The beginning of September normally sees a gradual return to normality after the summer holidays. But the hot months were not idle for the government, although most of the political focus has been on the Labour Party, which is still undergoing a rather long regeneration process that is still to be completed after the election defeat.

Since the election, the government has worked mainly on four issues, although not all have been given the same importance. While the privatisation of the Malta Shipyards has grabbed the headlines on many an occasion, one also has to remember that the government is moving on with its rent reform and the changes in the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. The least controversial subject is the reform that is being planned for local councils.

With Finance Minister Tonio Fenech battling with the General Workers Union on the privatisation of the shipyards and Social Policy Minister John Dalli responsible for the rent reform, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi is directly responsible for the changes that need to be implemented at Mepa and also for those that will see a revamp of the local councils.

Of the four, the most crucial seems to be Malta Shipyards, because there is a deadline that needs to be kept at all costs. A solution in the current impasse with the GWU over the early retirement schemes that are being offered to the 1,700 workers needs to be found in the coming days if the privatisation issue is to be completed before the end of the year.

It has to be recalled that the government will have to stop its subsidies to the drydocks on 31 December because of European Union regulations, and therefore the future of the shipyards – and of the workers – needs to be decided upon quickly.

The rent reform and the changes that need to be made at Mepa have taken the back burner when compared to what is taking place at the shipyards. But both are equally controversial matters that need to be tackled, and it is normal for governments to take difficult issues in hand at the start of a legislature.

Rent regulations need to be updated to revamp a system that does not encourage renting out residences, with the result that many are left empty while new housing is constructed. The government is currently meeting all stakeholders to find the best solution – a rather difficult task considering all the implications, but one that is necessary in the circumstances of a country that has limited space.

The reform at Mepa is a priority for Dr Gonzi, as he himself had made clear before the election. Of the four issues in hand, this is the one that mostly has been kept in low profile by the government, but this does not mean that nothing has been done or that it is being ignored. The workings of the authority must be seen to in a bid to ensure more transparency and justice.

The local councils reform is the least controversial issue the government is working on, even because there seems to be a consensus that there is a need to overhaul a concept that has changed the way we live, but which needs some fine-tuning after 15 years of operation. Local councils themselves are giving a great input towards coming up with a system that works better for the benefit of residents.

Much has been said and written about the shipyards, Mepa, rent and local councils over the past weeks. The government must now press on the accelerator to push the reforms forward and come up with final decisions. Discussion and debate are an important factor in a democracy, but at the end the government must take a decision.