Malta looks at its worst when it ought to look at its best. Actually, the island is so small that it should not be all that difficult for a population of less than half a million to take good care of the country. Sporadic campaigns to clean up the island help, but they are not the solution to a long-standing problem that gives the island such a bad name. The evidence of neglect is there for all to see, ugly in all its manifestations. The problem is that many, as well as the government and most of the local councils, act as if they do not see the ugliness, or if they do, their work generally falls short of what is required to bring about a lasting improvement.

The problem is one of an ingrained mentality that sadly seems to put cleanliness at the lower end of the national social and economic development agenda, rather than among the top items. Yet, and this is a dilemma that confounds analysts of the local development scene, there is plenty of talk about product development in tourism. But the talk is not matched in equal measure by action meant to really improve the most important aspect of the product, the country's physical appearance. There has been improvement in some areas, and cosmetic changes in others, but, generally speaking, the island still looks dirty and, most sadly, embarrassingly shabby, with some key spots even in tourist areas taking the prize for sheer neglect.

When hoteliers drew attention to this deplorable state the other day, few cared to listen, for few genuinely care about the country's upkeep on an ongoing basis. What was particularly laughable to the extreme was the reaction they received from the resources and rural affairs ministry. It seems the ministry took offence at the comments passed by the hoteliers and, rather than criticism, it appears it expected to be patted on the back for the work it was doing to improve the situation in a number of localities.

Embellishing particular areas is all to the good and greatly needed, but what needs to be given priority is cleanliness. It took two to three days for work to begin to clean up a particularly dirty stretch of Republic Street in Valletta this week, a prime example of lack of sufficient awareness of the need to keep places clean. And should not hoteliers make an effort to clean up areas close to their establishments?

There is a tendency on the government's part to concentrate on works to improve the "image" of particular localities, without realising, it seems, that it is first the country's overall image that counts most. The emphasis should, therefore, be placed on cleanliness first.

All the effort and energy should be directed towards making a radical improvement in this direction first before embarking on embellishment, for it generally defeats the purpose of embellishment if a place that has been embellished is not kept clean. After cleanliness comes good maintenance, again a matter that ought to receive much greater attention than it gets today. The situation is absolutely pathetic, putting to great shame the government, local councils and the people generally.

Again, sporadic efforts, accompanied by carefully planned publicity, are not enough to bring about an improvement. Strong ministerial and local council leadership is required for the country to get to grips with a problem that has consistently kept the island's physical appearance in a deplorable state.