The Maltese monti has been described by some as a tourist attraction and a valued added characteristic of the Capital City. Others have described it as an absolute eyesore. Whichever camp you belong in, there is no doubt that a decision needs to be taken to see where the endless stalls of goods are going to be placed once the works on the Arcadia Complex in Merchants Street commence. So what to do?

It is becoming very clear that the monti cannot, and should not be house in Ordinance Street. The location is just completely wrong and out of character, given Valletta’s new, stylish entrance along with the beautiful parliament buildings and staircases.

It is also becoming increasingly clear that it cannot be left on Merchants Street once the works there begin. In today’s issue, the hawkers have conceded that they are ready to move wherever the government decides to put them, and have given up on hopes to land a spot in Ordinance Street. This issue has been going on for over a year now and the very least that can be done is to tell the hawkers where they are going to be moved to in the future.

We cannot forget that these people are there to make a living and deserve to at least know where they will be pitching their wares in the future. Besides, this issue should have been long solved. After the furore which arose when the original designs of the stalls were unveiled. At the time, the government had conceded that the designs, featuring an eight-pointed Maltese Cross were indeed tacky and gave in to public pressure to change them.

This newspaper had reported the matter extensively at the time, however, although the government said that the new stall designs would soon be announced, a year has passed and nothing at all has been heard, or seen.

In fact, the monti hawkers themselves, who are direct stakeholders, have not even been informed what the new stalls will look like, and have even said that they are learning things from the media, as they are not being consulted in any way or form.

The Valletta market has been around since time immemorial, and love it or hate it, it is a fixture of the Capital City. We do not believe that it is prudent to have the monti at the entrance to Valletta – and while the authorities are at it, they should also sort out the circus that surrounds the Triton Fountain. But we do believe that the monti does have a place and the government should do something to actually identify a permanent place for these people to do business. Leaving people in the dark will do no one any favours.