The Maltese government is recently indulging in all sorts of stunts in its pre-election run-up. The latest one is the laying of 45 euro “carpets” down the length of Republic street, carpets which certainly had to be ordered specially to fit into the pattern of the paving, at God knows what cost.

Even if they only cost Lm200 each, which is highly unlikely, 45 carpets at that price would amount to Lm9, 000. This gimmick of distracting the people with “bread and circuses” seems to be catching on, as earlier this year, so I’ve been told, the Arts Council even paid to bring over two foreign clowns who pestered Valletta visitors to such an extent that the Police were eventually called in.

Have the Maltese authorities nothing better to do with their people’s money? If Malta were a place where everything is already first-class, such an expenditure would still be questionable, but since Malta still lacks resources in so many areas, surely Lm9, 000 or more could have been put to far better use, say to restore the façade of one of the many knight’s gates or buildings which are on the point of collapse due to neglect.

These are not the only cases of wanton and profligate waste of the Maltese taxpayers’ money. What about the paid Budget 2008 adverts which continued to be aired long after the budget was over, and all the large advertisements which appeared in the media, trumpeting Austin Gatt’s harbour regeneration plans?

These half-page adverts were repeated ad nauseam in all the newspapers and even magazines; in the name of my many Maltese tax-paying friends I ask the good minister to inform us how much it all cost – many, many thousands of wasted liri as the projects may never even take place, given that the coming election might upset all the present government’s plans.

The mind simply boggles at the thought of all that money poured down the drain.

James A. Tyrrell,

County Antrim

N. Ireland