Who’s running the show? That’s right, who is? The Malta Environment and Planning Authority, the local councils or the building contractors?

I always maintained the latter are and now I am positive.

It’s Monday, 2.15 p.m., February 21, 2011. A building contractor crew starts digging for a new foundation of a building of some sort here in Swieqi. mega machine hammered all day long with no pause whatsoever. At 2.16 p.m., I call the Swieqi local council twice, no dice. I phone the planning authority’s customer service on 2069 9595 and the girl promises me she would get an inspector on the spot but, unfortunately, on my second plea, she says they only have two inspectors to check abuses by building contractors to cover the whole island!

It’s now 4.15 p.m. and the crew and the boss have just left. A full day’s work done and our privacy from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for a well- earned rest gone with the wind.

The building contractors are demigods! Untouchables! The saying Laws are there to be broken suits them just fine.