As I zapped through the TV channels last Friday, I came across the programme Xarabank, when the Prime Minister was answering questions put by the audience. Unfortunately, the programme was nearing the end, when a gentleman stood up to tell the Prime Minister about the bureaucracy of certain government departments, and the arrogance of certain government entities with full autonomy. He chose to mention the ADT as an example, when he said that they do not even bother to send an acknowledgement. I back this gentleman, who I don’t even know, to the hilt.

I wrote twice to this public entity, once about the extra Lm2.50 it charges as an administration fee each time I change my driving licence. We taxpayers pay their salaries, not to mention that pensioners pay this scandalous fee of Lm12.50 for 10 years, while the young pay only Lm2.50. I have never received an answer from them to this day.

The second time I wrote to ADT and MEPA concerned a particular bus stage. This time I registered my letters. In a week I received a satisfactory reply from MEPA, but nothing from the ADT. Both the Transport Minister and the Prime Minister know about this, because I wrote to them both on 11 January 2005. I received an acknowledgement signed by Mr Mugliett’s private secretary on 14 January and from the Prime Minister’s private secretary on 18 January 2005. Both their letters do not have a reference number.

When the Prime Minister answered this gentleman, he defended this entity by saying among other things that “we must admit that the ADT has done a great job; it invested millions of Maltese liri in the new roads”. I am confused. Who paid for the new roads? The EU, the government, or the ADT? Or did all of them pick one every time it suits us? I was under the impression, derived from the number of billboards all along the road from Qormi to below Mdina, that these roads are being financed by the Italian-Maltese protocol.

Everybody can do a good job when given millions of liri, but I believe that the one who puts the money is the one who invests, and the one who spends it is the spender. What does the Prime Minister expect, that they share it between them?

Joseph Muscat

MOSTA