The editorial ‘Malta needs a facelift badly’ (July 28) hit the nail on the head: Malta does indeed need a facelift.

Other columnists have written in the same vein thereby echoing what many individuals are thinking and feeling at present. More often than not, it seems that concerns regarding construction are not merely ignored but treated with unequivocal contempt.

Presumably, this is a reflection of where real power and influence lie. Apart from the gradual uglification and vulgarisation of the urban and natural environment and the constant proliferation of eyesores, little attention seems to be paid to the ancillary effects of construction, including the incessant noise, the dust and the filth, traffic and other in-conveniences to the public.

Up until a decade ago, tourist brochures promoting Malta described it as the “jewel of the Mediterranean.” In a few years’ time, it will not be possible to use this slogan without being downright dishonest.