timesofmalta.com

The cost of partisanship

J.G. Vassallo — Sat, 25 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

The dust that was raised over the electoral arena has now settled and the new team led by Joseph Muscat had sufficient time to grip the administrative ropes. Having completed their stocktaking for the year 2013, Cabinet ministers are peering into the future. Our parliamentary system will be put to the test and the electorate will be taking the measure of the maturity of our political class. As an independent State, Malta has assumed responsibility for its own survival in competition with other countries. It has to live on its own earnings, in the full knowledge that no one owes it a living. All of this imposes its imperatives. Increasingly and systematically, all the social partners in these islands must come round to realise the necessity of a change in their psychological outlook, and of pulling the same rope, in order to upgrade their administrative and managerial system, their economic infrastructure and their productive resources. Changing the psychological outlook is a slow process. Considering that, on attaining independence, Malta’s challenge was to switch from a fortress to a market economy, our initial overall performance deserves a fair pass mark. Malta registered...

Morally questionable

Roberta Metsola — Sat, 25 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

The arbitrary removal of the Malta Communications Authority chairman Antonio Ghio, who also happened to be Malta’s digital champion, is unacceptable. It is legally unsound and morally questionable. Through my first parliamentary question in the European Parliament, I formally asked the European Commission to look into the matter and clarify exactly how far this has breached EU law. Allow me to explain further. The Malta Communications Authority is not simply another Government department. As Malta’s national regulator for the communications sector it falls under the remit of the EU Telecoms Framework Directive 2002/21/EC as amended by Directive 2009/140/EC. In other words, the Government cannot fire people at will without one of a very limited number of legally justified reasons. A number of people have reacted with a shrug arguing that we should give the Government a chance. Idisagree. The reason why the MCA cannot be treated as just another government department is clear. As a regulator, the MCA is responsible for an entire sector. Its independence is laid down in EU law. Specifically the EU Telecoms Framework Directive lays down that: “The independence of the national...

No holidays for Nationalists

Hermann Schiavone — Sat, 25 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

Today, Nationalist Party councillors are once again summoned to cast their votes in four elections. The two deputy leaders, the president of the general council and the 13 members of the executive have to be elected. This is indeed an important day for the party. On his election as party leader, Simon Busuttil immediately declared his intention of having a leadership team rather than a sole leader to head the party. In line with his promise, the party leader wasted no time to push forward the idea of having two deputy leaders instead of the usual one. There is a lot of work to be done. The road is not smooth and the party needs all hands on deck. Today’s elections could therefore be regarded as the second part of the renewal process that the PN is going through. In a week’s time the new secretary general and the remaining administrative vacancies will be filled by another set of elections within the executive committee. So, by the first week of June the party’s new administration will be in place. Then what, one may ask. What should the new leadership team focus on first? There are a number of matters that should be addressed without delay. The precarious financial situation is...

Matters monetary mania

I. M. Beck — Sat, 25 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

The news is dominated, as I write, by the barbaric murder in London. Linked by its perpetrators to British involvement in Afghanistan and other parts of the Muslim world, condemned by non-insane Muslim leaders, the brutal act gave an excuse to mindless Rightist xenophobes to start rattling their own sabres. The English Defence League wrapped itself in the flag and grinned inanely all the way to the barricades, though, thankfully, their numbers seemed to be restricted to a few hundred oafs whose fervour to stand up for their country doesn’t seem to extend to showing their faces, in many of their cases. Clearly, the brutish murder is condemnable and contemptible. Carried out in the name of religion, it simply served to continue to blacken the name of that religion, and by effect all other religions, and to swell the ranks of bigotry on all sides, as did the various reactions to the news that had to be pumped out to satisfy the appetite of the beast, rolling 24/7 news. The main news before the thuggishness in London was different, though, to an extent, not less marked by mindlessness and posturing. Google, whose corporate motto is Do No Evil, and Starbucks, whose watchword seems to...

Improving access to finance

George Vella — Sat, 25 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

Malta has recently been lauded by the International Monetary Fund for its strong economic model. This success would not have been possible without the entrepreneurial perseverance demonstrated over the years by the business community. However, more needs to be done to maintain and improve the good work achieved so far. Our economic growth relies on the local business community’s propensity to invest and expand its commercial endeavours. Yet local SMEs often struggle to find adequate means of financing during their life cycle. Highlighting this fact is the MBB’s most recent study on ‘Market Gaps in Access to Finance’ in Malta, which shows that 30 per cent of SMEs find problems in raising credit to finance their development. The study demonstrates how the only feasible option for financing in Malta is the use of ‘traditional’ bank loans and overdrafts. A total of 72 per cent of SMEs in the start-up phase have been forced to rely on these lending products, while the other 28 per cent raise capital primarily through trade credits and family funding. Such lending products do not always provide the best solution for enterprises. This is because companies would be required to put up...

Wisdom of folly?

John Azzopardi, Żabbar — Sat, 25 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

With reference to the letter by Mary Rose Cassar entitled The Folly, that very same phrase used, “Whither goes thou Malta?”, was uttered by the preacher towards the end of his panegyric on the occasion of St Paul’s Shipwreck feast just before the diocese referendum. That thinly-veiled warning was, of course, on a spiritual level but both messages were ignored. Was that a mere chance fourletter arrangement of words or a good piece of advice? The consequences? We must wait and see.

Turning corners

Mel Quick, Birżebbuġa — Sat, 25 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

I have looked in vain for the road traffic regulation, which states that “Drivers shall turn right on the right hand side of the road”. If I were paid €1 for each time I have had to brake hard because a car suddenly appeared round the corner on my side of the road, I’d be a rich man! I continue to be convinced that some of the motorists on this island should be issued with one horse and one cart!

Beware the Hollande way

Jonathan Deeley, Sliema — Sat, 25 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

The news that the French economy has officially entered recession upon the second anniversary of Francois Hollande’s Presidency serves as a pertinent warning sign for Joseph Muscat’s apparently warm relationship with the French leader. One can only hope that meetings between the two leaders are confined to the virtues of French cheese and wine rather than to matters of economic strategy. Hollande has, almost singlehandedly, managed to transform his citizens into a collection of les miserables thanks in large part to his ill-advised ‘wealth tax’, which has shown the door to anyone with an entrepreneurial flair. In 2012, at least 10,000 French taxpayers were forced to pay more in tax than they actually earned, Beware the Hollande way and London has now become France’s sixth largest city! As the late British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, had once remarked, the problem with Socialists is that, at the end of the day, they would run out of other people’s money.

Don’t bring cruise ships to Gozo

Trevor Batchelor, Kendal, UK — Sat, 25 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

My partner and I only discovered Malta and Gozo as a holiday destination three years ago and so taken were we – especially with Gozo – that we have now clocked up four visits so far. The latest holiday, lasting nine days, sadly ended just last week and it was then that we became aware of the proposed cruise ship terminal/anchorage installation for the island. While I fully understand the need for Gozo’s tourist economy to grow and bring prosperity to the local population, caution needs to be taken when going down the cruise ship route. Dubrovnik, in Croatia, is another favourite place of mine but a recent trip there became almost unbearable due to the sheer density and numbers of passengers on a quick visit. The owner of one of our favourite eating places confirmed that, apart from the odd ice cream and a trip up in the cable car, no money is actually spent and life has become so difficult that many of the original residents have now moved out. Cruise companies are only interested in their passengers spending money when on board their luxury ships. People that actually stay on Gozo are the ones that need to be catered for. It is they that spend money on the food, accommodation and...

Right to life

Olga Pitcairn, New Hope, Pennsylvania, US — Sat, 25 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

I refer to Ivan Padovani’s letter referring to mine of May 16 about the right to life. Padovani overlooked the issue of the right of religious freedom. Savita Halappanavar was not a Roman Catholic and other religions have a different stance on when life begins. Genesis 2:7: The Lord God formed man from the dust of the Right to life ground and “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (still-born babies are not baptised). The Pentateuch was written by Moses, according to Judaism. And Koran 2:87 states: “To Moses we gave the Scriptures.” It seems to me that an ‘interesting’ battle is going to be between the medical establishment and diverse religious beliefs. Can anyone predict the winner?

Battle against God’s laws

Mgr Anton Gauci, Victoria — Sat, 25 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

Following the comments made by the Malta Confederation of Women’s Organisations on Bishop Mario Grech’s homily on abortion (Times of Malta, May 16 and 17), there is only one remark I feel that I should make. This would not be to show any such thing as ‘anger’, as the confederation itself has done, but to express feelings of sorrow at the plight of religion and God’s laws in these islands. Just that! Even when I recall to such scenes as those presented by processions with effigies of Our Lady of Sorrows or the ‘courageous’ manifestations of religiosity on the Granaries at Floriana. And no need to call to my mind the efforts of some good souls against the God-condemned doctrines on such things as divorce and prohibited ‘unions’! But, then, bygone are the days when our ancestors believed such warnings as “Take care lest My mercy give place to My justice” (Message of Merciful Love by Marguerite, 1986, p. 161). A real pity we are not given the ‘thousands’ of names which make up certain organisations we so often see making a lot of noise in their battling against God’s and the Church’s laws!

Blemish on new Valletta entrance

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

The announcement by the Economy Minister about the relocation of the Monti hawkers, who are to move their stalls from Merchants Street to Ordnance Street, Valletta, possibly also spilling over between the new Parliament building and the old opera house site, is a grave cause for dismay. The admission that this was the result of a backstreet deal struck between the hawkers and the Labour Party prior to the general election does not make the move any more palatable. The Government should think again about the wider implications of such a move. It should do so in the context of a number of factors: the seven-decade wait for the radical and exciting improvements to the entrance to this World Heritage Site; the ambitious plans for Valletta Capital City of Culture 2018; the highprofile events in store for Malta in 2017 (when Malta takes over the presidency of the EU); and the touristic and cultural heritage implications of having what passes for a cheap bazaar at the very entrance to Malta’s capital city. Of course, the Monti hawkers’ livelihoods should also be weighed in the scales. They complain that business is poor and blame their decline in income on their being in (lower)...

Sword must be returned

Edwin Calleja, Balzan — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

So France is doing us a big favour, as a token of our friendship, by offering to lend us De Vallette’s dagger and sword, for a limited period during the time Valletta is celebrated as the cultural capital city of Europe in 2018. It sounds rather arrogant and haughty to lend us what has been stolen from us. We are indisputably the rightful and legal owners of the invaluable arms in question presented by Russia to De Vallette after sorting out the Turkish forces besieging the island. What right has France to keep in its possession this inestimable treasure acquired illegally through an act of aggression and war against a virtually undefended Maltese territory? If such an obscene act and attitude is accepted and condoned by civilised nations, this would mean that any treasures looted by the victorious armies in all Europe during World War II including of course, from France, should have been retained perpetually by the victors as war-booty. Such line of action is surely totally unacceptable, unfair and logically irrational for the very obvious reason that the retaining country has no claim whatsoever on such property that is not hers but that was stolen and appropriated through force...

No EU funding lost

Brian St John, CEO Foundation for Medical Services, Blata l-Bajda — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

I refer to the leader Risk Of Losing Millions Of EU Funds (May 15), particularly to the commentary concerning the oncology centre project falling behind schedule. I believe this merits some clarification – if only to dispel any negative perception that the project is in fact late. The project timelines have remained unchanged. It is expected, therefore, that in line with commissioning and testing protocol, the centre shall be operational by the second quarter of next year. It is evident to the intelligent observer that the commissioning of an exceedingly complex healthcare infrastructure does not happen overnight. Mater Dei Hospital, for example, was handed over on June 29, 2007 – with the migration of patients commencing on November 5 of that same year. The oncology centre will be coming on line progressively. The reported delay of four months is essentially a prudent management assumption resulting from the fact that the public procurement process for the implementation of the extension of the electrical ring from Mater Dei Hospital to the new oncology centre was unsuccessful on two separate occasions. The latest Invitation to Tender for this procurement was published on May 10,...

Resident scheme is not working

Karel van de Wetering, Haarlem, The Netherlands — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

I was not surprised to read recently in Times of Malta a story about the possible revival of a Permanent Residence Scheme for non-EU citizens. The previous government had revived it already through Legal Notice 317 for EU, EEU and Swiss pensioners, calling it the Malta Retirement Programme (MRP). Regarding these residents, EU regulations guarantee proper compensation for treatment on the Maltese national health service. And Maltese residing in other EU countries may be treated by the local health service too. It is a complex matter. In any case, the Government already requires that new residents are properly insured, including non-EU nationals. So, this does not apply to health immigrants, unless they reside here illegally. After replacing the original Permanent Residency Scheme in 2001, the so-called High Net Worth Individuals Scheme became a total failure. Malta killed a goose with golden eggs. What “fundamental weaknesses” had to be eliminated remains a question. Greed is not the best motivator to attract foreign residents. Therefore, I predict that the new MRP will be a failure too. Former contractants will not return and new applicants will hardly turn up. First, Malta puts a...

Pension reform – a fresh proposal

Felix Galea, Fgura — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

It is good news to hear the Social Solidarity Minister say the new government is setting up a task force to ensure the sustainability of pensions. It was also mentioned that it was planning to introduce the third-pillar pension giving workers (who can afford it), the possibility of putting money aside to complement their pension income. While the introduction of the third-pillar pension is commendable, what is definitely urgently required is a reassessment of the adequacy of the first-pillar pension, especially for those future pensioners who are totally excluded from the previous government’s pension reforms. As readers may be aware, the maximum pension for persons born before 1962 is currently two-thirds of €339 a week, that is, €226 weekly or €11,752 per annum. This works out at €904 every four weeks, which is simply inadequate for a retired couple to live decently in 2013 let alone some 10 or 15 years from now! The fact is that these persons currently do not pay National Insurance contributions on their weekly earnings above the current maximum threshold of €339 and consequently should not fairly expect to get a two-thirds pension on the earnings above this figure. In brief,...

Air Malta food

Sean Richardson, Swieqi — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

I read a comment about what was described as the disappointing food quality aboard an Air Malta flight from Germany. In defence of Air Malta, the chicken, vegetables and potatoes served were a welcome meal flying into Malta after the food we were served on flights by another carrier from Portugal and into Germany. This consisted of a cold, small ham and cheese sandwich and a tough croissant with jam.

Ministers’ behaviour

Joe Vella, Sliema — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

I agree with what was said in Friday’s editorial that “unethical behaviour cannot be tolerated”. It criticised Foreign Minister George Vella and Parliamentary Secretary Franco Mercieca for breaching the code of ethics by continuing to practise their profession privately. The editorial also disagrees with Joseph Muscat when he says that the code is not being breached, adding “that the situation cannot be tolerated any longer”. Like Times of Malta, I do believe that ministers and parliamentary secretaries should abide by the code of ethics and not practise their profession whether against payment or for free. What annoys me, however, is that Nationalist ministers and parliamentary secretaries had been practising privately for ages, and against payment too, and yet no one uttered a word of protest against their unethical behaviour. Why now?

Shame on the MFA

Simon Copperstone, St Paul’s Bay — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

I watched the Malta Premier league decider between Birkirkara and Hibernians. Here is a breakdown of the type of service everyone received from the Malta Football Association, the entity that is always urging people to attend and support local football. I found a mere 40 per cent of the total number of ticket booths open and not even one sign showing where the teams’ respective supporters should be seated, resulting in opposing supporters mingling together. It took me an hour to get my ticket because there were no barriers to guide people in line, leading to everyone pushing to try to get to the ‘ticket booths’. Please note there were also women, children and disabled people in this confusion. Once in, I spent almost 45 minutes in the shamefully disorganised bar to get a drink, served by unbelievably rude bar staff. I cannot understand why we still need to have those little metal windows that look like something out of Alcatraz. I had more policemen at my wedding than there were at the stadium. To make matters worse, when supporters were leaving after the game there was a very ‘balanced fight 15 guys against one. Where were the police? It is never a good idea to allow supporters...

Eurovision voting (2)

Peter Murray, Mosta — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

I have unsuccessfully attempted to contact the Daily Mail’s columnist, Peter McKay, regarding his callous reference to Malta’s Eurovision Song Contest entrant, Gianluca Bezzina, as “the creepy, elf-like figure from Malta”. While he is undoubtedly entitled to his opinion, McKay’s is polarised from that of most of Malta and indeed the rest of Europe. May I direct his attention to a banner headline of the Times of Malta to provide a brief snapshot of how much this contest is revered here? the matter may yet invoke questions in Parliament, even possibly a diplomatic incident.