Spejjeż

Għall-baġit li ġej, moħbija jew fil-beraħ, se jkun hemm sfida qawwija. Waqt li l-Gvern għandu kull interess politiku issa – u sew jagħmel – li jara kif bil-miżuri li jieħu, itejjeb il-qagħda soċjali taċ-ċittadini, se jkun hemm bżonn ukoll li ż-żieda fl-ispiża pubblika kurrenti tinżamm taħt kontroll.
Dan jista’ jsir biss billi spejjeż “żejda” jew mhux meħtieġa tassew jiġu mrażżna jew imneħħija. Hu xogħol diffiċli u antipatiku. Jirrekjedi ezerċizzji biex jinstabu l-għejun tal-ħala, biex jintgħarfu l-ineffiċjenzi u biex fejn hemm nuqqasijiet fl-organizzazzjoni tax-xogħol, dawn jingħelbu.
Jekk din l-isfida tintlaqa’, ftit li xejn se jkun hemm min jinduna. Ikollha titwettaq mingħajr ċapċip u glorja. Fl-immedjat mhux se tidher li għandha impatt fuq il-ħajja politika u ekonomika tal-pajjiż.
Imma jekk ma tintlaqax, is-sogru jkun li l-Gvern Laburista ta’ wara l-elezzjoni li jmiss ikollu jħallas prezz politiku u ekonomiku qares. Ir-rankatura tat-tkabbir ekonomiku fil-pajjiż se tmajna xi darba jew oħra. Meta jiġri dan, spiża kurrenti tal-Gvern li mhix imrażżna, malajr isservi ta’ mazzra enormi fit-tmexxija tal-pajjiż.
****
BIEDJA F’GĦAWDEX
L-art imħaddma għall-biedja f’Għawdex naqset drastikament fl-aħħar snin. Ma nbnietx (sa issa) u qed titħalla “vojta”.
Fl-istess ħin hemm zgħazagħ, uħud minnhom gradwati tal-iskola tal-biedja, li jixtiequ jsiru bdiewa. Hemm bdiewa oħra li jixtiequ jżidu l-art li fuqha jistgħu jkabbru dwieli u prodotti oħrajn.
X’inhuma r-raġunijiet għaliex artijiet għammiela qed jitħallew għal riħhom? X’jista’ jsir biex jinġabu fl-użu mill-ġdid?
Il-mod kif niddisponu mill-art minn dejjem kien suġġett li malajr isir kontroversjali fostna. U mhux biss meta nikkonsidraw fejn għandu jitħalla jsir il-bini. Madan kollu, jidhirli li hu fl-interess nazzjonali u ta’ Għawdex li kull fejn l-art għammiela tista’ tintuza għall-biedja, dan ikun possibbli.
****
BALZAC
“Illużjonijiet Mitlufa” hu rumanz twil u qawwi; kien ili rrid naqrah minn meta ndunajt li jiġi ezatt qabel rumanz twil ieħor fil-sensiela ta’ Il-Kummiedja Umana – “L-Isplendidu u l-Miskin fil-ħajja tal-kortiġjani”. Tal-aħħar qrajtu snin twal ilu. Għalkemm ħafna mid-dettalji nsejthom, kien impressjonani qatigħ. L-istess għamel “Illuzjonijiet”, b’karattri u temi li jkomplu jsegwu f’ta’ warajh.
Balzac jeħodna fil-provinċja Franċiza u f’Pariġi tbaqbaq bil-ħajja tas-snin tletin fis-seklu dsatax. Joħloq karattri memorabbli u jqaxxar fid-deskrizzjonijiet tiegħu, il-mod kif jirriflettu fl-ambizzjonijiet, il-kalkoli u l-illużjonijiet tagħhom, l-ambjent soċjali li minnu jkunu ħarġu. Dan mingħajr ma juża l-karattri tiegħu biex iwassal xi “messaġġ”.
Niddubita kemm Balzac kien interessat li jwassal messaġġi – tneħħi wieħed: Dik li b’kitbietu juri li: Hekk hi l-ħajja.
Sal-lum, il-proġett letterarju ta’ ħajtu għadu jidher u jitqies bħala tassew monumentali.

English Version – Expenses

For the upcoming budget, in between the lines or openly, a big challenge is looming. While it is in the overall interest of the government – as is natural – now to make sure that the measures it adopts translate into an improvement of citizens’ living conditions, there is also an ongoing need to keep current public expenditures under control.

This can be done by restraining or removing “extra” or “superfluous” expenses. It is a difficult and unpleasant assignment, including as it does exercises by which sources of waste are uncovered, inefficiencies revealed and deficiencies in work organization smoothed out.

If the challenge is met, few will notice. There will be no applause, even less glory. In the shortrun, the whole effort will seem to have had minimal impact on the political and economic life of the country.

However if the challenge is side stepped, the risk will be that the Labour government post the next election will have to pay a big political and economic price. Economic growth rates are bound to slow down at one time or other. When this happens, government current expenses that are out of control will swiftly pile enormous pressures on public management.

***

Gozo farming

In Gozo, land that is being actively farmed has decreased greatly in recent years. It still has not been built up (at least as of now) and is being left unutilised.

Meanwhile there are young people, some them graduates of the agricultural school, who would like to start work as full time farmers. Other farmers wish to increase the land where they could plant vineyards and raise crops.

Why is it that fertile land is allowed to lie idle? What can be done to make it productive again?

The way by which we dispose of land has always been a matter that easily becomes controversial in this country. And not just when building permits come up for discussion. However it seems to me that it is in the national interest and that of Gozitans to ensure that when fertile land is really available for farming, it is taken up.

***

Balzac

“Lost Illusions” is a long and powerful novel; I had intended to read it since when I realised that it immediately precedes another long novel in The Human Comedy, “A Harlot’s Progress” (as titled in English translation). This I read long years ago. Although I have forgotten many of its details, I do remember it had impressed me enormously. So now did “Lost Illusions”, featuring characters and themes that were carried over into its sequel.

Balzac takes us to the French provinces as well as to the Paris of the eighteen thirties, the latter bubbling with the life of a dynamic metropolis. He creates memorable characters with descriptions that focus sharply on how their ambitions, calculations and illusions are shaped by the social environment from which they issue. He does so without using his characters to project some “message”.

Indeed I doubt whether he was at all interested in transmitting messages – unless perhaps it was that with his writings he wanted to show life as it is.

Today his life project as a writer still seems monumental in scope and rightly so.