L-iskandlu bil-frodi li wettqu tal-Volkswagen fit-testijiet fuq il-karozzi ġodda tagħhom hu l-aħħar wieħed f’sensiela ta’ episodji tal-istess tip li seħħew fuq skala dinjija. Responsabbli kienu kumpaniji multinazzjonali li sar għandhom aktar saħħa mill-blokki kontinentali ta’ kummerċ u investiment.
Fi żmien pjuttost qasir, kellna l-iskandli: tal-Enron; tal-banek kbar Amerikani u Ewropej li ppakkjaw u biegħu self imwiegħer ma’ self aktar sod; fil-mod kif ingħataw ċerti kuntratti f’pajjiżi Ewropej; tat-tbagħbis minn banek fil-mod kif jiġu ssettjati l-imgħax u r-rati tal-kambju; ta’ kif kumpaniji multinazzjonali qed jevitaw li jħallsu t-taxxi.
Kienu jgħidulna kif l-aqwa vantaġġ tas-suq “ħieles” fin-negozju hu li dan jittrasmetti informazzjoni preċiża dwar xi jridu x-xerrejja u x’joffru dawk li jfornu prodotti u servizzi.
Quddiem l-evidenza li l-frodi sar parti integrali mill-bejgħ u x-xiri li jsir fuq skala globali, dil-ħaġa xejn m’għadha ċerta.
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Dħul u spiża
Ilu ħafna ma ministru tal-finanzi jkollu dan l-ispazju “fiskali” kollu biex jiddeċiedi dwar fejn inaqqas u fejn iżid l-ispiża bħalma għandu l-Ministru Scicluna.
Il-finanzi tal-gvern huma xxamplati. Id-differenza bejn dħul u ħruġ tidher taħt kontroll. L-ekonomija inġenerali qed turi rankatura sabiħa.
Xorta tibqa’ prattika għaqlija li wieħed isemmi l-punti li jistgħu jqanqlu problemi.
Ngħidu aħna, skont l-informazzjoni dwar id-dħul finanzjarju tal-gvern minn Jannar sa Awwissu ta’ dis-sena, dan żdied sew fuq is-sena li għaddiet.
Imma wieħed ikollu jistaqsi jekk id-dħul minn dwana u sisa li żdied b’aktar minn 60 miljun ewro, u minn għotjiet, li laħaq il-livell ta’ 160 miljun ewro, hux se jiġi sostnut is-sena d-dieħla.
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L-istess miżura
Professjonalment, il-Professur Albert Fenech hu tajjeb ħafna. Hekk jixhdu l-pazjenti tiegħu. Ġie lura Malta fl-ewwel nofs tas-snin disgħin tas-seklu l-ieħor wara li l-isptar Ingliż fejn kien iservi għalaq. Kien applika għal kariga fl-isptar ta’ Malta, flimkien ma’ oħrajn, Maltin ukoll, bl-istess kredenzjali bħal tiegħu, uħud forsi aqwa.
Biss mhux fuq hekk li rrid nikkummenta.
Lill-Professur Fenech, l-awtoritajiet tas-saħħa qalulu: għalaq iż-żmien li fih, skont ir-regoli tal-isptar, int tirtira, u jidħol minflokok min hu iżgħar u kkwalifikat sew.
Qamet għagħa, minfuħa nistħajjel mill-istess professur. Dil-ħaġa qed issir, intqal, għal raġunijet politiċi, għax Fenech ħareġ għall-politika mal-PN.
Prosit lill-ġurnalist veteran Joe Vella li espona f’l-orizzont l-ipokrezija f’dan kollu. Mhux daqstant ilu, il-professur Tony Zammit tneħħa mis-servizz tiegħu f’Mater Dei: għall-istess raġuni bħal Fenech. Hu wkoll kien ħareġ għall-politika, imma mal-Labour, fi żmien l-amminstrazzjoni Gonzi. Ma tqajjimx kjass dakinhar.
English Version – Business and fraud
The scandal regarding the fraud operated by Volkswagen in their emissions testing on new cars is the latest in a sequence of similar episodes that have developed on a global scale. Multinational companies carry the responsibility for this. They have seen their power overtake that of continental blocs which employ common rules for commerce and investment.
In a relatively short period, we witnessed scandals generated: by Enron; by leading US and European banks, which bundled together bad debts with good ones and sold them to investors; through dubious contracts concluded in major European countries; by banks manipulating the rules which establish interest and exchange rates; by multinational companies successfully avoiding the payment of all their tax dues.
We used to be told that the major advantage in endorsing free market forces to regulate business conduct, lies in the precise information that such a system delivers about what buyers want and what is on offer by producers of goods and services.
This claim has become less credible as the evidence piles up, showing how fraud is actually an integral part of market forces on a global scale.
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Income and outgo
It has been a long while since a Maltese finance minister had the “fiscal” leeway that Minister Edward Scicluna now enjoys within which to decide about reductions and increases in public spending.
Government finances are quite buoyant. The gap between income and outgo seems to be well under control. In general, the economy is maintaining a good momentum.
It still is good practice though to mention areas where problems could arise.
For instance, data about government revenues between January and August of this year records a significant rise over last year.
However the question begs: for instance, next year, will the growth in revenues from customs and excise which was over 60 million euros this year, and from grants which has reached the 160 million euro level, be maintained
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Same weight, same measure
In his line of duty, Professor Albert Fenech is a very good surgeon. That’s what his patients testify. He came back to Malta during the first half of the nineties decade of the previous century when the British hospital where he was employed closed down. He applied for a post at the Malta hospital, along with other Maltese professionals who had credentials equivalent to his, perhaps better in the case of some of them.
However, I do not intend to comment about that aspect.
The health authorities informed Professor Fenech that according to hospital regulations, the time had come for him to retire and make way for a younger, well qualified professional.
There was a burst of controversy, to which I imagine, Fenech himself contributed. It was claimed that he was being retired because he had featured as a candidate in elections on behalf of the PN.
Veteran journalist Joe Vella did well to expose the hypocrisy of all this in his orizzont column. Not so long ago, Professor Tony Zammit was removed from his service as a surgeon at Mater Dei on the same grounds as Fenech. He too had stood as a candidate for elections, but on behalf of the Labour Party and under the Gonzi administration. Nobody bleated about the issue then.
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