Long-term planning, not short-term gains. That’s what matters most in politics. In 2012, Valletta was awarded the 2018 Capital of Culture. That wasn’t a matter of luck. It had been a long time coming.
For years the Eddie Fenech Adami and Lawrence Gonzi administrations laid the foundations which today enable us to, justifiably, celebrate Valletta as a capital city of culture.
Malta’s membership in the European Union, the ushering in of a free market, long-term planning in the educational system and policies that have enabled the private business sector to flourish are among their remarkable achievements.
Today’s success is the result of the vision and long-term planning of yesterday.
Without yesterday, there would have been no today. Which explains why today the lack of long-term planning is a major cause of concern.
This year hundreds of events shall characterise Valletta 2018 – and that’s a good thing for Malta and its economy. But what legacy will Valletta 2018 leave? What shall be its benefits in 10 to 15 years’ time?
Valletta 2018 is expected to attract more tourists to our islands.
But how can we ensure a stronger tourism industry a few years from now? What investment, if any, is being made in our infrastructure to cope with more tourist arrivals? What long-term traffic management is being planned to ensure that in a few years we don’t have traffic gridlock on our roads?
As to the economy, what new sectors are being created to make up for when the current sectors dwindle? Where shall today’s ten-year-olds work when they complete their studies?
Thousands work in the financial services and gaming industries – the foundations of which were laid more than a decade ago. But currently there is little, if any, effort to create new economic sectors.
It would be foolish for the government to sit on its laurels, content with a booming construction industry – for that is short-lived success.
It would be foolish for the government to sit on its laurels, content with a booming construction industry – for that is short-lived success
Nor is the sale of citizenship scheme a long-term investment.
Efforts are being made to remove unnecessary red tape, which stifles investment, but that’s not enough.
Strong economic policy is not one fashioned according to property booms and government spending. We need to create new economic sectors – while enhancing research and innovation.
We badly need to invest in the cultural sector- and create jobs, too.
Despite their shortcomings, successive Nationalist Party administrations laid the foundations which today enable us to live a better life.
The current Labour government should emulate that. For one-off ‘investments’ and the selling of the country’s national assets are not long-term planning. They are short-sighted politics which pay no dividends in the near future.
A focus must be given to develop-ing Malta as a regional financial centre. And that cannot be achieved by relying exclusively on tax incentives.
Other EU Member States are doing their best to erode our competitive advantage in this regard. It is Malta’s location and expertise in the financial services industry which should be our unique selling point.
And, of course, our good reputation, and by that I mean good governance, which is increasingly in short supply.
Malta needs to reflect deeply on its economic future. Soul-searching is a must. This is a matter which goes beyond party politics. The standard of living of future generations is at stake.
The Labour government boasts about rising employment, but little if any attention is given to the quality of those jobs.
Valletta 2018 is an excellent opportunity to showcase Malta and its human res-ources. But the government needs to look beyond Valletta 2018 – which should herald a new chapter of economic prosperity in the years to come, thanks to today’s long-term planning.
The government must pull up its socks and look beyond the immediate.
So far it has not. And that’s worrying.
Frank Psaila is a lawyer and anchors Iswed fuq l-Abjad on NET TV.