Speaker of the House warns about political clientelism, planning loopholes
The President of the House of Malta Marisa Xuereb raised the alarm about a culture of political clientelism while rebuking politicians for letting developers take advantage of planning gaps.
Addressing Robert Abela’s new cabinet on Monday, Xuereb did not give up: “Over the years we have seen a trend of abuse of accessibility for politicians.
“We have seen people escape institutionalized inefficiency by talking to someone they know, who works for a particular entity, so that they can be seen within a reasonable period of time.
“These practices spread a culture of clientelism that increases inefficiency and lack of transparency,” Xuereb told new ministers, adding that efficient technology could help remove clientelism and improve it. responsibility.
Xuereb noted that the chamber had no partisan interests, and given the various economic sectors and various entrepreneurs it represents, it could not afford to be a lobbyist on a single issue.
Last year alone, she had met with more than 50 members of the diplomatic corps or representatives of international bodies in an effort to improve Malta’s reputation abroad, she added.
“We, therefore, ask you to help us. The strong mandate of the government brings with it not only a lot of authority but also a lot of responsibility.
“We need a zero-tolerance policy for all forms of abuse facilitated by those entrusted with political or administrative capacity.”
Xuereb said the chamber also called for good governance within business circles, urging everyone to pay their dues and abide by employment legislation.
‘Excessive development’
She also called for respect for legal and regulatory frameworks and urged not to take advantage of loopholes “as is often the case when it comes to planning permits”.
“We feel that there is a lack of political will to address overdevelopment. Developers are doing their best to push the boundaries of existing planning regulations.
“And, like everyone else, you know that splitting large projects into a number of smaller projects is a way to avoid certain planning considerations. As long as this behavior is tolerated, so will speculative development. , “she said.
Xuereb expressed the hope that over the next two years, the new cabinet will not be reluctant to seek a balance between development, environment and cultural heritage.
‘More transparency with independent media’
In her address, Xuereb also expressed concern about the impact of the Ukrainian war on the economy and, separately, the lack of resources within the government and the judiciary sector.
Inefficient courts, she said, have been detrimental to businesses.
Xuereb ended her address by saying that it is important to address the prejudice about Malta caused by recent events.
“The only way we can do this is by being more transparent with the independent media and ensuring a more balanced public broadcaster.
“Subtle propaganda by the national media outlets has an impact on the engagement between the media itself and a large sector of society.”
She noted that the chamber itself, with the help of Malta Enterprise, had invested in a 15-minute weekly program on local businesses.
However, this program is being broadcast on Thursday at 3.15pm, at a time when audiences interested in the subject will certainly not be watching television, he explained.
‘Helping the few to the detriment of the many’
During the meeting, the president of the chamber listed a series of events that over the years have helped a few businesses but have been detrimental to many:
- Public procurement procedures, especially with regard to direct orders.
- In sectors where the government is the largest, or sole customer, such as medicine and care for the elderly, government-mandated purchasing conditions make it difficult for private operators to make a profit. .
- Regulators compete with the private sector, such as in the tourism or waste management sectors.
- Public corporations and regulatory authorities operating without service level agreements do not commit a time frame or price when providing a service to the private sector.
- The proliferation of government bodies taking on tasks that might otherwise be outsourced to the private sector.
- Expenditure on promotional activities, especially one-off events, which may otherwise be better used. Malta’s participation in outdoor exhibitions should be well planned.
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