This government’s pledge to fight bureaucracy tooth and nail is bearing fruit, alas to the selected few.   Pampering the selected few is a gross social injustice which cannot be erased by a public apology or by reversing alleged cases of corruption. 

Good governance should prevent all sorts of corruption and give peace of mind to law-abiding citizens.   All alleged cases of corruption and injustices should be addressed and ironed out without further delay.  Putting an end to such travesties is the responsibility of the current administration.

People deserted the previous administration for a tall order of issues.   The PL promised a new beginning.  But today, and rightly so, more are wondering what is different between the two or whether it is a case of people thinking that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.    

Take the PL’s bureaucracy promise.

It is now clear the PL promise to combat bureaucracy had a significantly diverse meaning to different people in our society.   While the vast majority of people were led to believe that they were about to be relieved from excessive red-tape, in reality this was a pledge to suit the needs of the hand-picked and the chosen few. 

Fast-tracking is now discreetly available to the privileged.    

While government fast-tracked and concluded deals worth of millions of Euro with the selected few,  waiving outstanding VAT, national insurance contributions, income tax, water and electricity bills and giving away large stretches of public land.  To add insult to injury, this government pledged an €88 million Euro guarantee from the national coffers to a private company.   

This bonanza did not reach hard-working, private, local and foreign entrepreneurs, nor did it reach the vulnerable.  The red-carpet treatment is reserved for few people.  The vast majority within our society have to make do with much less favourable state-of-affairs.      

This becomes even more accentuated when the needs of vulnerable people are not sufficiently addressed by the state due to lack of funds.  This spending spree approach has marred the term social justice, creating further inequalities and widening the gap between the rich and the poor.

Social justice is not a privilege.  It is a right and should be well administered.

In putting flesh to the bones, the information disclosed by Michael Farrugia, Minister for the Family and Social Solidarity when he was answering a question put by Opposition MP Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici revealed that 22,221 pensioners receive a state pension of less than €500 a month.

From what has been exhibited during the past weeks particularly, but not exclusively, the alleged cases of corruption have put action to ensure pensioners’ improvement in their monthly income on the back-burner; this despite the fact that it is widely acknowledged that these vulnerable elderly are fast falling into poverty.

As if these issues are not enough Ivan Camilleri, journalist with the Times of Malta, has brought to light an employment contract which is highly irregular.  This becomes even more despicable when one realises that this employment was offered by the Office of the President of Malta. The President of Malta, who has worked tirelessly during her sterling political career battling in favour of the poor and the disadvantaged, should not have her reputation tarnished with this highly shameful employment contract.  This contract is a fine example of precarious employment.  Hopefully, the workers offered such shameful conditions of work did not have their employment terminated because this was divulged to the media.   

But not all is wrong, and all should not be painted black.  The candle of hope is still burning.  Hopefully, it is burning from one end only.   Indeed, Junior Minister Dr Ian Borg did the right thing last Thursday when he apologised for his disrespectful and out of place ‘orgasm’ comment during question time the day before in the House.   Although this “honourable” cub’s  apology is conditional and shrouded, nonetheless he should be credited for making the apology. 

An apology, though a small effort, to rectify what has been done wilfully wrong is a step in the right direction.  Maybe time for other honourable ladies and gentlemen in his grouping to take Dr Borg’s cue and go one step further for their political blunders.  

Indeed, a public apology for alleged cases of corruption, for squandering public funds and for creating social injustices would not be enough.  There are other steps an honourable person can consider.  To start with, resigning pending all investigations are concluded is one of them.

The people are waiting.  

Gejtu Vella

[email protected]