More EU funds to go down the drain?

Two reports in The Times of November 24 give one pause for much thought. The main news story was that the Maltese population is facing a new charge in the form of a tariff for the use of sewage services. This in itself is extraordinary and worrying since I am quite sure that nobody has figured such a charge into his or her yearly budget. I am also quite sure that the government has not budgeted for this either, or if it has we have not been informed. It seems that yet again the government has been caught with its pants down, figuratively speaking of course, with regard to this issue.

As is now painfully the norm, we have missed another deadline for EU funds and in all probability it is the taxpayer who once more will carry the can for government incompetence. The report categorically states that Malta has already missed several deadlines with regard to capital expenditure costs required to update sewage collection, treatment and disposal. Three projects were to be completed by March 2007. However, the Gozo plant was inaugurated in January of this year and the other plants are still only on paper. Well done government! Keep it up!

Another report on the same day, this time by Fiona Galea Debono, indicates that the government has decided to seek EU funding for Fort St Elmo. About time! Fort St Elmo is in a mess. There is no other way to describe it. Very little has been done to upgrade this historical fort which forms part and parcel of our place in the world. Why has it taken so long for the need for funds to come to the fore? Once more we have a situation of government incompetence which has now reached a level of ineptitude bordering on negligence. The funds the government is trying to attach to this project are funds that have been available for some time now (Priority Axis 2 and Priority Axis 6). I am under the impression that Fort St Elmo should have been in the forefront of any application for these funds.

With recent history in mind some questions need to be asked. When were these funds made available? Why is Fort St Elmo so far down the pecking order? Why are we still thinking about it? Will these funds go the way the sewage funds seem to have gone - down the drain?

It is right and fitting that these funds are applied for. However, is it not high time that the funds that are available are used rather than make excuses as to why funds which were supposed to come our way were lost?