We were told that in coming years, the Maltese economy should prepare to absorb thousands of workers from abroad in order to sustain the economic growth opportunities that it could generate. We have been assured that this is not likely to create social disequilibria. Inward migration has already occurred in past years, and with the exception of a rise in rents, few financial and social problems emerged. Most importantly, the foreign workers we imported went back home after having lived here for not so long. They paid local taxes but did not stay to benefit from say, some pension or other.

Truth to say, I have my doubts about the scenario that is being proposed. Does it mean that this country will end up like an Arab Gulf state, which depends on transitory human resources to fuel economic surges whose final outcome is unknown?

Statistical data show that some of our economic sectors operate at a low to very low rate of productivity. In other sectors, or even the same ones, too many workers are underemployed.

Perhaps the priority should be to establish a policy for the longterm that would seek to improve productivity in sectors where it is low, and to encourage the shift of workers from sectors having underemployment to others which are experiencing labour shortages.

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Cyclists

Yes, we should stress more strongly the need to protect cyclists commuting along our roads. Also, there is a need to improve the ways by which road traffic and driving methods are regulated, in order to provide cyclists with greater protection and convenience.

On the other hand though, persons who ride a bicycle down Malta’s streets need to demonstrate common sense and prudence. Many do so. Not everybody.

These are some incidents I witnessed quite recently: a cyclist passing wrong way down a narrow one-way street which is usually packed with traffic; just when dusk is turning to night, a cyclist rushing through a congested cross roads with no lights on; a cyclist who completely disregards the red light at an intersection to poke through people proceeding along a zebra crossing.

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Criterion

Comments came fast and furious a while ago because the daughter of a minister was appointed to a minor judicial position. It’s just not on, we were told; this is another example of uncontrolled nepotism.

I just wonder how the same criterion was never mentioned when the PN ran the government. For instance, when a lawyer got appointed judge while his brother was a highranking cabinet minister? Or when the same lawyer, now a judge, was appointed Chief Justice two years later? Or when again, a few years later, the same person was appointed judge in the European Court of Human Rights? – and through all those years, his brother was serving in high level political positions.

This is no comment at all about the integrity or ability of both brothers in the story. It is a reflection on the comments made by today’s Pharisees.