How much are cigarettes going to cost? Do I now have to be 21 to get a driving licence? If band clubs are considered music schools, why aren’t fireworks factories art schools?
Finance Minister Tonio Fenech had his work cut out yesterday evening, as he fielded these and other questions from Facebook users live on the 2012 Budget’s official Facebook page.
Initially it looked like it could go all pear-shaped, with the clock striking 6.07 p.m., questions piling up and Mr Fenech nowhere to be seen. One smart Alec posted a comment wondering whether the minister was going to make an appearance. The comment was swiftly removed.
But soon enough, Mr Fenech showed up and the replies began appearing. Curiously, users’ questions were not answered on a first-come first-served basis, with the minister skipping between questions.
One minute Mr Fenech told a user that Birżebbuġa would be receiving new football and waterpolo pitches. The next, he was sympathising with a young man who felt that Malta needed to invest €10 million, not €100,000, in a dedicated sports school.
“I appreciate your comment,” Mr Fenech said, “but there has to be a start.”
Many questions, unsurprisingly, revolved around income tax breaks and pension allowances. Mr Fenech directed one user to the Budget 2012 official website, which features a handy electronic calculator allowing parents to calculate how much income tax they would be saving.
As the minutes whizzed by and the minister rushed to answer the questions pouring in, some replies began to sound like stock answers. But other replies were most certainly human.
“Send me an e-mail with your phone number and I’ll contact you,” the minister told one user asking about her daughter’s eligibility for a disability pension.
Another user complained that, while parents would be receiving a tax cut, childless couples would not. “This Budget had to make choices, we couldn’t help everyone... but everyone recognises the greater need of those who have children and the government responded to that need,” the minister replied.
Five minutes before the end of the allotted hour, the questions suddenly stopped, giving Mr Fenech the time to track back and reply to all the other users he had initially skipped.
And then, at 7.23 p.m., a final post. “I’m going to have to leave now, but keep posting questions and Ministry officials will reply to them later on.” It’s not easy being the Finance Minister.