Over the past few days, I was overwhelmed by the positive feedback on the designs for the renovated Mdina ditch. This project stretches from the Greek Gate until the area beneath the Vilhena Palace. The ditch is sorely in need of renovation, with unkempt tennis courts, a football pitch and trees obstructing the bastions. The aim of the project is therefore twofold: to revive a public space while restoring the beauty of the bastions by replanting the trees. Not only will the number of trees not be reduced, far more trees than there are presently will be planted. The plans were designed after careful analysis of other works carried out on bastions in the Mediterranean.
The open spaces will be covered with turf and the garden will include tree-lined passageways and fountains. The bastions will be illuminated and the archaeological remains discovered during restoration works will also be displayed. The garden will be accessible via two ramps and an entrance at street level by the Greek Gate.
The works on the ditch will begin in the middle of this year, as soon as the restoration works on the bastions beneath the Vilhena Palace and the St Paul Bastion are completed. This part of the bastion was extensively damaged due to the foundations beginning to give way, so much so that the part of the Vilhena Palace had collapsed. The bastions are being structurally reinforced so as to prevent any further damage.
In the coming weeks, similar restoration works on two other areas of the Mdina bastions will begin.
This restoration project, which is expected to be completed by this June, will cost €2.6 million, with 85 per cent of the project co-financed by EU funds.
These are part of the extensive restoration works being carried out on the six kilometres of bastions in Mdina, Valletta, Vittoriosa and the Cittadella in Gozo. A total of €36 million are being invested to conserve our heritage, reclaim open spaces and improve the quality of our tourism product – January 15.
Misrepresenting facts
Debate has arisen over the honoraria received by ministers, where the opposition has misrepresented the timing and manner in which this decision was taken. This was not a decision taken in secret and kept from the public eye.
It was a decision taken soon after taking office in 2008. Contrary to claims the public has only been made aware of this through recent parliamentary questions, the Prime Minister discussed this very issue in an interview with The Sunday Times on May 4, 2008. Moreover, back in November 2008, MaltaToday also reported that ministers would no longer be losing out on the honoraria given to members of Parliament. A week later, the same paper interviewed Labour Whip Joe Mizzi, who stated that he agreed to this: “Joe Mizzi said he agreed in principle with the increase in ministers’ wages. Mizzi argued that ministers in developing countries have better salaries than their counterparts in Malta. Personally, I think that this decision was unavoidable because it does not make sense that a chairman earns more than the minister who appointed him.”
It is incorrect to say ministers received an increase of €600 per week in their salaries as ministers. Rather, ministers also began to be compensated for their role as members of Parliament, which they had previously been denied. Is it fair to carry out full-time work as a minister and, over and above, attend Parliamentary sittings, yet receive only a ministerial salary without being remunerated for the hours spent in Parliament? Is it fair that an MP who works as a consultant with the government should receive a salary as a consultant and a salary as an MP but a minister shouldn’t?
Another injustice was also remedied. Until three years ago, government employees who successfully contested elections to become members of Parliament had to make a choice: remain employed and receive an income yet lose a seat in Parliament or receive the MPs honoraria yet renounce government employment and income. The natural choice for many was the latter. Yet, this also meant a reduced income as an MP’s pay is much lower than many government salaries. This was remedied by allowing MPs to retain government employment as well as receive the honoraria over and above their salary. If this is justified, why isn’t it if the ministers receive the MP honoraria too?
Many of those who serve as ministers leave a profession to do so. When stepping down from their ministerial post, they need to rebuild their professional careers from scratch, which is not easy when others have been establishing themselves in the meantime. Ministers from both political parties have faced great difficulties in returning to work, whereby not only did they suffer but so did their families.
The Leader of the Opposition is wrong to selectively distort the facts to gain political mileage and instigate envy. I understand the anger that prevails among some Labour MPs over what is being done by their own leader. The political class errs when it turns upon itself. If we really want valid and honest people to enter politics, we must offer a deserving salary and not assume readiness to provide an excellent service at their families’ expense. As Mr Mizzi also stated, a minister’s salary in our country remains low compared to that of other European ministers despite the increase in workload due to a smaller Cabinet. Yet, nobody considers the money saved by having fewer ministers and, thus, fewer people engaged in secretariats – January 14.
11% versus 40%!
I was shocked by recent news regarding unemployment figures in Spain and Italy. Latest statistics show that, at the end of 2010, four out of every 10 youths in Spain were unemployed while one in every three Italian youths found themselves out of a job.
This is the seriousness of the situation beyond our shores. These are the same grave circumstances the Labour Party in Malta would like us to forget. Such news is not reported by the opposition media. Rather, they portray our country as unique in experiencing the price increases that are taking place all over the world, depicting these instead as callous decisions being taken by the government.
What about unemployment among Maltese youths? In our country, one in every 10 youths, 11 per cent to be precise, is unemployed. What a difference! Only three European countries have rates better than ours: Austria, the Netherlands and Germany.
We have controlled unemployment and maintained it at levels that prevailed before the economic crisis erupted on the world stage. Our youths are continuing to study and find employment.
This government placed the generation of jobs at the heart of its policies.
It was for this reason that certain difficult decisions had to be taken, such as ending subsidies so that the government could be in a better position to protect jobs. I have no doubt that people prefer employment to subsidies! When seeing all this, we understand the difficulties we face. Yet, we also appreciate what we have accomplished together – January 8.
http://georgepullicino.blogspot.com
The author is Minister of Resources and Rural Affairs.