Editorial

At long last the government is about to clamp down on littering. At least this is what the Prime Minister has been promising for quite some time now. The question is: When will it actually come out with the new anti-litter regulations and will these get national support?

The likelihood is that, as always, there will be some opposition to the new regulations but this time the government would need to be forceful and move ahead with cast-iron determination if it wants to see the island rid itself of one of the most damaging problems it has been facing in the island's development effort.

Up to now, no administration has been able to tackle the problem effectively enough to make a difference to the island's image. On the contrary, public cleanliness has invariably figured low in every administration's agenda despite the lip-service paid to the importance of keeping the island clean.

Now, Malta has hit rock-bottom in terms of the level of deterioration and, following the outrage expressed throughout summer over the rubbish and dirt accumulating in so many places, the government has at last taken notice and plans to come out with new regulations.

The Prime Minister has already given an indication of the kind of fines being contemplated. The other day, for instance, he said the fine for littering would be Lm50. This is indeed no mean fine considering that in London smokers throwing away cigarette butts on the pavement will be facing an on-the-spot fine of £50 under new plans to cut down on street litter. The litter problem in Malta has grown to such a proportion now that only stiff fines and strict enforcement can bring about an improvement.

It is useless promoting the island as a tourist resort if we do not tackle the problem head-on. We have fast gained a reputation for being one of the dirtiest resorts in the Mediterranean. We will not reverse the image unless drastic action is taken to clamp down on littering and dumping.

Ideally, the government's plans ought to have the full backing of the opposition and of any other environmental organisation on the island. Up to now the opposition seems to prefer staying on the sidelines over the issue. Or if it has sounded its views on the matter, these have not as yet been strong enough to make any impact. Yet, it is essential that even the opposition shares the responsibility in educating the public against littering and dumping.

We have now become so indisciplined that only stiff fines can act as a deterrent to the wanton violation of the rules. Some people dump rubbish in public places out of habit, others just for the pleasure of defying the authorities. The problem got out of hand because the government's cleaning services could not keep up with such complete disregard to the environment and, also, because of ingrained inefficiencies in the service itself.

The first rains of the season have already led to the appearance of the first green patches in waste land here and there. Soon, in some places the grass will once again hide most of the rubbish and camouflage dirty places. But the problem will not go away. One way or the other, the message that it pays to keep the island clean has to be driven home. This is one drive that surely ought to get national support.