A local think tank has warned that the “precarious” state of Malta’s governance posed a significant threat to the nation’s social and economic well-being.
In a paper highlighting areas of potential bi-partisan collaboration in a number of policy areas, the Today Public Policy Institute (TPPI) said the threat was not a future one but an existing reality which needed to be addressed with urgency.
TPPI said parties needed to work in a bipartisan manner towards signing up to a fundamental set of principles on governance and institution building, all of which needed to be enshrined in a revised constitution. It said a serious and urgent bipartisan approach was needed to address the shortcomings in the Constitution and governance deficiencies.
Sensitive and complex reform of public policy issues was achievable if the political parties concerned reached agreement on the principles for reform, it said.
TPPI says there was a shared attribution of blame for past inaction across a range of policy sectors. Malta faced an enormous challenge in institution building irrespective of the party which was elected to govern.
It was for this reason, TPPI said, that there had to be some ground rules all parties must subscribe to in order to realise the development of sound and enduring institutional and policy infrastructure which was not dissipated every time there was a change in government.
TPPI said a bipartisan approach should also be taken when it came to healthcare.
It said healthcare financing and healthcare entitlement should be removed from the political discourse, and a bipartisan approach adopted to ensure their sustainability over the longer term.
Consensus should be reached in order to tackle pension reform, it said.
It recommended a bipartisan approach to encourage intelligent saving systems so that future pensions could complement their social security retirement pension with private savings.
TPPI said the burden of transport on Malta’s economy, environment and health remained high, and warranted a bipartisan approach. It recommended the implementation of a long-term cross-party transport strategy with a view to significantly reduce dependence on private cars and shift to public transport, walking and cycling.
The environment was highlighted as another area which would benefit from bipartisan agreement.
TPPI argued that support should be sought on key environmental issues, including the proper regulation of land use with a view to limiting ODZ development and enhancing the urban environment by addressing air pollution.
It suggested the creation of green open spaces, managing protected areas and addressing sustainable water management.