Don't we live in a truly amazing country? The problem is that, more often than not, Malta is proving to be an amazing place for the wrong reasons.

I have read a report saying that the Malta Transport Authority (ADT) knows of over 31,000 unlicensed vehicles or, to be more precise, vehicles that were licensed but have not had their licence renewed. That number represents a staggering 11 per cent of all licensed vehicles (about 280,000) and, in layman's terms, means that one in 10 vehicles is being driven on our roads without a valid road licence.

Is this report correct? I hope the ADT will take the time to confirm or deny its veracity. If it is true, then it is, in my opinion, a very damning verdict on this organisation's inefficiency. The country is plagued by inefficiencies for which we all have to pay. It seems we have them at Enemalta, we have them at Water Services Corporation, we have them in the VAT Department and now we also have them at the ADT. Where does this list end?

I am no law enforcement expert, but why are these situations allowed to develop in the first place and fester over the years? The renewal of vehicle licences is linked to the settlement of outstanding traffic fines. The reason for this fine-dodging is, thus, fairly obvious. Thousands of vehicle owners are not renewing their road licences so as not to pay their fines. How is this possible with the number of wardens patrolling our streets with such zest? We are talking about over 30,000 windscreens without a licence or with an expired one on display. There must be a solution somewhere in this day and age of technological wonders.

And now comes the crunch. According to the same report, there is a staggering €11.3 million in unpaid fines! This sum is owed by 23,500 offenders so, on average, they owe just under €500 each!

These offenders are guilty of an astonishing 233,000 contraventions. The overall "winner" in the worst offender stakes is the person (could it possibly be an individual?) who has 4,984 unpaid contraventions with €228,000 in unpaid fines. This must be one for the Guinness Book of Records! Malta's "top ten" offenders incurred 14,000 traffic fines and owe €683,000!

How and why has all this come about? Besides the obvious loss of state revenue, it is making a mockery of civilised society. It is also very discouraging, to say the least, for law-abiding citizens (the vast majority) who pay their dues to see these people get away with this scandalous behaviour. Why is it that honest citizens are made to subsidise the "cowboys"?

I, for instance, know of a case when a payment of VAT, which was inadvertently late by a few days, incurred the wrath of the VAT Commissioner who rigorously applied the law and imposed the fine due. How does this tally with the case of a retailer of electronic goods who ran up debts with the VAT Department of €300,000 and then mysteriously "disappeared"?

Nobody is particularly fond of paying fines and taxes, but they are an integral part of our way of life. I am concerned that the authorities seem to apply two weights and two measures in far too many instances. Could I, with respect, suggest that the Finance Ministry embark on a serious and transparent drive to collect unpaid fines and taxes? The ministry should, in parallel, also launch an educational media campaign explaining that if people pay their dues, then the government could perhaps reduce other taxes as had been promised before the last general election.