The general response to the Economic Vision for Malta launched by the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry last year was very encouraging as observers urged the government to adopt it as its blueprint for a prosperous economic future.

One point that stood out and everyone seemed to agree with was the need for the country to embrace quality and in so doing shedding the ‘good enough’ mentality, and aspire for a ‘nothing but the best’ principle.

This notion was welcomed by all as its ramifications would have a vast and deep effect on a number of aspects of the country’s social and economic development.

We have just marked Public Service Week and the Malta Chamber reiterates its call on the country to treat the public and private sectors as the two sides of the same coin.

Moreover, as suggested in its Economic Vision, the government and enterprise should partner closer and more often in order to truly complement each other in their efforts towards the betterment of prosperity for the Maltese people.

Successive governments have undertaken a series of incremental reforms to improve the quality of the public service with a view to rendering it more compatible with private sector needs. Progress has however been slow, painstaking and regrettably not sufficiently effective.

This is not to lessen the merit of the many devoted public officers and employees in the wider public sector who have worked and work assiduously to cope with the analysis, implementation and enforcement of the flood of directives and regulations emanating from the European Union.

The Chamber has on a number of occasions expressed its appreciation of the government’s declared policy to collaborate closely with private enterprise which is recognised as the driver of growth and the producer of wealth and employment.

The government has also made it its policy to curb bureaucracy and red tape and to ensure a business-friendly public administration. It was therefore pleased to note that, for this purpose, the government appointed a parliametary secretary and a commissioner within the office of the Prime Minister with special responsibility for the simplification and reduction of bureaucracy in the public sector in general but also with the specific objective of simplifying laws, rules and procedures relating to the business sector and eliminating unnecessary burdens and hurdles which impede or discourage valuable investment.

It is important to ensure that the cutting of red tape will not turn out to be just an electoral promise

It is, however, important to ensure that the cutting of red tape and the elimination of bureaucratic hurdles on the business community will not turn out to be, as it often is, just an electoral promise and policy cliché.

While acknowledging the efforts that are being made, the Chamber feels that a lot remains to be done by way of improving administrative efficiency, responsiveness and accountability.

This includes the bringing into effect of the long-called for reforms in the judicial system and processes, and the elimination of unnecessary burdens on businesses which affect competitiveness, while equally enforcing compliance with the regulatory frameworks.

But perhaps the two major challenges to face and surmount are, first, the need to change the prevailing attitudes and mindsets that are not conducive to the business-friendly public administistration that the government has declared as its policy and commitment, and secondly, reinforcing the concept of accountability at both public administration and political levels.

It is very harmful to Malta’s image to keep reading reports about unfortunate cases in the public sector; of undeclared conflicts of interest; political interference; inflated manning; substantial cost overruns and delays in government projects; doubtful procurement decisions, as well as inadequate policy evaluation and long-term planning. More accountability is certainly called for.

Also, we cannot accept a situation where Malta is ranked in the 47th place in the Global Competitive Index 2014-2015 and, even more worryingly, the 94th place in the global World Bank Report on Doing Business in Malta.

Such placings cannot but have a very adverse effect on the efforts being made by the government and local entrepreneurs to attract foreign direct investment to Malta.

Is it not time for the government and all stakeholders to seriously, and with alacrity, assess the situation, identify, closely examine and make a strong effort to correct the factors that are dragging Malta down in these international ratings?

If all stakeholders put their mind to it there is no reason why Malta should not take pride of place among the top rated countries such as Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Hong Kong and EU member countries notably Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Austria.

The Malta Chamber, instead of just raising concerns and grievances about the performance of public administration, is prepared to offer its services and the benefit of the knowledge and first-hand experience of many of its members to collaborate closely with the public sector.

This would be through direct meetings, discussions and committee work with the leaders of the public sector, i.e. the anti-bureacracy commissioner and the competent permanent secretaries and chief executives, with a view to making concrete proposals and recommendations to the government aimed at sustainable economic and social growth, the raising of competitiveness and productivity levels and making Malta more attractive for investments by both foreign and local entrepreneurs.

David Curmi is president of the Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry.