Ma Nifhimx

Nifhem l-istrateġija tal-PN fl-Oppożizzjoni, jew ta’ parti minnu, li jattakka lill-gvern b’akkużi ta’ korruzzjoni, abbuż ta’ poter u skandli oħra. Kemm biex jiġbor il-voti lejh, kemm biex jekk tassew jemmen fl-akkużi li jagħmel, jipprova jtejjeb is-sitwazzjoni fl-interess nazzjonali billi jxejjen l-“iskandli”.

Assolutament ma nifhimx imbagħad kif dawn l-akkużi jittieħdu bl-aktar mod sfaċċat f’fora internazzjonali… tal-Unjoni Ewropea jew oħrajn… biex jagħmlu aktar ħoss. It-tattika hi skandaluża għax isservi biss biex iċċappas il-pajjiż kollu bl-akkużi, ġustifikati jew le, li l-Oppożizzjoni tipproklama. Ma nista’ nsemmi l-ebda politiku serju fl-Ewropa li jagħmel l-istess ħaġa.

Kien għalhekk skifuż l-argument tad-deputat Ewropew Nazzjonalista Casa li min ma jingħaqadx mal-isforzi infantili tiegħu u ta’ sħabu biex iħammġu isem Malta “tonqsu s-sinsla”. Ir-reazzjoni tiegħi għal stupidaġni bħal din hi li ninjoraha. Għamlet aħjar minn hekk Marlene Mizzi. F’risposta li twasslet lid-deputati Ewropej kollha, uriet min hu bla sinsla u kemm hi tal-fildiferru s-sinsla politika tal-istess Casa. Naqbel.

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KAPITALI

Bla dubju, iċ-ċifri tal-finanzi publiċi għas-sena 2017 huma eċċellenti. Waqt li l-pajjiż ġarrab tkabbir ekonomiku sod u bla preċedent, il-baġit tal-gvern irreġistra aktar minn bilanċ: dħul finanzjarju aqwa mill-ħruġ. Hu riżultat li jqajjem l-għira ta’ pajjiżi oħra.

Xorta nemmen li rridu nibqgħu kritikament oġġettivi dwar xinhu għaddej. Personalment, li jħassibni hu l-andament tal-ispiża kapitali publika, jiġifieri tal-investiment li l-gvern jagħmel fl-infrastruttura. Fuq dan l-investiment jinbena l-iżvilupp tal-futur.

Fl-2014, l-ispiża kapitali tal-gvern laħħqet 435.3 miljun ewro. Fis-snin ta’ wara, 2015, 2016 u 2017 kienet hekk: 581.5 miljun; 310.3 miljun; u 350.2 miljun.

In-nefqa kapitali qed tkun kondizzjonata wisq minn kif u meta jaslu l-fondi Ewropej li l-gvern ikun applika għalihom. Jiġu snin fejn togħla ħafna, oħrajn fejn taqa’ sew. Bħalissa, donna qed nistejqru mit-tnaqqis sostanzjali fl-ispiża kapitali li seħħ bejn l-2015 u l-2016.

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ĦARSIEN TAL-KONSUMATUR

Għadna lura sew milli jkollna struttura amministrattiva serja biex tlaħħaq mal-problemi li qed jaffaċċjaw il-konsumaturi u biex tagħtihom rimedju meta jkollhom raġun jilmentaw. Il-voluntiera li hemm f’dal-qasam u l-uffiċjali tal-gvern fil-biċċa l-kbira tagħhom huma dedikati għall-ħidma li daħlu għaliha u jagħmlu mill-aħjar li jistgħu.

Biss, bħal fil-qasam tal-inkonvenjenzi li ċ-ċittadini Maltin u Għawdxin isofru ħtija tal-bini “selvaġġ” li jinsab għaddej ma’ kullimkien, jew fis-setturi tat-traffiku u tal-ambjent, l-għodod meħtieġa biex is-sitwazzjoni tkun regolata aħjar huma nieqsa – jew għax ma jinsabux fejn suppost jinsabu, jew għax it-tmexxija tagħhom hi bla snien.

B’hekk, minflok kultura ta’ riforma u rimedju, tispiċċa tinbena kultura ta’ rassenzjazzjoni u inerzja.

English Version – Do not follow

I understand the strategy being undertaken by the PN or part of it, to confront the government wth accusations of corruption, abuse of power and similar scandals. That should work to attract votes, as well as (on the assumption that the Opposition really believes the claims it makes) to try and change the situation in order to resolve the arising “scandals” – all in the national interest.

But then, I fail to follow how these accusations get blown up in the most blatant manner across international fora… within the the EU or elsewhere… to get greater coverage. It is a scandalous tactic which only serves to pin to the country as a whole, the claims which whether justified or not, the Opposition is proclaiming. I can identify no reputable politician in Europe who works on the same basis.

Which is why the argument made by the PN MEP Casa was so hideous: they “lack backbone”, he claimed, those who keep back from the infantile efforts which together with his colleagues, he has been deploying to make Malta look bad. My reaction to such stupidities is usually to ignore. Marlene Mizzi MEP went one better. In an open reply that all MEPs received, she assessed what having a backbone means… to stress the point that Casa’s own backbone seems to be made of chicken wire. Agreed.

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Capital public

Clearly, the outturn in public finance for the year 2017 is excellent. While the country as a whole experienced robust and unprecedented economic growth, the government budget went beyond balance: financial inflows largely exceeded outflows. It is a result which would provoke the envy of other countries.

Even so, I still believe we need to remain objective and critical regarding ongoing developments. What personally worries me is the shape of public capital expenditures, meaning the infrastructural investments that the government launches. Future developments will build on such investment.

In the year 2014, capital expenditure reached the figure of 435.2 million euros. Subsequently, respectively in the years 2015, 2016 and 2017, it was as follows (millions of euros): 581.5; 310.3; 350.2.

Public capital expenditures are being excessively conditioned by how and when funds from EU sources for which the government has applied reach fruition. There are years when such expenditures peak, others when they collapse. At present, we seem to be recovering from the substantial drop in capital expenditure that happened between 2015 and 2016.

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Consumer protection

We are still far off from having a serious administrative structure to deal with the problems that consumers face, one that provides them with remedies when their complaints are justified. Volunteers who work in this sector as well as government officials are in the main committed to the work they have assumed and do their best.

Still, the tools required to ensure that the situation is regulated better are missing – either because they are badly placed or because they lack bite in what they can do. The same happens in other issues where the citizens of Malta and Gozo are being shortchanged, like in the “savage” construction that is going on wherever, in traffic management and in environmental protection.

Unfortunately in this way, instead of establishing a culture of reform and compensation, we give rise to a culture of resignation and inertia.