One thing the Nationalist administration will be definitely remembered for is its circus-like abilities, especially it’s juggling qualities. Indeed, it juggles and spins so profusely, that it now believes its own spin. But what hurts us all most is the fact that after its theatrical performances are over, we are left with unfounded assertions and the facts that matter most are left topsy-turvy.
Panic has now also infested this administration. The economy is in tatters. Malta is now “enjoying” one of the lowest rates of economic growth within the European Union, and this according to statistics issued by the same administration.
Competitiveness, the backbone of all possible investment, development and growth, is eroding fast, making it difficult for both local and foreign investment to come by.
This is not hot air propagated by the Opposition, but the words of the governor of the Central Bank, appointed by this same administration. The same hymn is being sung by all constituted bodies, investors and businessmen alike. In this alarming situation of lack of competitiveness, the administration found it fit to reduce the holidays of workers, including those enjoyed through collective agreements. My thoughts here are in full solidarity with the General Workers’ Union, which has single-handedly raised the issue with the International Labour Organisation and obtained a censure on the administration.
EU statistics show ever more clearly that we are among the lowest performing economies, comparing well with the least achievers among the recently joined states of the EU. Not only that, we are performing even worse, considering that our rate of growth of unemployment is steadily on the increase. Spin, intentionally, is directing us to believe that employment is on the rise, however, only to realise that this growth is mainly, if not only, in part-time employment and that most of the reduction in unemployment is obtained by arbitrary striking off unemployed persons from the unemployment register.
The worst enemy of competitiveness is surely inflation. Here the administration can boast of a steady increase, and we are definitely ranking with the higher un-achievers in the EU. In one year alone, inflation has gone up by 3.5 per cent and by six per cent over two years.
The administration spins the idea that the price of oil has pushed this up.
What about the price of medicinals, not to mention the unavailability of a good percentage of them? Wasn’t this a result of maladministration? Why is the cost of fuel so high, in some cases higher than that in much richer European countries? Haven’t we heard the notion before, that food would be cheaper once we joined the EU? It is the same with white goods. Again, why are we also, in some cases, paying double for the same car model than in other EU countries?
Coupled with inflation, the little quality of life we enjoyed is being eroded also by taxation. Considering our income, we are becoming so heavily taxed that soon we will be competing for the EU trophy as the most taxed nation. What matters here is that in other European countries’ taxation is going down, while with us it is going up.
Spin used to put it that most people who work additionally part-time work were doing so only to buy air-conditioners. Sorry, but today, with the surcharge on power being what it is, people cannot really switch these “symbols of progress” on. On the contrary, today people work part-time to make ends meet and not to indulge in so-called “luxuries”. Not only so, but considering that most of the increase in employment is in part-time work, and this as the main source of income, this is causing not only erosion of quality of life, but is also leading to the re-emergence of poverty.
The present administration puts it that we are however getting our value for money (some chance!!) especially in education and health. Well, not so. We are still in 2006, encountering a not-so-inconspicuous amount of school-leavers, devoid of literacy and numeric skills and without a basic education that can help them get a decent living. In health, the situation in hospitals is pathetic. Our hospitals in some cases are even lacking the basic essentials. A growing number of medicines are out of stock to the detriment of patients who require them, causing a lot of hardship, especially to pensioners who have to buy these medicines from their shrinking pensions. And this not to mention the ever-increasing waiting lists for surgical interventions, especially in the orthopaedic and ophthalmic departments.
Fortunately for us as a nation, the spin that the Nationalists are creating is having little effect. How can you spin further the facts of the Mater Dei hospital, where we have been told that the hospital will cost Lm40, then Lm80, then Lm120, then Lm200 and now about Lm240 million. How can we consider the Nationalist spin seriously, when we consider that the new air terminal was neither finished on time, nor on budget, when in fact the cost was double what it was planned. All this and many other things show that the spin and juggling that this administration is performing is giving the opposite desired results and at the end this administration is merely rendering the more important national issues topsy-turvy.
This country surely deserves better!
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Dr Michael Falzon is the MLP Deputy Leader for Party Affairs