Parliament has started to debate amendments to the laws regulating fireworks, which are intended to increase the penalties for those who are caught storing fireworks illegally.

I think that this is a step in the right direction, although taken a bit too late. It was only after the Naxxar tragedy that the government thought it fit to update a law that has been in existence since 1937, and as such was outdated.

The fines that are to be imposed on people who abuse the system, as well as the possible jail-terms, ought to serve as an eye-opener to all those who produce fireworks.

While I agree that fireworks are part and parcel of our culture and tradition and as such should not be eliminated, extreme caution should be exercised in their production and storage.

We have had many tragedies in the past. No year passes without a fireworks factory blowing up or some kind of incident that costs lives. It is always sad to hear that families are deprived of fathers, while there have also been cases when innocent people ended up as victims.

I do hope that the Malta Labour Party votes in favour of such a bill as the country needs to show it is united against people who abuse while putting other people’s lives in jeopardy.

Carmen Spiteri

Birkirkara