Tajjeb

Is-sinjali kollha juru li r-rankatura ekonomika se tibqa’ magħna fiż-żmien li ġej: ħaġa tajba ħafna.
Politikament, dan hu ta’ sostenn għall-gvern preżenti meta riesqa elezzjoni ġenerali. Se jkun jista’ juri li kellu l-ħila jmexxi f’direzzjoni li tat skop għal kondizzjonijiet aħjar ta’ għajxien għall-familji. Ikollu raġun jagħfas dwar hekk.
Lil hinn minn konsiderazzjonijiet elettorali madankollu, b’titjib ekonomiku sostnut qed tinħoloq il-bażi biex bidliet importanti fl-istrutturi ekonomiċi tal-pajjiż jitwettqu mingħajr ma joħolqu dwejjaq żejda jew tbatijiet.
Bħalissa l-istatistika turi li l-ekonomija tagħna waqt li tirranka, baqgħet ittejjeb ukoll il-kompetittività tagħha. Personalment, m’inix ċar f’moħħi kif dan qed jiġri, imma kulħadd jaqbel li qed iseħħ.
Allura aktar u aktar għandna bażi li minnha bidliet strutturali jistgħu jitwettqu ħalli jipprovdu pjattaforma għal ħidmiet ġodda fil-futur. Il-pjani għal investimenti fl-oqsma tas-saħħa u tal-edukazzjoni bħala oqsma ta’ esportazzjoni qed juru t-triq – kif ukoll dak li ssemma dan l-aħħar, dwar inizjattivi ġodda biex it-taħriġ fl-informatika jikkarga.
PIXXISPAD
Iltqajt ma’ sajjieda tradizzjonali – jiġifieri sajjieda żgħar, jaħdmu l-aktar bħala familji – li huma inkwetati ħafna dwar kemm se jistgħu jżommu fil-wiċċ fis-sajd tal-pixxispad. Għandhom raġun jinkwetaw.
Il-pixxispad hi ħuta li naqset sew, għax inqabdet bil-wisq. L-għaqda internazzjonali dwar it-tmexxija tas-sajd, bi qbil bejn kulħadd, qed iddaħħal kwoti fuq kemm jista’ jsir sajd tal-pixxispad mill-pajjiżi diferenti. Għal xi snin il-kwoti se jitnaqqsu. Malta messha l-parti ta’ kwota tagħha minn dik allokata lill-Unjoni Ewropea.
Is-sajjieda ż-żgħar qed jgħidu li fit-tqassim tal-kwota Maltija, huma se jmorru ħażin waqt li l-kbar se jingħataw in-nifs.
Mhux kull ma jgħidu s-sajjieda tradizzjonali tal-pixispad ireġi. Imma li għandhom problema u jixirqilhom jingħataw attenzjoni speċjali – hi fehma li tagħmel sens.
L-INDUSTRIJA FL-EWROPA
Mill-Kummissjoni Ewropea, il-Viċi-President Katainen u l-Kummissarja Bienkowska ppubblikaw artiklu fil-midja Ewropea dwar “il-protezzjoniżmu u l-industrija tal-Unjoni Ewropea”.
Fih jippriedkaw il-benefiċċji li ġabet magħha l-globalizzazzjoni; jaqblu wkoll li ħolqot ċerti diffikultajiet, fosthom għal setturi industrijali tal-UE; jitkellmu kontra l-protezzjoniżmu bħala mod kif tilqa’ għal dawn l-iżvantaġġi; u jagħfsu fuq il-ħtieġa li l-Ewropa tibqa’ miftuħa waqt li tipprovdi solljev għal dawk li l-globalizzazzjoni qagħbrithom.
Wieħed ikollu jistaqsi: Katainen u Bienkowska jippretendu li jittieħdu bis-serjetà?
Għan li ssettjat il-Kummissjoni Ewropea xi snin ilu kien li tinkoraġġixxi r-“reindustrijalizzazzjoni” tal-Ewropa. Ftit li xejn sar f’dal-qasam. Il-fehma li s-suq isuq baqgħet tiddomina, kif anke jidher sew f’dak li kitbu ż-żewġ Kummissarji fl-artiklu tagħhom.
Mhux ta’ b’xejn li l-populiżmu għamel passi ta’ ġgant ’il quddiem.

English Version – Encouraging

Beyond electoral considerations however, given a sustained economic momentum, the ground is being laid for important changes to the country’s economic structures. These changes can now be implemented without generating too much dissatisfaction or creating too many new burdens.

As of now, data show that while growing fast, our economy has maintained an improvement in its competitivity. Personally, it is not so clear in my mind as to how this is taking shape. But one and all agree it is happening.

As a result, we have increasingly the basis from which structural changes could be attempted in order to provide platforms for future new activities. Investment plans in the health and education sectors by which they would become export oriented are showing the way – as well as what was also mentioned recently, regarding new initiatives to enhance training in informatics.

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Swordfish

I had a meeting with traditional fishermen (they fish on a small scale, basically as a family) who are very worried about whether swordfish catches will remain a viable proposition for them. They have good reason to worry.

Swordfish is a species that is in steep decline for it has been overfished. The international organization that coordinates fisheries, following universal agreement, is introducing quotas on catches of swordfish made by different countries. For some years, the quotas set will actually be reduced. Malta’s quota will be its share from the quota allocated to the European Union.

Traditional fishermen are claiming that in the sharing out of the Maltese quota, they will be placed at a disadvantage while the bigger outfits will be given a leg up.

Not all their claims are spot on. But that these fishermen are facing an acute problem and that they merit special attention is a view that I think, makes sense.

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European industry

From the European Commission, Vice President Katainen and Commissioner Bienkowska published an article in European media entitled “Protectionism and EU industry”.

In it, they preach the benefits that globalisation has brought in its wake; they agree too that it has caused some difficulties, including for the EU’s industrial sector; they refute protectionism as a method by which to counter these difficulties; and they insist on the need to keep European markets open, while providing support for those who have been adversely hit by globalisation.

Which raises the question: do Katainen and Bienkowska really believe they can be taken at face value?

Some years ago, the Commission set as an objective that of encouraging the “reindustrialization” of Europe. Since then, practically nothing was done in this area. The belief that markets should rule continued to dominate policies, as is quite clear too from what the two Commissioners wrote in their article.

In the circumstances, there is nothing surprising about the giant steps forward that populism has been taking.