Manoel Island And Tigne Fort To Return to Public Ownership Following Government Deal

Owen Bonnici, Minister for Culture, Lands and Local Government, has announced that Manoel Island and the Fortizza ta’ Tigné will return to public ownership following successful negotiations with developer MIDI plc.

In a statement, the Minister confirmed that the government reached an agreement to terminate part of a 99-year concession granted in 2000, which had previously handed control of the island and historic fort to the developer.

Bonnici noted that MIDI had initially sought €78 million in compensation for restoration work and infrastructure improvements carried out on the sites.

After negotiations, the government secured a reduced amount of €43 million, covering both Manoel Island and the Fortizza ta’ Tigné.

Describing the process as “long and delicate,” the Minister highlighted that pursuing alternatives, such as court action, could have led to protracted legal disputes.

The agreement will now be submitted to Parliament, after which Heritage Malta will prepare to take over management of the sites once the final contract is formally signed.

#MaltaDaily