There is a general air of neglect in the country. With the exception of a few places here and there, the island is looking increasingly scruffy and dirtier. This newspaper has been raising the issue quite often in recent years but it would seem that, while there is plenty of goodwill and agreement over the need to spruce up the place, there is not enough motivation to tackle the problem.

As hoteliers plan new high-class developments, the environment creaks under the pressure of land overuse. One of the biggest problems is that the administration’s efforts to at least take care of the basic requirements invariably fall far short of what is needed to prevent shabbiness. The result is there for all to see – sheer neglect.

It would seem the country does not have the right kind of professional structures to tackle this aspect of administration in the way it should. Jobs are often done only half-heartedly and there appears to be no supervision, or, if there is, it is not effective enough.

Quite surprisingly for a country that depends so much on tourism, the matter does not appear to be given the importance it deserves at Cabinet level, with members perhaps thinking that it will take care of itself. It never will. Unless the government treats it as a matter that requires constant attention, there will be no improvement.

Sadly, many appear to get so much used to scruffiness and mediocrity that they adopt an indifferent attitude. But discerning tourists are surprised at the environmental degradation they see in some places.

In so far as the environment is concerned, public discussion is often dominated by concern over the nibbling away of land outside the development zones.

This is quite understandable because any concession given is an added threat to the existing environment.

Environmental non-government organisations are doing well in keeping a sharp eye on this. However, it is also essential not to overlook the elephant in the room, which is the stark degeneration blighting so many places.

The administration can do a lot to bring about change, such as finding more effective ways to cultivate a new culture that calls for a better upkeep all round. Just as there is need to raise fines for drink driving or using the mobile phone while at the wheel, there should also be stiffer fines for those caught dumping rubbish or littering. More importantly, these must be enforced scrupulously.

Tourist places can easily turn into other tacky Buġibbas, urban jungles complete with strings of nondescript souvenir shops and beer-belly louts parading shirtless along the shoreline, unless action is taken to preserve the charm of the few remaining natural localities.

There are still some attractive, natural places left, sites that would need to be protected against the threat posed by unscrupulous get-rich-quick individ-uals. A government that can go to the extent of destroying part of Żonqor Point for a project that can easily be accommodated in its entirety elsewhere is not helping to promote the right environmental sense and responsibility.

Let the country preserve the few remaining attractive places it has and, as a matter of urgency, let it get its act together and roll out an action plan for a facelift it so badly needs.