TMID Editorial: The challenges faced by government

The government has many challenges that it needs to deal with, some of which are quite urgent.The growing number of cars on the road is one such challenge, and the government’s way of tackling this issue, through road widening and creating flyo

By: independent.com.mt

Jul 05 2024
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TMID Editorial: The challenges

The government has many challenges that it needs to deal with, some of which are quite urgent.

The growing number of cars on the road is one such challenge, and the government’s way of tackling this issue, through road widening and creating flyovers, tends to clash with its idea of putting the environment high on the agenda. A clear example of this issue is the Msida junction situation, where the Chamber of Architects presented a proposal that would create quite a green zone but would eliminate the flyover altogether. Will it go for the Chamber’s proposal, or continue with its original plan?

If the government wants to put the environment first, then it needs to find ways to reduce the number of vehicles on the road. Tackling the traffic situation is urgent.

Another issue the government needs to tackle is hospital space. It is clear that Mater Dei Hospital, as it is, is no longer big enough to cater for the current population numbers. The Health ministry has laid out plans for the way forward, but so much time was wasted through the Labour government-signed hospitals deal that was annulled last year. It needs to move fast.

When mentioning the challenges the government faces, one must also point out the economic model and it being tied to population numbers. Now the government has introduced certain regulations, such as those tied to temping agencies. But, and here comes the challenge, in order to change the reliance on employee-heavy related sectors, then that requires an economic model change. This is something the Finance Minister had once mentioned. Focusing on sectors which bring in good revenue but are less labour intensive could, perhaps, be the way forward.

Another thing is that the government needs to change its attitude on certain issues. The Prime Minister should, under no circumstances, take aim at the judiciary as he had done in the run up to the election. He is not a normal citizen, and holds high office. It was not the way a Prime Minister should act. It was partisan politics and it was outright wrong of him to do so. In addition, given the concerns regarding the police commissioner that have been aired by sections of society, why not change the requirement for appointments to this post to be by a two-thirds majority vote in Parliament? Wouldn’t that ensure more trust in the person occupying such a post, or is this just about keeping power centralised?

Yet another challenge is the country’s finances. We can all agree that the government has grown the economy well, but the country’s debt has risen sharply over recent years. There were, of course, valid reasons such as the pandemic and the needed support that was given. But the government needs to be more careful with spending now. For example, Did it really need to spend over €100,000 for a host for the Malta film Awards a couple of years back? Does it really need to widen the road between Victoria and Marsalforn which, quite frankly, doesn’t see so much traffic? What about the amount of direct orders handed out, and most importantly… what about the millions and millions and millions of Euros spent on a concession that was annulled by the court in judgements that mentioned fraud and collusion. The country’s finances are our finances, taken from our taxes. The government cannot act irresponsibly.