Identity Malta - the agency responsible for the much maligned Individual Investor Programme, also known as Malta's citizenship for sale scheme or that hair brained scheme that shamed us in Europe - said it was launching a consultation exercise to ask us about the second round of the IIP, which will be launched soon.
We will gladly participate and tell them our thoughts about it: Scrap it now!
Identity Malta is, among other questions, asking us whether the second round of the IIP should be capped. Yes it should, at zero.
Identity Malta made it clear that the second round of the scheme will go ahead, no matter what we think, and it even reminded us that this was in the government's electoral manifesto. The government also likes to remind us, quite frequently, about the big 'success' that round one has proven to be.
We beg to differ. We have not seen a single cent spent from the millions collected on social projects so far.
Apart from that, the negative publicity we keep getting thanks to the scheme, especially after it was revealed that several shady individuals had taken advantage of our lax controls to get a precious foothold in the EU, greatly outweighs the money raked in.
The government may argue that €360 million is surely not a small sum but we have said it before and we will say it again: our reputation and our identity are not for sale. The government will no doubt push ahead with its plans no matter what. The least it should do is to see that the due diligence is strengthened to weed out those with less than genuine intentions. They do not even have to take our word for it. Instead they can heed to the words uttered by the Deputy Chairman of the FIAU's Board of Governors, Anton Bartolo, to the EP rule of law delegation. Bartolo warned that there is "an element of risk" in the scheme.
PD/PN environment
Partit Demokratiku this week urged the Nationalist Party to state whether the two parties in Opposition were fighting the same battle when it comes to the environment. It is clear that this is not the case. PD is a small party that seems to be free of any commercial interests and does not hold back from speaking out against the destruction of our environment.
The PN, it seems, has lost it voice when it comes to environmental issues. It seems that its links to big business have got its tongue all tied up. It has not even acknowledged the PD's repeated calls for action against the environment.
While it has spoken out on the proposed Zonqor AUM campus, and it has done so more out of political expediency than anything else, it has remained silent on the ITS project and even voted with the government in the Majjistral Park hunting times fiasco.
The government, through its policies of Dubaification and its controversial deals, like that of the Zonqor land and Sadeen, is slowly but surely degrading our environment. The PN, through its silence and or backing of the government, is complicit.
V18 celebrations
Valletta was crowned European Capital of Culture in great style, with magnificent shows the likes of which we had never seen. The show at Pjazza Tritoni was breathtaking and the projections on St John's, the Auberge de Castille and the Grandmaster's Palace were like something out of a new Disney movie. The Maltese talent displayed on the night was amazing.
Despite the huge crowds that thronged the capital city, the cultural programme went off without a hitch and the overall feeling was that the events were organised in a professional manner.
It is a pity, on the other hand, that many encountered problems with public transport.
We must acknowledge, however, that this was a massive show in terms of events and attendance and all those involved deserve our highest praise.