Continuing disarray in Valletta

Unbelievably the saga of the violation of St John's Square, Valletta continues. The main digging and pipe laying work is finally completed and a layer of concrete has been put down as a base on which tiles can be laid.

However, nearly a month after work commenced, several heavy machines were left parked, as an obstruction to all and sundry, and, of course, a fascinating decoration to attract tourists. Worse still, the concrete has been left uncovered in both St John's Square and Merchant Street, and as pedestrians and vehicles pass along, top layers of fine dust are continuously created. In turn this very light and powdery cement dust is picked up by the slightest breeze to blow into clothes, faces, lungs, shops, food and cafés, etc.

Such cement dust is destructive and damaging to health, to goods and to many surfaces, and may well infringe several EU regulations.

It is now common talk among the suffering business owners of Merchants Street and St John's Square that the tiles which are to be laid have not yet even been ordered, and neither has the appropriate tender been issued, so it would seem there is no end to this tragi-comedy in sight. If this is true, then it rocket propels the level of incompetence into the stratosphere.

Some businesses have lost tens of thousands of liri in turnover at a time they should be making the profits to carry them through the winter.

What sort of planning, management and leadership allows this to happen? Will hard-pressed businessmen be tempted to sue ministries or ministers ? No number of fancy "feel good" events can hide the failure of leadership, coordination and cohesive administration, which so damage the efforts of hard-working businessmen.