Servizz provdut?

Ma stajtx nemmen imma hekk hu.

Ikollok kuntratt ta’ servizz għall-provista tal-internet f’darek. Tiġi ġurnata u s-servizz tal-internet imur għal kollox.

Tipprova tara kif se ċċempel lill-uffiċċju tagħhom biex jibgħatu l-personnel tekniku jew biex tinformahom bil-problema.

Issib li l-customer care service tagħhom tista’ taqbdu biss bl-internet. M’għandux telefown. Imma jekk l-internet marlek, kif se taqbdu?

Effettivament, meta pprovajt nidħol fil-websajt tal-kumpanija, sibt li l-customer care hu kollu maħdum biex “jgħinek” issolvi l-problema… billi tuża l-internet, li m’għandekx aktar!

Allura ssib programmi sħaħ ta’ “dijanjożi” li tista’ taħdimhom waħdek… u m’għandix dubju huma effettivi ħafna… imma kif se tilħaqhom, jekk is-servizz tal-internet telaq?

L-imbuttatura biex il-kumpaniji jnaqqsu l-ispejjeż anke b’dannu lill-konsumatur qed tittieħed ’il-bogħod wisq. Il-protezzjoni lill-konsumatur bl-ebda mod mhi qed tlaħħaq magħha. U l-oligopoliji qed jitħallew imexxu prattiċi diżgustanti qishom kienu monopolji.

Ħabib qalli: Għaliex qed tistagħġeb b’dil-kumpanija tal-internet? Qatt ipprovajt taqbad il-customer care tar-Ryan Air bit-telefown meta jkollok xi emerġenza?

***

L-ARTI U S-SETTUR PRIVAT

L-appoġġ li l-gvern qed jagħti lis-settur artistiku jixraqlu kull tifħir. In-nefqa publika fuq produzzjoni artistika ta’ kull xorta żdiedet b’mod regolari u ppjanat. Ma kienx hemm biss żieda fl-inizjattiva u fl-attività imma wkoll titjib kwalitattiv.

Tajjeb ħafna wkoll li f’dal-progress – m’hemmx kelma oħra għalih – iż-żgħażagħ jidher li qed jingħataw sehem ewlieni.

Ħaġa waħda forsi trid tingħata aktar attenzjoni: Jista’ jkun li waqt li l-gvern baqa’ jżid fil-finanzi li jgħaddi lill-ħidma artistika, is-sehem tas-settur privat naqas?

Dik hi l-impressjoni li wieħed jibqa’ biha; donnu li la l-istat qed jagħmel tiegħu, hemm anqas bżonn ta’ interventi privati.

Ikun dnub jekk dan minnu. Il-“pluraliżmu” fis-sostenn lill-arti jibqa’ tal-akbar ħtieġa.

***

SANTA MARIJA

Nofs is-sajf għadu jiġi ċelebrat f’ħafna postijiet fl-Ewropa, bħala festa ċivili u reliġjuża.

Niftakar meta l-ewwel darba smajt l-ispjega ta’ kif dil-festa kisbet daqshekk importanza fostna: fiż-żmien li l-aqwa impjiegi kienu fil-biedja, nofs Awwissu sar meta l-kirjiet tal-għelieqi kienu jiġġeddu jew jitwaqqfu. Is-sorpriża għalija kienet kif ma’ festa ta’ importanza reliġjuża kbira, twaħħdet drawwa ta’ importanza ekonomika.

Forsi ċ-ċelebrazzjoni baqgħet popolari mhux biss għal raġunijiet reliġjużi jew “ekonomiċi” imma għax tipprovdi okkażjoni biex is-sajf jingħata ġieħ. Hawn niċċelebrawha bil-mod “tagħna”, fejn il-briju, l-għaraq u l-alkoħol (biex insemmu dawn it-tlieta biss) jieħdu l-aqwa prominenza.

Kieku mhux għax f’Awwissu diġà t-turiżmu jkun mifqugħ, kien jagħmel sens li internazzjonalment nippromwovu l-festa Maltija ta’ Santa Marija bħala xi ħaġa awtentika li ta’ min jaraha talanqas darba.

English Version – Service provision?

I could not believe it happens but that’s how it is.

You’ll have a contract for the provision of internet in your home. Then the day comes when the service is totally out.

You try to get to the provider’s offices for them to send their technical people to check about the problem or even to inform about it.

Then you discover that their customer care service is only reachable through the internet. They seem to have no phone number. But if the internet service is kaputt, how can you reach them?

Actually, when I tried entering the company’s web site, I found that their customer care system is all designed to “help” you solve connectivity problems… by using the internet, which they have ceased to provide!

On that basis you’ll find an array of “diagnostic” programmes you can go through on your own… and no doubt they must be quite effective… but how can you access them with no internet service available?

The push by companies for cost reduction even at the expense of consumers has been taken too far. No way is consumer protection keeping track of it. And oligopolies are being allowed to implement disgusting practices just like they were monopolies.

A friend told me: Why get so hot under the collar about this internet service provider? Have you ever tried accessing Ryan Air’s customer care service when you face an emergency?

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The arts and the private sector

The backing that the government is giving to the arts sector is most praiseworthy. Public outlays on artistic productions of all kinds have been pumped up regularly and in a planned manner. Initiatives and activities have increased in number as well as qualitatively.

What is even much better is that in this progress – there’s no other word for it – young people have been given a leading role.

One point though perhaps needs more attention: Could it be that while the state has continued to increase funding for artistic ventures, the private sector’s share has declined?

One remains with the impression that since the government is doing all it can, the belief has developed that there is less scope for private inputs.

It would be a pity were this to be true. “Pluralism” in promoting the arts must remain apriority.

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Saint Mary

Mid-summer is still celebrated in many European countries as a civil and a religious holiday.

I remember the first time I learnt how this holiday became so significant locally: at a time when farming provided most jobs, mid-August was when rent contracts for fields would be renewed or terminated. I was surprised by how an important day for high religious celebration had been twinned with a practice that was economically so important.

It might be that the celebrations have remained popular not only for religious and “economic” reasons but also because they amount to an occasion for summer worship. This we celebrate in “our” way, with merrymaking, sweat and alcohol (to only mention these three) at centre stage.

If in August, tourism were not already at overflow, it would make sense to promote internationally the Maltese festa of St Mary as an authentic event you need to experience at least once.