Buġibba is in a state of regress

It won't be long before Buġibba becomes just like a Swieqi or a Marsascala or a Birżebbuġa, maybe just a residential area full of nice and in some cases chic-looking apartments surrounded by towering cranes and dust like the first or a quaint, nice one like Marsascala (forget Sant'Antnin just for now) or a once elegant seaside fishing village which has lost all its charm just like Birżebbuġa.

It's as if the need to build apartments here and there has taken over all the initiative to leave Buġibba as it is - yes, a crowded and all too often noisy tourist mecca, where your street corner fish 'n' chips British tourist drinks beer to his heart's content on a hot sunny day, spends the rest of the day swimming, buys cheap made-in-China souvenirs, strolls along the promenade in the evening and then goes to some karaoke bar or pub or club or some moderately priced restaurant.

Buġibba is losing this touch and losing it fast. Since last year I think I've only come across two or three new places opening and another two closing or giving way to more flats.

On the other hand I haven't noticed one refurbished establishment, which leaves us with a big, boring zilch!

This is very serious and means that something somewhere is very wrong.

The responsibility now lies squarely at the doorstep of the newly elected Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco who I hope will take this matter a bit more seriously than his predecessor.

In the meantime I thought of giving in my two pennies' worth. Perhaps those in authority who found time to read my pro-PN letters will find time to read these suggestions:

The promenade needs a complete overhaul. It was built in 1997, that's 11 whole years ago and the years have taken their toll. The quality of the project has to match the one in Sliema/St Julians.

If in this country we have enough money to spend on useless and wasteful local councils like Mtarfa (which has been dissolved after various squabbles) then we should have enough money to create a local council for Buġibba and Qawra.

The present council is too stretched and far too big.

Eyesores left to rot and fall to pieces in the middle of Buġibba (especially if they pose any kind of health hazard) should be expropriated and sold while the proprietors are given the right amount of money by the state. If this proves difficult than the ministry should impose an ultimatum of a few months.

Buġibba needs a new club. It is shameful that in such a mecca there are only two small clubs and it seems that the last open-air bar/club faces the axe at this very moment.

The government needs to repeat what it did with Gozitans with businesses in Buġibba, both in reducing their licence fees further and in paying less VAT.

Projects like the one at Qawra/Ta' Fra Ben need to have a set deadline (no Manwel Dimechs please). Having a project still pending because some incompetent idiot gave the application half an hour late is ludicrous.

No, and I repeat, no trench digging and road building in the peak season and lastly, we need a few Austin Gatts (or is it guts?) for the complete enforcement of the construction regulations!

Buġibba is where we host more than 30 per cent of our visitors. It is in our interest to see that the locality is spruced up and given the status it deserves.

Anything less is suicidal, sheer waste of time and icing sugar on a rotten cake.