Echoes of the ton-ta’ zejt budgets of the 80’s are around us. The trumpets are sounding and the carpet is being rolled out for the big announcements as people tune in to hear about what increase in the price of a tin of tuna fish they can expect.
The Minister for Finance has been making statements and preparing the way for the impending gloom ahead, not just for the coming financial year but possibly for later down the line, as the power station fails to ignite, the Enemalta debt grows bigger and Airmalta does a crash landing. And those are just the areas he chooses to highlight so that we do not focus on the list of other problems where he cannot make ends meet.
Right now its looking like a Kaxxa Infernali with all the fireworks going off – not least the €4,909,650 owed to Church Schools for Learning Support Assistants’ salaries. Let us be clear that these LSA’s are just as professional as teachers and they have studied and trained for the job and have the qualifications. The role that they play in education is very important and essential to those students who have some learning difficulty or disability. They make all the difference to them on whether they remain marginalized in society or are able to integrate and find their place in life as they grow up.
It is a disgrace to leave the schools unpaid in this way. And moreover, we know that the free day care centres have cost the Government €4,591,056. So the Government is robbing Peter to pay Paul. You do not need to be a maths genious to see that. A political manouver which is repeated in several other areas, such as ARMS.
Many of us are still trying to work out the Water & Electricity bills. In this case, you do need to be a maths genious to keep track and compare past bills to new bills and really find the 25% reduction in rates. I think that a PR campaign to inform customers about the new rates and billing system would be in order. Are we to expect readers to come to our house to read the meter or not? Are they reading our consumption from the Smart Meter or should we still take readings? My electricity went from Average cost/day of €1.59 last year to €1.41 this year (to date period 26.6.14 – 14.8.14) but my water Average cost/day increased from €0.19 to €1.38 cancelling out any saving on electricity and increasing my overall bill significantly. There was no eco reduction. The latest information also, is that bills are being indicated as Actual when in fact they are projected and include wastage charges without proper reference. People deserve to know what is happening and how they can confirm the bills they receive and how they can manage the savings better.
Naturally the €0.58c COLA increase does not even bear mentioning unless it is to ensure that other measures are taken to maintain the standard of living we expect and to not leave behind any vulnerable segments of the population such as pensioners, the unemployed, burdened & disadvantaged families and individuals who depend on social security. This especially, in view of the salaries and perks being paid out for the largest Cabinet in our island’s history and the other many beneficiaries of this labour government. If these expenses are to be covered by the sale of passports, we still have no idea. And from what had been said before, the funds from the sale of passports was to benefit social and other areas, not to cover the cost of the cabinet and its entourage.
Significant fines and compensations are also due to plaintiffs in cases against the LP and the Government of Malta. It would be good if these judgements also stipulated from where the financial awards should come – that is – from the Labour Party itself, from the banks or from the state because it is unfair that the tax payer should pay for the wrongs of others.
Shall we ourselves be paying for the political failings of the Government to actually receive the €30 million from Shanghai Electric? Some comments on the internet said that it would have been easy to finance the reductions from people’s own tax to which another person replied “yes, and Gonzi did not do it so the PN is now in opposition”. That is the reality unfortunately – where people are ready to do anything just so that they could elect the LP. Most probably they really do not care that much about bills and the only thing that interests them is the shaming of the PN and the rise of the LP.
But when all is said and done, there are enough people out there to demand proper accountability from the Minister of Finance. Their needs and their own sense of honesty will form their judgement on whether or not this budget will be fair and realistic and how it plans to tackle growth for the economy.
They will also be looking at the prospects for the future of their children and the care of the elderly. Most of all they want to be secure that political bias will not be a factor determining entitlement. When they see competent persons being pushed aside, such as the National Statistics Office chief, Michael Pace Ross, they will surely lose confidence that this bias does not exist and would not hold them or their children back. The Police Force and the Army are also constantly of concern on the matter of transfers and discrimination against individuals. Even local councils struggle with passive hostility and are not to blame for thinking that they may be irrelevant in the bigger scheme of things – that is – the LP winning the next general election.
We can be clear on that – the mechanics of this budget, ultimately, will reflect the plan and roadmap of the Muscat government to secure their re-election. Of course that is always in the interest of any elected government, but to manipulate facts and figures and avoid responsibility is immoral. Back at the EU we see President Juncker facing calls for him to go due to his manipulation of tax regimes which gave Luxembourg an advantage at the cost of the other European countries. People do not see how they can trust this man as head of the European union, when he manifests such self interest.
It is up to us now to consider the value of substance over power.