Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1068299
8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 6 JANUARY 2019 NEWS In 2019 • Burning issues Giving veto power to the ERA A report by environment and planning ombudsman Alan Spiteri discusses how the MEPA demerger ended up demoting the Environment and Resources Authority as a consultee rather than as a de- cision-making body on appli- cations for development. The resulting scenario in that it is now the Planning Authority that decides on all proposals, including proposal to which the ERA objects, such as those outside development zones. Spiteri's predecessor had al- ready proposed that the ERA should be given veto powers in similar applications. Spiteri says the proposals should go further and that applications for development in ODZ that touch the rural and marine en- vironments should be referred to and decided by ERA, giving the authority for the environ- ment the power to take deci- sions over matters that coin- cide with its mission to protect the environment whilst only consulting the Planning Au- thority on any national plan- ning matters, and not the other way around. "This same logic should also be applied in relation to en- forcement procedures... I be- lieve we are being quite sensi- ble when we call for greenfield land and brownfield land to be considered as ERA-land and PA-land, meaning that each authority shall have, separate- ly, the influence and responsi- bility to act in the best interest of the public according to its mission – to protect the state of land that is still in a relative- ly unmodified state of environ- ment in the case of ERA and to plan develop." Police units to address Malta's 'abuse' problem Poaching and planning abus- es: perhaps two examples that represent Malta's Achilles' heel when it comes to mean- ingful political action on clear cases of illegality. Hunters and trappers want rights but with- out any clear prospect of puni- tive measures for any breach of the law; and every Tom, Dick and Harry wants the Plan- ning Authority to 'sanction' their illegality or even pardon their enforcement penalty. Unless an administrative law unit cannot take direct action to uphold the law, planning abuse and poaching will keep being just crimes on papers waiting for yet another politi- cal manoeuvre to waive these 'peccadilloes'. A wildlife crime unit that ef- fectively hunts down poach- ers, and a well-resourced ad- ministrative law enforcement unit that takes direct action together with the PA's en- forcement unit to follow-up on. A new 'on the ground' integration strategy If any government is serious on integration of foreign com- munities in Malta, it cannot just expect to reward 'skilled' migrants by opening the door of residence to them, and in- stead condemn idle commu- nities of migrants and down- and-out asylum seekers. 2018 saw an increase in public dis- course that criminalised mi- grants in port towns such as Marsa, which hosts an asylum reception centre, and neigh- bouring town Hamrun – co- inciding with an increased arrival of boat migrants and heightened belligerence from Italy's new hard right minister for the interior, Matteo Salvini. But if politicians want to re- ally solve people's problems, they must be ready to put their money where their mouth is. Using money from Malta's citizenship posterity fund, the government should fund an interdisciplinary team of anthropologists, sociologists, mental health profession- als, criminologists and social workers to identify better ways of reaching out to migrants and Maltese residents alike, and identify ways and means to secure better access to the job market for migrants, upskill- ing them so that they continue from their old professions and trades if any, equipping them with the necessary skills for jobs and social interaction, and also to bring the Maltese community closer to the riches of our new residents. Ham- run itself is a testament to the thriving entrepreneurship of migrant communities, and this should be celebrated: it will bring about better business and a new tourism brand for authentic Hamrun, an urban- ised town long ignored by the glitzy tourism campaigns that prize sun and sea. Large private employers taking the initiative to make Malta greener Get big business on the 'big society' bandwagon. Large employers, as well as clusters of highly skilled-workforces such as gaming, Blockchain and crypto, and entertain- ment sectors, can be the ideal breeding ground for organ- ised car- and bicycle-sharing measures. Instead of just ex- pecting token CSR measures that serve to brand their social business, these large employ- ers and groups of like-minded business companies should be made to reduce the impact of their highly-paid labourers on Maltese infrastructure. That would mean encouraging car- sharing and bicycle usage as part of a points-scheme that ultimately results in benefits for the employees. However, it should be also an initiative un- dertaken by business lobbies to make foreign companies and employers attracted by Malta's low-tax benefits and reasonable regulatory costs to give back a percentage in the form of a direct environmental contribution: the construction of parks for example to replace derelict housing that would otherwise be taken up for the development of high-rise. Only the sheer power of for- midable brands who excel in taking pride in green and sen- sible solutions for better living can join together and deliver something that will have a last- ing impact in Malta. A government study on whether a UBI is needed Geoffrey Saliba, of the Malta Business Bureau, has argued that the massive changes that robotics and Artificial Intelli- gence (AI) are about to bring to the job market could mean millions of jobs are almost guaranteed to become replace- able within the next 15 years. A universal basic income would give every single resident a liv- ing wage that would replace welfare payments and also the need for people to carry out "bullshit jobs", or a job done merely to survive, and instead inspire people to leap forward in the subjects they are most excited about, something he says that will actually stimulate economic activity and trans- late into employment. "The change that a UBI will bring about will not be about wheth- er people will work or not, but how, where, when and why they work. I do not think that a UBI providing a living wage will hammer the economy. By contrast, a UBI will turbo- charge it," Saliba has posited. Quite an attractive proposi- tion. But how will it be funded? Saliba says the €5 billion price tag would have to be funded by whatever payments previously doled out on welfare, increased taxation of some €3 billion, and also finding another €1 billion from taxation lost to undeclared sources of income or tax avoidance. Quite a tall order. Perhaps, there should also be a tax on the AI causes for job losses. Environmental buy-ins for residents Some planning projects are necessary but can also be a nuisance to residents. Think wind farms. Or closer to home, a Gozo facility that wanted to recycle livestock manure and recycle waste water for irriga- Eight ideas In 2018 we filed a first raft of proposals as part of a radical agenda for Maltese society: here are some new ideas for 2019 Big business can be the ideal breeding ground for organised car- and bicycle-sharing measures Government should fund an interdisciplinary team to identify better ways of reaching out to migrants and Maltese residents Eight months after ERA recommended a review of the 2015 ODZ petrol station policy, the PA is still processing applications