Giving Bisazza Street a facelift

The embellishment project in Bisazza Street, Sliema began a few days ago with the laying of new water and drainage services. This is the second most commercial zone, after Valletta, and is home to about 50 shops and a shopping complex. It is also a tourist area and therefore deserves investment that will benefit residents and shoppers while continuing to improve the quality of our tourism. This work complements embellishments already carried out, such as in Tower Road and St Anne’s Square.

The project will give this street a much needed facelift. While the street and pavement will be paved with porfido tiles, bollards will line the street so as to protect pedestrians when traffic passes. The street will be free from parked cars, increasing the pedestrian area and making space for soft landscaping.

The square half way down the street will also be embellished. Two fountains, decorative lighting and benches will be installed, while Wi-Fi will be available.

This commercial zone is being transformed into one that is cleaner and better organised to live up to the quality of the shops found in it. Many shop owners have invested in their establishments, as did shop owners in the Strand and Manwel Dimech Street. In fact, once works in Bisazza Street are completed, works in these commercial areas are also planned.

We are obviously doing our utmost to minimise the impact of these works on residents and shop owners but are grateful for their understanding that some inconvenience is unavoidable – January 28.

Appreciating our accomplishments

“But it is not only that Malta is part of the EU and the euro; it is also your sound decision-making which have saved your country from the worst of the financial crisis. Malta was among the last EU member states to enter recession and among the first to emerge from it in 2009. With hard work you have managed to bring down your deficit to 3.8 per cent of GDP last year and you appear well on track to achieve your target of 2.8 per cent at the end of 2011. Many member states could learn from your economic policies.”

I am not quoting the Prime Minister, a member of Cabinet or a Nationalist Party activist. This is taken from the speech delivered by the president of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, to the Maltese Parliament this week. It was a speech that portrayed the way Europe sees us. A speech that showed how misleading the opposition is when it portrays the local context as being seemingly detached from a world facing financial crisis and tries to hide the achievements made in our country over the past two years.

Prof. Buzek again praised Malta’s decision to join the European Union and adopt the euro, reminding that such crucial decisions ensured our country being in a better position than certain others today. He obviously emphasised that, while we should be satisfied with our achievements, we must address the challenges ahead and continue implementing necessary reforms.

The comments made by the Leader of the Opposition jarred when he referred to the “New Europe” formed in 2004. If he had his way, Malta would not have formed part of the New Europe he resisted and fought against. It being politically opportune, he now tries to project himself as a convinced European – January 26.

Understanding the increase in prices

Today, I attended two important meetings at the Ministry of Agriculture in Berlin. Among the topics discussed were the increasing prices of cereals, food security and adequate food supply. Listening to the speakers confirmed the superficiality and irresponsibility of the opposition in Malta. Labour speakers try to give the impression such issues are impacting Malta alone or that they may be avoided by the government.

I would recommend – particularly to the Leader of the Opposition – closely reading the meeting reports and spreading the message delivered, particularly by the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, Pascal Lamy, and the French Minister of Agriculture, Bruno Le Maire.

Mr Lamy argued that export restrictions and speculation are leading to increases in the prices of cereals. He stated it had just been announced by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations that the price of food has reached record levels, surpassing the high levels reached in 2008. He went on to say that, following the financial crisis two years ago, the world is facing a food crisis, creating uncertainty and generating tensions in a number of countries and regions.

The French minister reaffirmed these arguments, stressing the need for this problem to be addressed with the necessary seriousness before it is too late.

This contrasts sharply with the way the issue is addressed by the opposition in Malta. In a frenzy for political mileage, the opposition makes superficial arguments that do not address the roots of the issue. One would almost believe it was the Malta government that decided to raise the cost of flour or the cereals that our animals eat. I appeal to the opposition to responsibly portray the bigger picture and go beyond the political opportunism that characterises the positions taken by the Labour Party and its media – January 22.

At the service of farmers and consumers

The past few days saw further concrete action in favour of farmers and consumers. My ministry and I had long been receiving complaints about the poor service farmers were being given by those who were supposed to be cleaning the crates used to transport fresh fruit and vegetables.

The years spent urging the private company Pitkali Crates Ltd to improve its service to farmers and consumers proved to be in vain. Through its management agreement with the government, this company earned a percentage on the volume of vegetables that pass through the Pitkalija, in exchange for the washing of vegetable crates. This percentage had already been reduced but the service never improved.

We therefore had no choice but to terminate the contract. An alternative plan was developed to avoid disruptions, whereby we have begun to provide this service ourselves until an alternative operator is chosen. Apart from cleaning vegetable crates, the ministry has also purchased a number of new crates so as to keep up with demand, ensuring farmers and consumers need not be negatively impacted during this transition.

The difference can already be felt and a number of farmers who spoke to the local media expressed their satisfaction at the cleanliness of the crates in which they are placing their fresh products. We couldn’t but react against those who were leaving the crates dirty, risking that fresh products reach the consumer dirty and spoiled. It would also be a shame if farmers were to suffer the consequences of somebody else’s shortcomings. We are committed to together making a leap in the quality of the delivery of fresh products to the consumer - January 17.

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The author is Minister of Resources and Rural Affairs.