The political parties must work together to solve issues that would otherwise “continue to plague the country with consequential social and economic repercussions”, the Today Public Policy Institute said today.

In an electoral system where the winner takes all, courageous policy decisions, acknowledged informally by political leaders to be significant for Malta’s economic and social sustainability, are seldom mentioned in party manifestos let alone ever considered for implementation, said the think-tank, now in its second decade.

The institute flagged areas which it said were the most pressing from a long list of domestic public policies “crying out for attention”: the constitution and governance, health and long term care, pensions, the environment, and transport.

“The necessary bold policy reforms cannot be further postponed. To quote an adage ‘It is a great thing to do what is necessary before it becomes unavoidable’,” it warned.

The necessary bold policy reforms cannot be further postponed. To quote an adage ‘It is a great thing to do what is necessary before it becomes unavoidable’,” it warned

“This threat is a very real one in that these issues are having a deleterious impact on the quality of lives today, with the prospect of even more serious social and economic consequences in the future. The grave decline in governance standards is contributing to poor service delivery, including the rule of law and has served to cause immeasurable reputational damage internationally.

“Government's responsibility is not only to govern the present and manage
policy issues on the basis of a short-term vision in order to secure electability; it is also its responsibility to ensure that the country that is bequeathed to following generations remains economically and environmentally sustainable.”

Read the full position paper in the PDF link below.