Is not Malta getting to be over-administered and over-regulated? So many new boards and committees are being set up it is difficult to see how they will all be financially sustained over the years. It would seem no one at the top of the administration is taking stock of the ever-rising number of quangos and, as a result, the taxpayer has to foot a hefty bill.

Decentralisation is good when it is judiciously done but the extent to which it is now being resorted to is ridiculous. Take, for instance, the planned setting up of a board to take over from local councils responsibility for the administration of open markets in towns and villages. By all accounts, this is taking the concept of decentralisation to an extreme end.

There is absolutely no need for it. Yet, the Economy Ministry has found it necessary to even issue a White Paper about what it is calling a “reform”. This is a clear case of superfluous administrative expansion whose only objective appears to be the setting up of another board. This will be called the open market board and its remit is “to advise the Economy Ministry on possible new markets, conducts studies, handle complaints and monitor the various enforcement authorities”.

Can the ministry explain why councils are unable to do this? As if this were not enough to make taxpayers wonder whether there are any financial controllers within the central administration, the ministry is taking the matter of the “reform” even further than creating a board for the administration of the markets.

Believe it or not, it also feels there has to be an open market compliance promotion unit and that’s not all either. There needs to be a separate entity to focus on the allocation of stall spaces and permits. These two units, the ministry has informed the taxpayer in its White Paper, will also be responsible for the licensing of street hawkers, buskers and commercial fairs. Whatever next?

When such a tiny economy as Malta’s is so over-administered, the last thing a Cabinet minister ought to come out with is a proposal for the setting up of a new board and, to boot, two more units.

It is worth bearing in mind that Malta already has eight agencies, 16 authorities, 15 commissions, eight corporations and 10 foundations. As to the number of committees, there are over 60. And boards? Over 150.

Responsibility for the open markets ought to be retained by the local councils.

The Swieqi mayor was right when he had declared that local councils were being reduced to a customer complaints division. He raised the point when the central government took over, from the councils, responsibility for roadworks in their localities. What would he say now that they will be clipping their responsibilities even further with the setting up of a board to take over the administration of open markets?

In yet another White Paper on yet another planned reform of local councils, it is pointed out that councils ought to focus on social matters to improve the people’s quality of life.

That will be all to the good but divesting councils of responsibility for open markets to create yet another board is a waste of taxpayer’s money.

This is a Times of Malta print editorial