Monday, 20th July 2009
GOOD STUFF
Joseph Muscat has proposed 23 measures to combat inflation.
They are as follows, as reported on the Labour Party's own site and summarised by yours truly.
First, make better use of financial resources, including funds coming from the EU. That's about it: there's no detail as to how this platitude is to be given effect, except to premise the proposal by auguring that more and better work is created.
Second, control expenditure: truly a noble aim, though not many details are given as to how this should be achieved.
Thirdly, Government-imported goods and services should be sold to the public carefully, transparently, efficiently and without too much bureaucracy. Great idea. How, in particular? Ah, no details here, either.
Fourthly, liberalisation should not lead to cost increases, or something like that. I lost the will to live, almost, after the fifth line dealing with public transport reform, which actually restricted itself to the transport of dead people, which is only as far as it's gone thus far, leading me to wonder how much I would have to plough through if there ever was a reform.
Moving on, the fifth proposal seems to concern itself with the housing market, though precisely what it was driving at was not entirely clear. I'm sure some commenting elf will elucidate.
And then came number six, which makes the point that corruption is a tax on virtually everyone, presumably because it's the punters who have to pay the increased costs of goods and services supplied by a corrupter with the connivance of a corruptee. Again, not a proposal that anyone, not even the most cynical of bloggers (cynical, moi?) should find fault with, but come on, guys, do you really think that it's a stand-alone point? Stop corruption because it's costing us money? Really?
Point number seven is sure to be a favourite: drop taxes for everyone. What can I say, other than "and so say all of us"? How one squares this with the expectation that Government carries on supplying the services we all want and need is not fully obvious, though presumably cutting costs elsewhere will cover this.
And coming in at number eight is the all-time statement of the bleedin' obvious: remove monopolies, which operate to make it so expensive for consumers to obtain whatever it is the monopoly supplies. It says it in many more lines than that, to be sure, but it doesn't say much more than that, really.
Complementary to number eight is number nine: make sure the various regulators that impact on the amount things cost do their thing properly. Again, very good idea, but specifics are conspicuous by their absence.
Numbers ten and eleven seem to be quite closely related, if not actually twins: pay less for oil and consequently charge less for power. Nifty idea, and it would take an even more cynical observer than me to gainsay it, but let's take it as read that it would be nice to know how.
Number twelve reprises seven: cut down on taxes, to which is added the rider "and administrative charges", to which I reprise my "and so say all of us", but then along comes thirteen, demanding that Government pays up what it owes, immediately if not sooner. Again, what a darn good idea, but woe will be us if this means that taxes might have to be levied, because it will go against twelve and seven. Who'd be Minister of Finance, I ask you!
Calming us down from considerations of matter of high finance, along comes proposal fourteen, which talks about the price of fruit and veg, which apparently is on the rise. The reasons for this are obfuscated by officialdom by labelling them as due to "market imperfections" (according to the Labour Party, anyway) and the Government is called on to take the matter in hand. And there the proposal stops, for all intents and purposes.
Proposals fifteen through twenty-one go on (and on, a bit) about sensitising consumers and making sure they get a good deal. At risk of repeating myself, this is obviously a good idea, but we're getting very close (and this applies to virtually all the proposals) to a situation where the Government will have to do everything and regulate everything, and we all know how much of a good idea that was back in the Seventies and Eighties.
Proposal the Twenty Second suggests rolling back VAT, particularly on labour-intensive industries, such as hospitality. Not a bad idea, but will the books balance? Don't ask me, I'm not making the proposals. And so, on to twenty three, which says we should have investment in the infrastructure to make sure we can move ahead as a country. Again, book balancing, anyone?
I'm not saying that the ideas are not good in themselves or as a whole, but let's not run away with the idea that they're the cat's whiskers, shall we? It must be great to be in opposition.
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Comments
Please do understand that a 'biased mind' very often does all within its power to destort facts of events and very rarely accepts that there is another side of its own story. A 'biased mind' preaches democracy and various basic right of every individual, but NEVER ACCEPTS a different version from his/hers. A ' biased mind' never practice what it teaches.
You can find plenty of information on the behaviour of 'biased minds' on-line. You be amazed
I never said you don’t have the right for an opinion, I just said your perception of what is going on in Malta is not objective since you live far away from this country.
Martinelli, I guess you are quite an old person and thus I don’t think I need to teach you certain aspects of life. One of which is the fact that in no corner of the Earth, you’ll ever find a person which agrees 100% with authority. If you think otherwise, than I believe you live in some kind of Utopia.
My reference to the Sliema parking issue followed your claim ‘Il-kummenti negattivi tieghek mifruxa fuq aktar min blog wiehed u ghalhekk hija haga facli li wiehed jevalwa dak li tikteb, meta tikteb u kif tikteb, u kontra min tikteb’. I repeat maybe this time you’ll get it right, lately I wasn’t that busy commenting within this website apart from the topic listed above.
You are right about the unbearable heat of Malta’s summer… today is actually extremely hot!!
He claims that my knowledge of what goes on in Malta is solely based on pressing buttons and reaching conclusions from what I read. He goes further claiming that for me, NP=good and LP=evil therefore I cannot be objective in my analysis. This remark was but one sentence below his disclaimer that he is '100% against everything this government does'. How about that for objectivity? It is this confusion and ambiguity which the LP and supporters like Mr. Dingli are renowned for, rendering their credibility to below zero.
Then, from nowhere he springs on the Sliema parking issues - a topic which has nothing to do with my previous comments. He mixes national issues with Local Council issues which I rarely comment on, if ever.
And finally, he recommends that I go to sleep. I think that this comment is more suitable to someone who is accustomed to having long siestas during the unbearable heat of Malta's summers.
F'dal 'comments board' partikolari ma ktibt xejn negattiv u jekk ghalik in-negattivita hija marbuta mal-fatt li jien ma naqbilx 100% ma dak li jsir mill-Gvern prezenti, mela ghandhekk ragun, jien bniedem negattiv (ghax ma gejtx 'indoctrinated')
Ara inti, ghalik PN = Good LP = Evil u ghal daqstant qatt u qatt ma tista tkun oggettiv. Ma nsemmux ukoll il-fatt li inti m'intix residenti f'dan il-pajjiz u allura ghandhekk percezzjoni bla bazi ghax kull ma taghmel tafas zewg buttuni u toqod taqra u b'hekk tkun taf ezatt x'qed jigri hawn Malta.
Il-kummenti tieghi dan l'ahhar kienu immirati fuq il-kwistjoni tal-parkegg fi Sliema, li inti zgur ta tistax tikkumenta fuqu ghax minn hemm ma ssibx diffikulta biex tmur sa Sliema.
Kiku kelli nikkumenta fuq dak kollu li tikteb inti nahseb ma nispicca qatt u zgur li hawn iktar minn 80% tan-nies li jiktbu hawn li jaqblu mieghi fuq dal-punt.
Mur orqod Sur Martinelli halli tistrieh naqra.
Inti tahseb li jien insegwi biss dak li tikteb f'dan il-blog?
Il-kummenti negattivi tieghek mifruxa fuq aktar min blog wiehed u ghalhekk hija haga facli li wiehed jevalwa dak li tikteb, meta tikteb u kif tikteb, u kontra min tikteb.
Barra min hekk, jekk wiehed ghandu certa intelligenza, malajr jaqra bejn il-linji (reads betewwn the lines) u tahsibx li ser taghaddi z-zmien, la bija w lanqas b'dawk li jsegwu l-avvenimenti ta kuljum.
Jien ktibt 'Ghad fadal daqshekk x'jinbidel f'dan l'imbierek pajjiz?'
Tista jekk jogbok dejjem tghidli f'liema parti ta dak li ktibt jien hemm hjiel ta 'oppozizzjoni ghal dak kollu li int ma tapprovax. Egoizmu estrem u mentalita maghluqa'.
Nerga nghidlek hares fil-mera u aqra il-hafna kontributi li inti tati fuq din il-website u mbad ibda ipponta subajk.
Jien ghandi mentalita ta isolizmu? Inti taf x'qed tghid jew? Ahjar thares fil-mera Sur Martinelli ghax nahseb kellek lapsus.
By Wiki or by me, once again it’s been proved that you spoke out of turn. If you want to buy cheap pumpkin you may go to The New Covent Garden and beat the inflation,good stuff too.
"..the site of flower, fruit and vegetable market since 1500s was relocated in 1974 to New Covent Garden Market in Nine Elms .."
I don't know about Covent Garden but you've certainly been to Wikipedia.
(Copy and paste is acceptable but it's common practice to acknowledge one's sources)
Ghad baqa hafna x'jinbidel ibda l-ewwel mill-mentalita' bhal tieghek - mentalita ta isolizmu.
@ Charles J Buttigieg
You can't possibly compare the 65% max income tax pre-George Bonello Depuis to the circumstances of today and remain credible. It was the high income taxes of the 80s which strangled the economy not to mention the nationalizing of everything in sight plus all the import restrictions which resulted in empty shelves! Compare the income taxes of today some 30% lower and tell me how much lower they can go while maintaining or improving services. Had the recession not hit so badly, there would have been some elbow room to lower taxes by a maximum of 5% but not any more. Of course the LP would continue to say - not enough!
The government doesn't fix the price of qara hamra, I leave that to those who know how to mix the pot. as you put it but if you are willing to find your qara at a cheaper price elsewhere, that's what good shopping is all about..
The consumer has a choice where to shop - bulk buying denies it.
Antoine, I’ve been to Covent Garden probably more times than you’ve been to Valletta and I don’t need you to tell me that the site of flower, fruit and vegetable market since 1500s was relocated in 1974 to New Covent Garden Market in Nine Elms well after the time of Eliza Doolittle. For your information people, more so old timers, still refer to the new site as Covent Garden or Covent Garden’s. Last time I was there I asked for ‘qara hamra’ and nobody knew what I was talking about, now you made me realise why, next time I’ll ask for pumpkin. Anything to beat our inflation.
it must be even greater to just use your blog to slam the Labout party !!!! I would have assumed that you would come up with even greater, more concrete proposals!!!!!
But you disappointed us once again!!!!
"we will go to Covent Garden’s to buy the ‘qara hamra’ cheaper." (you mean pumpkin)
You haven't been to Covent Garden for quite some time, have you? Things have moved on since Eliza Doolittle sold flowers there, you know.
When George Bonello du Puis lowered the ceiling on income tax the government revenue got enhanced; In the 1930s FDR’s ‘New Deal’ which included building roads leading to nowhere pulled the USA out of its worst depression.
“You have a choice. You can buy from London and save some Euros. The local businessmen will eventually feel the pinch and either go out of business or lower prices!”
Now this is sound advice, Next time we cook a ‘borma minestra’ we will go to Covent Garden’s to buy the ‘qara hamra’ cheaper.
Naqqsu s-servizzi qal - liema servizzi? Is-Sahha? Ma nghinux il-fabbriki li ghaddejjin min krizi? Inwaqqfu l-stipendi? Ma nibnux Bieb il-Belt, il-Parlament? Ma naghtux sforz biex intejbu is-servizz tat-Trasport? Ma nghinux ommijiet li jridu jirriturnaw fid-dinja tax-xoghol? Inwaqqfu l-incentivi ghax-xiri ta Solar Heaters? Nabbandunaw il-progett tal-Wind Farm.
jekk qed tghajx ghawn malta misek indunajt li il pn diga beda iwettaq hahna mil l affarijiet li semmejt. addio sahha,il gvern mux ghin lil fabbriki anzi zidilhom li spejjez,hafna mil i istipendi naqsu mur ajt lil li studenti tal ligi,is servizz tat trasport ahjar ma insemmuhx ax mu servizz xejn,fejn se isibu jahdmu l ommijiet forsi imoru jahslu xi flat?mur sib lil xahad li ha incentiv ta solar heaters,il progett tal windfarm diga austin gatt qal li mux se issir,kiku smajt l ahbarijiet tal gighma l ohra kont tikonferma.il progett ta bieb il belt iz zmiem itina risposta sur martinelli
:) was waiting for that
Ghad fadal daqshekk x'jinbidel f'dan l'imbierek pajjiz?
Ghax meta l-PL johrog b'xi proposti dejjem jipproponi proposti li jikkuntradixxu lilhom innifshom.
Ma tistax tnaqqas id-dhul u fl-istess hin tonfoq izjed. Joseph jahseb li ser jghaddina biz-zmien. Naqqsu s-servizzi qal - liema servizzi? Is-Sahha? Ma nghinux il-fabbriki li ghaddejjin min krizi? Inwaqqfu l-stipendi? Ma nibnux Bieb il-Belt, il-Parlament? Ma naghtux sforz biex intejbu is-servizz tat-Trasport? Ma nghinux ommijiet li jridu jirriturnaw fid-dinja tax-xoghol? Inwaqqfu l-incentivi ghax-xiri ta Solar Heaters? Nabbandunaw il-progett tal-Wind Farm? Hekk bi hsiebu jaghmel Joseph? Nerghu naqghu fi stagnar bhal ma gara fl-1996-1998? Jew ghandu xi bakketta magika mohbija x'imkien?
Halluna inkomplu inbiddlu din il-gzira taghna bil-kwiet bhal ma diga biddilniha, u nkomplu intejbuha fil-futur.
Ghax meta l-PL johrog bil-proposti nikkritikawh, jekk jikkritika nghidulu biex johrog bil-proposti.
I will further summarize ABC's summary and boil it down to one sentence. I hope I will get it right or else!
"Joseph will have it that the government pays what it owes, lowers utility rates, improve services, and reform transport, while, at the same time reduce VAT and reduce taxes (income tax, etc.)"
What a super idea! In fact cut taxes first, thus reducing government revenue, then spend more to accomplish all the above! A sure recipe for bankruptcy!
As always, the LP does not tell us how. It is leaving its solutions as 'surprises' for when the time comes. At Christmas time, surprises take the form of pretty wrapped boxes under the tree which, when opened, will light up the faces of children (and adults).
The LP's surprises will also be wrapped in pretty paper but will be found at the red house at the Mile End. When opened, the surprises will be nothing more than lumps of coal
@ Chris Bugeja
You have a choice. You can buy from London and save some euros. The local businessmen will eventually feel the pinch and either go out of business or lower prices!
'And so, on to twenty three, which says we should have investment in the infrastructure to make sure we can move ahead as a country. Again, book balancing, anyone?'
Shall we scrap the City Gate project (just to mention one of the new projects) since definitely it won't balance the book!