From Mr M. Scicluna

After hearing about the reports on the initiative taken by the Minister of Tourism to regenerate Bugibba, Qawra, St Paul’s Bay and Xemxija, memories suddenly started flooding back. I remembered that after the general election in 1987 the Tourism Minister of the time, started taking walks along Sliema Promenade and Bugibba Promenade, to see what needed doing to upgrade these very important areas that generated most of the money from tourism, one of the top economic sectors of the time.

These were meant to be fruitful, but proved unproductive, because nothing was done in both areas until 1996-1998 when the Labour government revamped Bugibba and part of Qawra and St Paul’s Bay, This was done in a very short time compared to the Xemxija Promenade, which has been under development for three to four years and the first stage is already in need of refurbishment and still work to be done.

Then we have Sliema and St Julian’s, where work started not later than 1998. Ten years later the work is still going on and more needs to be done. When it is going to be finished is anybody’s guess.

I was confused when the minister said this new project of revamping would take till 2008/9. To do this they must start today not tomorrow because we need the tourists today not tomorrow.

A Maltese saying goes “trying to patch green felt with pumpkin”, but here we are “patching the pumpkin with green felt”, because the estimated costs are always wrong and always end up more than projected.

On the other hand we have a report from the Leader of the Opposition who says that shortly after winning the election the action plan will be implemented. If it as fast as the action taken in 1996/7/8 all well and good, but how long can we wait. As I said before we need the tourists now, today, and not tomorrow.

Please help me understand all this talk – to really get more tourists or to satisfy one’s needs of the not too distant future.

Also, please do bear in mind the citizens who like the entrepreneurs have a right to live their lives and not deprived of their rights when these proposed projects come; after all who is going to pay for all this if not Mr Citizen.

Let us have less talk and more action.

Michael Scicluna

ST PAUL’S BAY