Investiment industrijali

Kienet aħbar tajba ħafna dik li l-kumpanija Amerikana Crane, li tistampa l-karti tal-flus u prodotti simili, se twaqqaf fabbrika f’Malta. Ilna ma nisimgħu li fostna se titlaq azjenda ta’ tip industrijali bl-impjieg sostanzjali ta’ nies. Kemm ilna membri tal-Unjoni Ewropea, il-qasam industrijali ċkien kważi bin-nofs b’mod relattiv u sostanzjalment anki f’kejl reali.
Skont ir-rapporti, l-investituri faħħru bħala fattur determinanti fid-deċiżjoni tagħhom, il-mod kif min-naħa tal-amministrazzjoni Maltija waqt in-negozjati magħhom, l-intoppi li setgħu nqalgħu ġew iffaċċjati malajr u b’effiċjenza.
Issa madankollu, l-isfida se ssir dik li l-wegħdi li saru jitwettqu malajr u b’effiċjenza. Problema fi proġetti hekk tqum f’dik li bl-Ingliż tissejjaħ “delivery”, jiġifieri waqt li javvanzaw it-tħejjijiet tal-proġett, dak li għandu jsir biex il-biċċa tista’ titlaq, tassew isir.
Mill-esperjenza tiegħi, fil-kuntest Malti, biex dan jiġri se jkun hemm bżonn impenn minn “fuq nett” li kulħadd jaf bih, biex l-affarijiet tassew jitwettqu. Jekk le, jispiċċaw staġnati fil-burokrazija jew l-apatija.
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BANK
Qed jitwaqqaf bank “tal-iżvilupp”, maħsub biex isellef u jinvesti fi proġetti ġodda li l-banek kummerċjali jew ma jixtequx jappoġġjaw, jew mhumiex attrezzati biex jagħmlu hekk.
Hu każ ieħor fejn l-istorja qed tirrepeti ruħha.
Fis-snin sebgħin kien twaqqaf bank għall-investiment, appuntu msemmi Investment Finance Bank (IFB), bl-isħubija tal-Bank of Valletta u dak iż-żmien, il-Mid-Med Bank. L-IFB kien jiġi kkritikat li ta’ spiss, iħaddem il-metodoloġija tal-banek kummerċjali meta jikkonsidra proġetti. Imma kien għamel xogħol tajjeb.
Wara l-1987, ittieħdet id-deċiżjoni li l-bank ixolji. L-assi tiegħu nqasmu bejn iż-żewġ banek propjetarji. Intqal li t-tnejn setgħu jagħmlu separatament f’qafas kompettiiv dak li l-IFB twaqqaf biex jagħmel.
Jidher li mhux hekk ġara, la erġajna lura għall-mudell tal-bidu.
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PARIRI
Il-Gvern Laburista hu tassew ixxurtjat li fil-pajjiż għandna Arċisqof li ma jiddejjaqx jagħtih pariri tajba dwar governanza, verità u ħarsien ambjentali. B’hekk ikun jaf aħjar kif jiggwida l-politika tiegħu.
Ara ta’ qablu, l-amministrazzjonijiet Nazzjonalisti ta’ Dottor Fenech Adami u ta’ Dottor Gonzi ma kellhomx dan il-vantaġġ. Fi żmienhom, il-Knisja ma kinitx tħoss li għandna tesponi n-nuqqas ta’ meritokrazija, il-kontroll medjatiku fuq l-aħbarijiet, il-korruzzjoni u t-tgħawwiġ tal-verità.
Baqgħu għaddejja bla wisq problemi għal snin sħaħ proġetti fazulli u skandli qisu xejn mhu xejn. Wieħed jiftakar f’Chambrai, Smart City, il-Mistra, l-isptar Mater Dei, il-vapuri tal-Gozo Channel fost oħrajn.
Naturalment, il-pariri tal-Arċisqof ikunu aktar qawwija kieku l-istess Knisja ssegwi l-linja tagħhom fl-aġir tagħha. F’ġieħ il-governanza u l-verità, m’għandhiex id-dmir per eżempju li tirrikompensa lill-vittmi tagħha ta’ abbużi sesswali?

English Version – Industrial investment

That the US company Crane which specializes in the printing of paper money and related products is setting up shop in Malta was indeed very good news. It’s been a long time since we heard that an industrial firm would be organziing a factory here, employing a substantial number of workers. After Malta became an EU member, the industrial sector shrunk by half relatively, and substantially in absolute terms.

According to reports, the investors praised the way by which for its part, the Maltese administration faced up quickly and efficiently to the problems that could have arisen; they considered this as a determining factor during negotations between the two sides, leading to their decision.

Now however, the challenge will be to ensure that the promises that have been made are also quickly and efficiently implemented. In all similar projects, it is delivery issues which become central – namely, that as preparations for the project go forward, what needs to be done for the launch to become effective, is really being done in time and well.

Going by my experience, for this to happen in the Maltese context there needs to be commitment from “the very top”, known to all, that this is something which needs to be carried out at all costs. If not, bureacuracy and apathy could instead simply make for stagnation.

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BANK

A new “development” bank is being established, designed to lend and invest in new projects which commercial banks do not wish to support or lack the means to do so.

This is another example of how history repeats itself.

In the seventies of the previous century, an investment bank was set up, appropriately named Investment Finance Bank (IFB), with as shareholders the Bank of Valletta and the then Mid-Med bank. The IFB would be criticised for often evaluating projects according to the methodologies of commercial banks. But it did accomplish some good work.

Post 1987, it was decided to wind the bank down. Its assets were split equally between the two shareholders. It was stated that the two could separately carry out and in competitive mode, the tasks that had been laid down for the IFB.

It seems like this did not happen if we’re going back to the original model.

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ADVICE

The Labour government is really lucky in that the country has an Archbishop who finds no problem with providing good advice about issues of governance, truth and environmental protection. This helps the government to better understand how to steer policy making.

Consider its predecessors: the Fenech Adami and Gonzi administrations could not benefit from such advice. In their day, the Church did not feel it had to preach against the lack of meritocracy, media spin, corruption and the distortion of truth.

So for long years, sham projects and scandals moved forward without too much trouble, as if everything was just right. One could mention Chambrai, Smart City, Mistra, the Mater Dei hospital, the Gozo Channel ships, among others.

Naturally, the Archbishop’s counsel would be more influential if in what it does, the Church itself is seen to be following his advice. For instance, by way of respect for good governance and truth, does the Church not have the duty to recompense the victims of sexual abuse for which it is responsible?