Editorial

Finally, something really tangible has been done to untangle a problem that has been nagging industry and the consumer for ages. Who would have thought that Malta were to take so many years to come face to face with the problem of inefficiency in Grand Harbour? But then this is not altogether surprising considering the lukewarm reaction innovations have received over the years, starting from the time when the first roll-on roll-off ships appeared on the island's horizon.

In port work, Malta has been its own worst enemy, for the island started off as being one of the most important in the Mediterranean and ended up as one of the most inefficient, with costs running higher than practically anywhere in Europe.

So, no political party, no politician or others should dare attempt blow any trumpets for the step taken now - the award of a cargo handling contract to a consortium at the expiration of another held for many years by a subsidiary of a trade union.

The Times has been calling for reform in port operations for countless years and now that the situation has been taken in hand it is in no mood to pat anyone on the back after years of inaction. For contract or no contract with existing operators, ways and means could have surely been found to solve problems that were making the Malta port uncompetitive.

In announcing the award of the contract, the government said the move should bring about a change in mentality and work practices, boost work efficiency, reduce tariffs and generate new port investment and opportunities. Work mentalities are not changed all that easily, as the country has learned to its cost at so many places of work controlled by the government, such as the shipyards, the power stations and even in hospitals.

Even so, this newspaper does not wish to be pessimistic and hopes that the consortium taking over cargo handling in Grand Harbour would indeed help bring about a new work mentality. What counts a great deal of course is the expectation that the consortium would bring down tariffs. Competitiveness Minister Censu Galea has been reported saying that efficiency would be the main thrust of the new agreement (with the consortium) and this should drive tariffs down.

Industry has been complaining of high tariffs for years on end. It would now be most interesting to see how long will it take for such tariffs to come down and, even more importantly, how fast will such a reduction work itself out in reduced prices for the consumer. That will be the final test of whether the situation at the port would have improved or not.

It has been pointed out that the consortium plans to establish Grand Harbour as the logistical port of merchandise in the centre of the Mediterranean. How and over what time period? Ironically, many years ago, even before the opening of the Suez Canal, the island had in fact been considered as the logistical port in the area. It was in fact called the warehouse of the Mediterranean. But sharply rising costs had edged the Malta port out of the equation.

With the setting up of the Freeport, now in operation for a number of years already, and the plans the new consortium has for the development of trade in Grand Harbour, maybe the island would be able to win back the role it played in the past. It is not easy, and the gap between talk and action is usually very wide, but it can well be done.