Street furniture in Sliema removed

Carmel Grima

Nov 15th 2008, 19:45

Running a business in Malta is no different to operating a business in Naples or Sicily. The slight variation is that in these Italian regions you have to contribute to orgaized crime and here, one has to contribute to a blood thirsty government whose only means of survival is EXTORTION!

The years running up to last elections were riddled by persecution from the Tax compliance unit squeezing millions of hard earned pounds from the self-employed and business community in order to meet our euro criteria. This led to a pre-election budget which was generous giving a feel good factor for during the electoral campaign. The election over we pump 140 million euros to the drydocks workers for fear of reprisal, shot the deficit to astronomical proportions, then turn to the hard working population for a bailout.

Transparency and accountability are not met in that way: The business communiuty should not be consistently targeted by the tentacles of the government each time it has hit the bottom. Will the Trellerborg layoffs recieve a golden handshake like the drydocks workers?

We were promised a better living, not a higher poverty before the elections!

Dorothy Camilleri

Nov 15th 2008, 19:09

Who said anything about eating on the street??? I was not on the street in M'xlokk, I was on a patio in front of a restaurant across the street. There was no obstruction and pedestrians had both pavements to themselves when the cavalry came

10 police officers, four enforcment officers and two transport trucks during a lovely evening when the whole promenade was jam packed with people enjoying themselves. Within an hour, the entire place was deserted and people were left asking why

If any of these shopowners might have broken the law, we have courts for that sort of thing not bully people into submission. I remember the Maltese complaining about harassment during the labour years. I had left the Island for a while and returned back to retire only to witness this shameful act

I think that the problem with Malta is that we have an overburdened civil service who want to prove their worth by harassing the business community who are not unionized and who do not create a national havoc like the transport or dock workers when their toes are stepped on.

Usual scenario...WEAK WITH THE STRONG.....STRONG WITH THE WEAK.....what a shameful sight that was!!!

J Abela

Nov 15th 2008, 18:57

Well, Mr Willams, I have eaten al fresco in restaurants in Gozo all my life and never had such an experience as you describe. Now you may think I'm lucky. Or else the flies and bugs which you so fondly describe were after something else!

A Sciberras

Nov 15th 2008, 17:52

If we really want to take care of tourism , then we should take care of our precious heritage not offer our tourists unlawful and dangerous exposures by providing them with tables in the street to dine. no body ever said anything about the chairs in front of the national library in Valletta, but to provide dining in the streets is hilarious. This is all cause of lack of planning.

James De Giorgio

Nov 15th 2008, 13:50

@Dennis Catania. Malta does allow outdoor dining. Within the limits. Encroachment is a crime.

Dorothy camilleri

Nov 15th 2008, 13:38

Embarrassing as it may sound, I must agree with Karen Ebejer on her comment.

I was present during this saga last September in M'xlokk when an army of police and enforcment officers fell on the restaurant we were eating in and started lifting tables and chairs into trucks and waiting for us to finish our meal to drag our tables away while the restaurant owner stood helpless.

Is this the way modern European countries do things? It was a beautiful summer evening, three football matches were underway and the restaurant, together with all the adjacent restaurants were full of people. The entire evening was ruined apart from the loss of sales these business people must have endured capricously. There was apparantly no infrigment, simply a show of force and while criminals are commended to the lawcourts honest business men are stripped of their possessions and treated like rodents.

Sometimes I seriously wonder if our priminster is truly aware of what is going on in this country and if he does, how can a man so capable and understanding allow such a pitiful and shameful act to happen in front of tourists who will probably never come here again!

Karen Ebejer

Nov 15th 2008, 12:40

The objective of giving out encroachments is to enhance commercial activity while Goverment recieves adequate revenue for doing so. The episodes we witnessed last September when enforcement officers ransacked restaurants while customers were eating, most of whom were tourists was a scene reminiscent of the eighties when we were living in a police state.

Encroachments need to be protected against the weather and removing canopies or weather shields will simply damage business during the winter months which will automatically ripple into job losses and closures.

With a recession on our doorstop, Government should focous on incentivating business, not clogging the wheels with these extreeme measures. It is a fact that the new parliamentary secretay has a job to do, and while I admire him for curbing excessive abuse, one has to know when to stop.

Curbing abuse and damaging business are two completely different measures and the minister for tourism should insist that these public obsenities in front of tourists do not repeat themselves.

While Malta spends millions to brand itself, we send armies of police and enforcment officers to drag people off their tables during dinner.

I thought that is why we had courts, to enforce law!

Benson Williams

Nov 13th 2008, 17:22

Well the last time we visited a gozo restaurant and dined outside,my Lovely cheese and mushroom pizza was swarmed with other types of meat - hundreds od flies and itchy bugs., when i told the owner he told me not to say too loud because otherwise all the other customers would want the same. Just thought i'll add somethiong different. Probably some will ask if i ate it or not, the answer is NO, i just had a large Cisk instead and a refund., cheer up chaps its not the end of the world YET.

P.Scicluna

Nov 13th 2008, 15:46

PART 2

I suggest to the authorities the following;
1. Yes does establishments that they are not in line with the permit to put chairs and tables , I will fine them and for 3 years they will not be granted another permit.
2. Same yardstick for everyone
3. Those that they have a fixed foot canopies, (no plastic or alluminum/glass shades) will be given permit to use them on condition that they pay, to keep in line with the permit.

Umbrellas are not good enough, we are not going to loose any tourists because of this action , but its going to make us far behin. I suggest to visit not Paris but Croatia.

P.Scicluna

Nov 13th 2008, 15:45

I totaly agree that no one is authorised to take Goverment land. But the same yardstick is to be used with everyone. I saw a letter by Lands . sent to establishments. This is going to put Tourism back were it was 30 years ago. The letter states that canopes fixed to the wall and fixed to the pavment by means of robolt are to be removed. These are the modern sun shades which are mushrooming over the continent. In Paris the authority widens the pavment to fix these sun shades. Premises who use these in Malta most of them already pay to use the area for tables and chairs. According to the letter only umbrellas are going to be tollerated. As everyone knows umbrellas hardly cover the area of a table. So now establishments have the problem of smoking and next is the problem of UV. I wonder whats going to happen the the canopie used by a particular hotel in St Julians where they have a massive IRON canopie with pillard fixed to the pavment. Another establishment in st Julians was advised to remove rubbish bins, which his establishment provides for the passers by.

I

Denis Catania

Nov 13th 2008, 15:43

Malta is going to become the only country which does not allow outdoor dining. Shame on that.

E. Azzopardi

Nov 13th 2008, 15:39

Everything has its limits. Of course, if you do not have tables outside in a country like Malta, then where? However, it is very annoying not be able to walk PROPERLY on the pavements because of tables and chairs. It is a daily occurance, enforcement or not. It is still happening.
If owners could please be more considerate for the passing public, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you .

Paul Barrett

Nov 13th 2008, 15:22

a. sciberras has a very good point.
Since the no smoking laws were imposed on bars, café's etc, customers have opted to stay outside. The establishment owners, in trying to both comply with the no smoking laws but still retain at least some custom, have attempted to adapt by supplying an alternative.
The sad fact is that every action has a counter reaction and sadly, many very good establishments are being squeezed to and beyond survival levels.

Jimmy Abela

Nov 13th 2008, 14:49

One has to also consider looking at some shops in other localities. So for example in Rabat and Mgarr, there are individuals owning snack bars that have in recent months started putting out tables and chairs, and believe it or not, these are placed not on the pavement but in the road, infront of their bars. These are not just a deterrent to the public but also to cars. I suppose unless there is some fatal accident, whereby some vehicle goes over some ppl then very little it done. However I urge the authorities, including local police to take action before the worst happens.

Steve Rogers

Nov 13th 2008, 14:38

Were these establishments repeat offenders or new ones? What followup actions are being performed to ensure that encroachment does not repeat itself?

a. sciberras

Nov 13th 2008, 13:59

well done! however we need to be careful that we do not kill the al fresco dining concept in the process.

lgalea

Nov 13th 2008, 13:20

Good job. Keep it up, charge them for the expenses of removing the furniture and fine them. Pavements are PUBLIC property and should be given back to the public to walk safely on, not to bars and restaurants to use for their private gain. This also applies to beach concessions.