As the clock struck midnight on 20 September 1964, Malta entered a new age of hope and promise, uncertainty and expectations. Independence Day was a new chapter in a colourful history of a nation that was eager to start afresh.

Who could have predicted that after hundreds of years of foreign rule, the last 164 of which under the British, this small island of just over 319 square kilometres would, 40 years later, become a member of the European Union, on a par with nations such as Germany, France and, ironically, its former imperial master, Great Britain?

Today’s generations take several things for granted. It is a country with one of the finest educational systems in Europe, a health service which consistently ranks in the top places of the world list in this sector (notwithstanding the problems involving the transition to the new hospital being built at Tal-Qroqq), a top-notch electronic, telecommunications and computer infrastructure and a generally high standard of living.

However, Malta in 1964 was still experiencing severe unemployment problems, tourism as such did not exist and emigration to such far-flung lands as Australia was still in full swing.

Great credit must be given to Maltese entrepreneurs who, in those years of doubt, instigated the economic boom that started in the late 1960s and transformed this island into a major tourism destination, with hotels sprouting up all over the place. Added to this, massive foreign investment was attracted, bringing with it a large number of factories, with the result that tens of thousands of Maltese found employment in these industries.

And here we are now, 42 years later, again celebrating our independence from the British. All that is left from that age are a few decayed colonial-style buildings, a number of abandoned forts (excellent heritage material) but, most of all, the English language, which is our passport to opportunities abroad.

Malta has made big strides forward since then. But we are, of course, far from perfect. Today, two years after joining the EU, a lot more needs to be done for the country to continue moving forward. As happened in 1964, the country is undergoing a period of transformation.

The global village scenario that has changed the world has begun hitting home, as competition and competitiveness has made it harder for individuals and countries to succeed. State companies set up after independence have started being privatised and the factories that opened back then are closing down to make way for more modern industries, IT topping the list.

Tourism, formerly the mainstay on which our “economic miracle” was based, is also going through a rough patch and needs to be renovated. Admittedly, we have slackened in our standards and the cut-throat competition in this sector means that tourists can easily choose other markets which are cheaper and offer better service. But we have been hearing this over and over again and continue to do little, if anything, about it.

A particularly dynamic government minister continues to put forward the message that our future lies in the hi-tech engineering, pharmaceutical and IT sectors. The forthcoming SmartCity investment in Cottonera will hopefully create that area of excellence that will provide much needed opportunities for the young people of today and tomorrow.

The education sector must continue building on its own successes, in particular its thriving university. More importantly, the recent differences that existed between the university and MCAST are now being tackled, as it became apparent that Malta needs both institutions and that these institutions must work together.

So, yes, we are waking up to change, but the pace cannot slacken. And, 42 years after gaining our independence, we can feel justifiably proud that the country has indeed moved forward in giant leaps and bounds.

But we must never rest on our laurels. We have a history of achievements to look back on but there is a higher ground to be achieved.