Servizz Pubbliku

Xi tfisser li tkun fis-servizz pubbliku?

Inħallu fil-ġenb il-politika, li fl-aħjar sura tagħha, hi wkoll servizz publiku. Imma hemm min ma jridx ikun politikant u ma jridx ikun qed jaħdem għall-privat, waqt li jrid li x-xogħol tiegħu/tagħha jservi l-ġid komuni bla ebda ħsieb ta’ profitt personali.

M’aħniex qed nagħtu kas biżżejjed ta’ nies b’din l-aspirazzjoni. (Ma tfissirx li min hu hekk, se jwarrab kull ħsieb li jaqla’/taqla’ paga tajba.)

Matul is-snin, naqas l-ethos tas-servizz publiku bħala kanal ta’ ħidma li joffri opportunità ta’ xogħol serju, b’għanijiet li jiddistingwuh totalment mill-ġirja wara aktar flus u profitti.

Mingħajr teatrini u priedki fil-vojt, għandna naraw kif nerġgħu nkebbsu l-ħeġġa għas-servizz publiku bħala ħidma li jixiriqilha kull stima.

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IMQABBLA MA’…

L-Eurostat, l-aġenzija statistika tal-Unjoni Ewropea, ħarġet informazzjoni dwar x’parti mir-riżorsi ekonomiċi tagħhom (imkejla skont il-Prodott Gross Domestiku), il-pajjiżi membri tal-Unjoni Ewropea jiddedikaw lill-oqsma differenti fil-ħidma publika. L-istess informazzjoni mbagħad ingħatat dwar l-Unjoni Ewropea kollha kemm hi.

Il-paraguni li joħorġu minn dan huma ta’ interess. Pereżempju, imqabbla ma’ x’parti mill-ekonomija tmur fuq ħarsien soċjali, Malta tiddedika 12 fil-mija għal dan il-għan; fl-Unjoni Ewropea kollha kemm hi, iċ-ċifra tlaħħaq 19.1 fil-mija.

Fis-saħħa wkoll ninsabu minn taħt. Aħna niddedikaw 5.6 fil-mija tal-Prodott Gross Domestiku lis-saħħa, waqt li għall-Unjoni Ewropea kollha kemm hi, din iċ-ċifra titla’ għal 7.1 fil-mija.

X’konklużjonijiet nistgħu naslu għalihom minn hekk?

Fl-edukazzjoni, “ngħaddu” lill-Ewropa, billi 5.4 fil-mija tal-PGD Malti tmur fuq spiża edukattiva, mqabbla ma’ 4.7 fil-mija fl-Ewropa. Hawn tqum il-mistoqsija: għaliex mela f’dal-qasam, ir-riżultati tagħna mhumiex daqstant inkoraġġanti?

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GĦASAFAR

Storja kerha li dehret fil-midja Franċiżi l-ġimgħa li għaddiet iddeskriviet kif matul l-aħħar ħmistax-il sena, l-għasafar fil-kampanja Franċiża naqsu bit-terz. Il-kaċċaturi ma kinux il-kawża ta’ dan, imma l-ħidma biex tiżdied il-produzzjoni tal-biedja.

Il-pestiċidi li ntużaw – speċjalment jintqal, in-neonicotinoids – qerdu ħafna mill-insetti li l-għasafar jieklu f’parti miċ-ċiklu ta’ ħajjithom. Jiġifieri l-qerda tal-għasafar imxiet pass pass mal-qerda ta’ insetti meħtieġa għall-għajxien tagħhom.

Imbagħad jissemma l-użu dejjem aktar mifrux ta’ artijiet agrikoli għall-koltivazzjoni tal-qmuħ meħtieġa għall-konsum uman. Dan qed iwassal biex jonqsu bil-kbir il-pjanti “slavaġ” bi żrieragħ li jiggostaw l-għasafar f’żoni li qabel ma kinux jiġu koltivati.

Il-prospett hu li l-kampanja Franċiża tispiċċa siekta għal kollox anke fir-rebbiegħa. L-għanja tal-għasafar tispiċċa referenza li ħadd aktar ma jifhem f’poeżiji miktuba fl-imgħoddi. Dan hu destin li diġà resqin lejh f’Malta wkoll – tgħid, minkejja dak li jintqal, għall-istess raġunijiet bħal fi Franza?

English Version – Public Service

What meaning does it still have – to be in the public service?

Put a bracket around politics, which in its best mode, also forms part of the public service. But there are those who without wanting to enter politics in any way and who do not want to work for the private sector, would still want to provide work that contributes to the common good and is not intent on personal profit.

We are not giving sufficient space to people with such aspirations. (Which does not mean that they do not care at all to end up wellpaid for their efforts.)

Over the years, there has been a decline in the ethos of the public service as a career option that provides the opportunity for serious work, with aims that distinguish it totally from the search for more money and profits.

Without theatrics and empty sermons, we must strive to again promote the urge for public service as a commitment that deserves full recognition.

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Compared to…

The EU’s statistical agency Eurostat, has published information about the proportion of their economic resources (measured in terms of Gross Domestic Product) that member states dedicate to the different sectors of public policy. The same information is then aggregated for the EU as a whole.

The comparisons afforded by the exercise are of interest. For instance, when considering social protection, it is seen that Malta earmarks 12 per cent of its outturn to this objective, while the EU as a whole, earmarks 19.1 per cent.

For Malta, there is also an undershoot in health. We attach 5.6 per cent of GDP to health while in the EU as a whole, this measure reaches 7.1 per cent.

What conclusions should be drawn from such numbers?

In education by contrast, we “outperform” the rest of Europe, since 5.4 per cent of Maltese GDP is taken up by educational allocations, compared to 4.7 per cent in Europe. Here the question that arises is: why then are our outcomes in the educational sphere not so encouraging?

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Birds

Last week, the French media emphasized a dismal story that described how during the last fifteen years, the number of birds in the French countryside has dropped by a third. Hunters and trappers were not responsible; the decline was caused by measures meant to enhance agricultural output.

The pesticides that were used – chiefly neonicotinoids, so it is claimed – have destroyed many of the insects which birds feast upon at certain stages of their life cycle. Which means that the decline in the bird population went step by step alongside the destruction of insects they needed for their nourishment.

Then, blame is also attached to the ever spreading usage of land for the cultivation of grains needed for human consumption. This is greatly reducing the prevalence of “wild” plants with seeds that are consumed by birds in zones which formerly were not brought under cultivation.

The prospect has become one of a countryside in France that remains completely silent even in spring. The song of birds will become something that is mentioned in the text of ancient poems which nobody understands any more. In Malta, we too are close to this state of affairs – perhaps, even though this is not usually highlighted, for the same reason as in France?