Interview • December 21 2003

The gladiator against bureaucracy

A shop owner who became a local councillor. A councillor who became a parliamentary secretary. A PS who defied the establishment. Edwin Vassallo talks to Kurt Sansone about his ‘war’

Up the stairs of Auberge d’Aragon and I am summoned to an office at the far end of the courtyard where I meet Edwin Vassallo.
The Mosta man, a former shop owner who gradually worked his way up the political ladder from local councillor to parliamentary secretary, has been in the news recently for his brash attack on the bureaucracy practised by government agencies and departments.
"It is my political responsibility to safeguard the interests of the people I represent whether they are small businesses or consumers," he says when I jokingly point out that his name is all over the news.
"It was Government that sent me to sign the European Small Business Charter. I did not go there simply for the ceremony, just to sign. I also signed on behalf of my colleagues in the business community. It is important for me to continue urging government to adopt an entrepreneurial mentality because that is my duty."
He insists: "This is realpolitik. We have to talk politics that make sense to people because at the end of the day we are representing the people. Our challenge, if we want to stay in government, is to be conscious of people’s needs and when we speak we have to reflect reality. Our biggest opposition is not the Labour Party. My biggest enemy is time and all those who hinder me from doing what I believe is right for the public."
But to whom was the criticism addressed, I ask? His reply is instantaneous. "Towards all those who do not understand the pressing needs of this country. To those who have no idea what entrepreneurial politics is all about. It could be a high-ranking civil servant, it could be a director general, a permanent secretary, a minister, the prime minister... it could be anybody. Whoever the person may be, it is important for people to know why they need to be efficient and offer a good service."
Drawing from his experience in the retail sector, Mr Vassallo says that for people in business, tomorrow does not exist. "If they require a service today it cannot be delivered tomorrow. Today investment knocks on the door and expects an answer immediately otherwise it will move on. We cannot have investors waiting for months on end for a reply. This is the mentality we have to instil in the departments and authorities."
Edwin Vassallo is not new to the job of parliamentary secretary. I insist that if he criticises bureaucracy he must surely shoulder responsibility for forming part of a government that has failed to cut red tape.
He smiles. "I don’t think so. I thank people who criticise me on this point because I have much to answer," Mr Vassallo says. "My track record proves this. In the portfolios under my wing I worked to dismantle bureaucracy. I was entrusted with the job of removing trade licensing from the responsibility of the police. I am proud to say that we managed to create more than 1,000 jobs without costing government one penny. Thanks to the new process of issuing a trade licence, which was streamlined and made more efficient it is now easier for new businesses to open. I have delivered. That which was inefficient I have transformed into an efficient system. I have a positive track record and therefore the right to criticise bureaucracy."
Mr Vassallo talks about the Mriehel industrial estate and argues that few people were aware that in the stretch of land between the former Capri Sun factory and the Malta Financial Services Authority more than 3,000 people worked in over 700 enterprises.
"We have tarmacked parts of the roads over there and will continue to do so. They had no electricity and we provided them with light, the place was turning into an illegal dump site and today we have cleaned it up and with the help of CCTV cameras are catching the culprits."
I ask Mr Vassallo whether he believes we have gone from the extreme of the Lorry Sant years when every decision depended on the minister to the current situation where authorities have wrested power from politicians.
"This is a learning curve. The creation of authorities was needed because it removed the concentration of power from the hands of ministers. Time has passed and like a car the authorities require a ‘service.’ Every now and then we need to ‘clean’ these authorities, give them a ‘service,’ loosen the rust that has developed. Administration is continuously changing like business. We must not stall."
Mr Vassallo talks of the Public Service Reform White Paper and insists it provides a historic chance for those who constantly face bureaucracy to propose changes to the current system.
"One of the biggest social sicknesses is ‘comfort’," Mr Vassallo remarks. The statement catches me by surprise. Here is a government junior minister seemingly contradicting his own party’s professed policy of improving the standard of living.
But Mr Vassallo explains: "People are comfortable, even if under pressure, with the status quo. There is resentment for change. Comfort means stability, it means ‘leave me alone,’ it creates no energy to change. This is an affliction on all strata in society. I am here to make people uncomfortable because we need to change our ways. The European Union as a whole block is suffering from this sickness that stunts economic growth. We have too many people who are comfortable earning a salary. We need more people experiencing the discomfort of working on contract because that would keep people constantly on their toes and doing their best to excel to secure a renewal of contract."
When he says this, Mr Vassallo also has in mind the business community, which he says is not entrepreneurial enough. "We have a lot of work to do in this field. We lack true entrepreneurs, people, who invest in innovation and research to develop their product and service. Before opening a shop, how many businessmen research the market to determine consumption patterns and the particular requirements of individual communities?"
With the new year just round the corner I ask Mr Vassallo what concrete changes he would like to see.
"I want to ensure that business is not burdened with more expenses. I will be working with the finance minister to control, if not freeze, costs induced by authorities and departments on businesses.
"I want to see departments and authorities conduct an internal exercise to come up with proposals on how to cut down red tape and provide direct concise information to the business community on regulations that govern the sector. I would also like to see every authority have its own users committee to ensure maximum consultation."
He stresses the word ‘maximum’ and insists that if stakeholders don’t come forward, the agencies should reach out to them.
"I would also like to see an impact assessment of every new law and regulation on businesses. Another idea I would like to see implemented is the creation of efficiency auditors outside the civil service whose job will be to investigate procedures and how efficient they are."
Mr Vassallo adds with a smile, "it is a comprehensive wish list," only to correct himself split seconds later, "not a wish list, but a business plan."
I raise the issue of exorbitant port charges, which have hounded businesses for far too long. Mr Vassallo nods his head in agreement, but slows down on the criticism.
"The other day I was speaking to a Cypriot minister and they have the same problem. There are a number of different issues that contribute to high port costs. For starters there are only a limited number of carriers that operate to Malta and this creates the possibility of forming a cartel.
"Another issue is the work practices, which have developed over the years by various entities connected to the port. One of these is the bad habit of expecting tips in whatever form these are provided. These have contributed to high costs.
"I can see a change in work practices but it will take time. The will to change things is there, but bad habits die hard."
I ask Edwin Vassallo the shopkeeper whether he practices what Edwin Vassallo the parliamentary secretary preaches.
"What I practice here (the ministry) is the same what I used to practice in my shop. I love my clients. It was fun running a shop and it is fun even now despite all the responsibility because I relish the challenge of risking everything to make life easier for the business community. I am here to deliver and I have delivered and will continue to deliver against all odds."
True to the name of his Mosta shop, ‘Best and Less,’ Mr Vassallo aims to deliver the best government service with less bureaucracy. Before I leave I ask him what he is expecting from Father Christmas.
"Free time," he answers with a laugh.