What is the situation that Maltese farmers face when they are hit by some natural disaster, like a storm or a major epidemic?

According to available information, there is no way by which affected farmers could contract an insurance on economically viable terms. This would mean that when disaster strikes, they end up depending on the government’s largesse to receive some form of compensation. The matter also creates complications for them if and when they wish to turn to the EU for any compensation that it might consider giving under its own rules.

As the agricultural sector is so small, there is little urgency among insurers and banks to solve the problem. On the government side, it seems that the complications which the issue triggers completely discouraged the technocrats who might have found a solution.

However, we cannot remain passive in front of difficulties that will continue to undermine the development of a traditional sector which must not be allowed to die out. 

***

From public funds...

Oh, what a scandal we’ve been living through! Individuals who were employed by the Labour government to serve as “persons of trust” – during their work hours and beyond them – were writing blogs that criticised and badmouthed others! They addressed their messages to people who were criticising and badmouthing the government on the internet.

How dreadful! What a disgrace! Public funds were being spent in this obscene way on people who devoted part of their time, apart from other work, to poisoning public opinion. That’s what were being told.

Indeed, the hypocrisy shown by certain elements of our society does at times go totally over the top.

For long years, under the Fenech Adami and Gonzi administrations, hundreds of thousands of euros were dished out in juicy public relations and publishing contracts to individuals who were prominent in mounting personal and partisan attacks against the Labour Movement. There could be little doubt concerning why such contracts were being allocated. Yet at the time, no scandal was raised... even if for sure, the funds released were greater by far than what persons of trust could have been earning recently in their employment.

***

The small banks

The pressure on the management of the smaller European banks is growing. They are having to absorb too many new operating costs. This is reducing the leeway they had in the past, to run their business by remaining close to depositors, especially the smaller ones, and close to smes.

To counter their cost increases, they are having to rapidly change over to digital operating systems... Yet, it is hardly clear that such a change will provide them with the slack they need. Moreover, the likelihod is that digitalisation will eventually enhance the competitive advantage that the bigger banks already enjoy in their regard.

In recent months, claims have been made in Europe that emphasized the growing need for the strong emergence of European champions in “strategic” economic sectors. These champions would then be big enough to compete successfully with Chinese and US rivals.

Will this be carried out in the banking sector, by eliminating the “small” banks?