|
Allow me some space to express my sadness at the present state of the country.
I imagine the Prime Minister will find it hard to sleep peacefully at night due to an endless list of woes and expressions of anger by the people of this poor island. Let me point to some of the current topics.
The Sant Antnin plant has been a thorn in the side of thousands of people in the south of the island ever since it was built. And rightly so - no one wants a rubbish dump on his doorstep. For a few years complaints seemed to have died down - presumably when odours were brought under control by the correct management of the plant.
Now Waste Serve - one of the latest creations by this 'off hand' government, has made the people flare up again when it was mooted that the plant would be demolished and another built - three times the size of the present one. Have not the people of Marsascala the right to live in a clean environment? Apparantly not.
Government again has angered many people around Malta with the declared intention of evicting farmers from a large area in and near Manikata to provide for a golf course for the lucky few tourists that can afford to play the game once in a while. I humbly ask: How many square metres of arable land will one golfer need to play golf?
When this has been worked out, will MEPA please allocate the same area to every Maltese citizen to enjoy whatever pastime he likes? After all this is our island not the tourists’.
MEPA once more is to blame for the shambles created by its minister betraying the Nationalist's Party promises (before the referendum) that our cultural heritage of hunting and trapping will not be touched. Like a bolt out of the blue the minister has enacted regulations curbing these pastimes. He is the same minister who assured farmers that the expropriated land at Xaghra Il-Hamra would be returned back to the farmers. Can anyone blame the people for their mistrust in this politician?
The Sea Malta saga is another problem. Who is responsible for this farce? Is it Dr Austin Gatt, Miss Marlene Mizzi, the Privatisation Unit or MIMCOL?
The fact is that the buyers will not readily fork out another million dollars for the only useful asset belonging to Sea Malta.
Something in this deal stinks to high heaven. Will the inquiry - when the right person is found to lead it - get at the truth? Will it be more good money chasing bad money? Do we need to sell Sea Malta anyway?
The park and ride scheme is another bone which the Prime Minister has to gnaw at. For many years the government has collected extra taxes for the privilege of Maltese citizens to enter Valletta. Why for heaven's sake were car parks not created to accommodate the people and their travel needs? Why should people get slapped in the face because of government’s incompetence? The park and ride scheme will not affect the honorouble ministers or their stooges using taxpayers’ money to travel to work in government cars. The Floriana Council deserves full marks for washing its hands of this mess. Will Minister Mugliett take notice? I doubt it.
Did the Leader of the Opposition - for once - hit the nail on the head when he said "The Prime Minister is being managed?"
George Zammit
Mosta
|
