Rankatura

Il-konferma mill-aħħar statistika Ewropea ppubblikata li r-rankatura ekonomika tal-pajjiż għadha fis-seħħ tibqa’ tinkoraġġixxi aktar fiduċja fil-futur. Minnu nnifsu dan jiġġenera aktar attività ekonomika.
Anki d-dokument pre-budget, li għadni ma rajtx ħlief permezz tal-verżjoni mqassra fil-midja, juri perspettivi interessanti fil-qasam tal-finanzi tal-gvern. Inħoloq “spazju fiskali” akbar biex il-gvern ikun jista’ jippożizzjoni aħjar l-investimenti u l-ispiża soċjali tiegħu.
Hi eċċellenti l-għażla li qed issir biex fiċ-ċirkostanzi, jingħata aktar appoġġ lil dawk li waqgħu lura. Ċertament, trid tingħata attenzjoni li n-nefqa addizzjonali li dan jirrekjedi tibqa’ sostenibbli fil-futur qarib u mbiegħed, mira li se tkun possibbli.
Fl-istess waqt, se tibqa’ kruċjali l-għażla ta’ x’investimenti pubbliċi se jsiru. Dawn iridu jimmiraw ħalli sa għaxar snin oħra talanqas, l-attrezzi ekonomiċi u soċjali tal-pajjiż jitjiebu bil-kbir fuq tal-lum. Bħal f’pajjiżi Ewropej oħra, it-turija hi li dan għandu jikkonċerna l-aktar l-ambjent, l-edukazzjoni u l-infrastruttura tat-trasport.
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Torrijiet
Wieħed bilfors ikollu jissimpatizza mal-għaqdiet tal-ambjent li qed jipprotestaw qatigħ kontra l-proposti biex jinbnew torrijiet kbar f’Malta, uħud minnhom ilaħħqu għexieren ta’ sulari. F’daqqa waħda, Malta donnha ddeċidiet li tikkompeti ma’ Singapore.
Jidhruli ġustifkati l-ansjetajiet dwar kemm l-infrastruttura tista’ tlaħħaq ma’ dawn l-iżviluppi, dwar kif se tinbidel id-dehra tal-pajjiż, u dwar kif se jintlaqtu ċ-ċittadini li jgħixu madwar dawn il-binjiet, kemm waqt li qed jittellgħu u kemm wara li jitlestew. Għandi d-dubji tiegħi dwar kemm l-istudji li saru dwar dawn l-aspetti u oħrajn, huma tassew serji.
Biss hemm punt ieħor li ta’ min isemmi. Kemm verament minn dawn il-binjiet se jseħħu?
Matul is-snin, hawn Malta ddelettajna bi proġetti grandjużi li baqgħu fuq il-karta. Il-proġetti kollha flimkien li qed jitħabbru se jkunu jeħtieġu self importanti ħafna mill-banek. Niddubita kemm se jsibuh. Did-darba x’aktarx li l-banek ikollhom raġun iġibuha bi kbira.

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“Weekend” twil
Fl-aħħar jiem kemm smajna kliem ta’ ferħ dwar il-fatt li l-festa ta’ Santa Marija ħabtet it-Tnejn, u offriet skop għal “weekend” twil. Jidher li ħafna u ħafna nies ikunu mxennqa għal btajjel bħal dawn, li saru kemxejn skarsi fl-aħħar snin.
Mhux f’Malta biss li jingħoġob il-“weekend” twil. L-istess fil-Belġju, pajjiż fejn qed inqatta’ ħafna żmien dan l-aħħar.
Hemmhekk iċ-ċajta hi li l-Belġjani tant jinħallu għal “weekend” twil li anke l-istrajks ġenerali, jagħmluhom jew il-Ġimgħa jew it-Tnejn biex tmiem il-ġimgħa jkun ta’ tlett ijiem.
Dis-sena, minħabba l-inkwiet soċjali li għadu jtektek, il-Belġjani setgħu jgawdu aktar mis-soltu il-pjaċiri li joffri “weekend” twil.

English Version – Momentum

Confirmation from the latest published European data that the momentum of the Maltese economy has been maintained, reinforces business confidence. This will in itself serve to generate further economic activity.

Also the 2017 pre-budget document, which as yet I have only seen in its abridged version in the media, gives evidence of interesting perspectives in the field of public finance. A greater “fiscal space” has been established within which government can position better its investments and social outlays.

An excellent decision has been taken given current circumstances, to now provide greater support for those strata which are falling behind. Surely, attention must be given to ensure that the additional expenditure needed for this will be sustainable in the near future and beyond: it’s a target that appears feasible.

At the same time, the choice of the public investments to go for will remain a crucial factor. These should aim to achieve over at least a ten year horizon, a marked improvement over today’s levels in the island’s economic and social endowments. As in other European countries, the indications are that public investments will need to focus mostly on the environment, education and the transport infrastructure.

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Towers

One cannot but sympathise with the environmental organizations which have been protesting strongly against proposals to build huge towers in Malta, some of which will have stories in the double digits. Suddenly, Malta seems to have decided to compete with Singapore.

Anxieties, that sound justified, are being expressed about whether the infrastructure can cope with such developments, about how this will change the layout of the country, and about the impact on the life of citizens living in the shadow of the tall buildings while they are being built and when they are completed. Personally I doubt whether the studies that have been carried out to research these and other aspects can be taken seriously.

Still one other point needs to be mentioned. How many of these towers will really be built?

Over the years, in Malta we have enthused about grandiose projects that never progressed beyond the “planning” stage. All these tower projects now being announced together at the same time will need very significant bank financing. I wonder whether they will get it. This time round, the banks will probably be right to be reticient.

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Long weekend

In past days, cheerful comments could be heard about the fact that the feast of St Mary this mid-August has given rise to a long weekend. Many many people quite seem to look forward to such holidays, which have become less frequent.

Long weekends are not liked only in Malta. The same happens in Belgium, where recently, I have been spending quite a lot of time.

There, the joke is that Belgians are so happy with long weekends that even general strikes get organised on Fridays or Mondays in order to at least secure another three-day long weekend.

This year, as social confrontation remained on the national agenda, more than ever before Belgians could enjoy the pleasures of a long weekend.