Valletta Monti hawkers

Martin Scicluna, vice president of Din l-Art Helwa, penned an article under the title Car-Free Valletta (June 7) in which among other issues he applauded the government for its actions against the monti hawkers and their families.

He went further, advocating that the Monti hawkers should be banished from Valletta and if the monti must be retained - and according to him many would doubt its social or economic value - it should be moved to the St James Ditch, near the War Memorial, an area that is already used by the hawkers on Sundays.

May I with respect advise Mr Scicluna to look deeper and better inform himself on the issue, particularly from the economic and social perspectives, before coming to conclusions.

The Monti hawkers are hard-working family people and I feel rather sad that no due consideration is given to their needs and aspirations by Mr Scicluna. People's livelihood should not be dealt with in a clinical manner but also from a humane point of view. As an intelligent person himself, he should not miss the trees for the woods.

Mr Scicluna's suggestion to move the hawkers to St James Ditch because they already operate from there on Sunday is nothing less than flippant. Does Mr Scicluna really believe that customers would go to the Monti to buy handkerchiefs, socks or a belt from St James Ditch during the week?

Shopping on Sunday is completely a different scenario as it is customary for many Maltese families to go to Valletta for a stroll, coffee and hear Mass then visit the Monti at St James Ditch as part of a family outing.

It has always been a balancing act. We at UHM are proud that we have always supported the working people.