I take my hat off to Justice and Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici for having the courage to go ahead with the new regulations that will increase the penalties for those who are caught producing and storing fireworks illegally.

Unfortunately, it has taken Malta many years to realise that the law enacted in 1937 was no longer acting as a deterrent, and that abuse was rampant. Many tragedies have taken place and many lives have been lost.

But now the government is doing something about it. We have learnt that fines will be increased and prison terms will be extended after the law is passed through Parliament in the coming weeks.

I have not had the occasion to read through the proposed bill, but I would like to suggest something else unless it has already been considered. I think that a study should be carried out to establish whether all fireworks factories are located as far away from residential areas as the law indicates – and possibly increase the distance between them.

Fireworks have become more powerful than they were in the past, and therefore they could cause damage today more than they could have in the past.

I also hope that the bill does not take long to be passed through all parliamentary stages, and that it is enforced too.

Carmen Micallef

San Gwann