium. The boat owners have submitted two requests for information to obtain more data on the tender, and in the meantime, they were sent a letter informing them they would lose their berths at the marina. Prior to this, their berthing fees were already increased by the Authority for Transport in Malta, the regulatory body that oversees all modes of transport in Malta.