Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1130632
OPINION 27 WHEN I bought my mai- sonette in Swieqi years ago, the surroundings were very different. There weren't many properties in the vicinity, it was very quiet and it was a small community. Even until 15 years ago it was mostly Maltese families who filled in the few empty spots of the locality. Today the story is different. Now there are more build- ings and new landmarks, and AirBnB ventures and lan- guage schools, which also ac- count for the rising demand for apartments. Many communities can relate to this building explo- sion. We now have less space than before. Some people have lost a view. Local popu- lations have swollen. We've come to accept this. Perhaps we can say that, over the decades, things should have been done differently. We could've used space more efficiently. We could have de- signed better. Planning never really took beauty and flair into it. But we've come to ac- cept this. However, there are times when we don't accept this, when we say the 'every- thing goes' mentality cannot be tolerated. This week was one of those times. For the umpteenth time, families lost their homes and had their lives thrown into disarray because of a neighbouring construc- tion project. The human tragedy was stark. Construction projects are not experiments where you find out what is happen- ing when it's done and over with. Proper construction, engineering and science, are well-oiled processes used throughout the world. When a situation indicates the need, precautions are taken. Everything is taken into context. So I cannot under- stand how these construction tragedies keep on happening time and again. The intensity of construc- tion in Malta is down to population growth. However, irrespective of this, we need to make sure that people don't have their lives ruined for months, or even years, because of a project. This is especially so when there are measures which can be implemented to alleviate the problems that a project invariably creates. I think the steps taken by the Prime Minister send a clear signal that this is not on. Malta is an understand- ing country, where, I think, people genuinely acknowl- edge the need for property construction, but it is not, and should not be, the Wild West. You can't just ruin people's lives. It is not just a matter of destroying neighbouring property, but also about noise pollution and air quality. There are measures that can be taken to ameliorate nui- sance, but I suspect that they don't feature in the budgets of a project often because they are seen as pointless and extravagant. This is what must change. Those 'pointless' things, which actually protect the rights and wellbeing of residents, need to become law. Not guidelines. Not recommendations. But clear, well-defined legal obligations that, if not followed, result in serious proceedings. I do not believe such require- ments would put a dent into the finances of construction businesses. In fact, I believe well-meaning construction companies should lobby for them, simply because they need the country to support their sector. Serious people in con- struction, people who think long-term, must surely want to have public backing, rather than be seen as villains. maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 JUNE 2019 Serious people in construction, people who think long-term must surely want to have public backing, rather than be seen as villains You can't just ruin people's lives Evarist Bartolo Evarist Bartolo is Minister for Education and Employment Securing the future of travel and tourism Konrad Mizzi Konrad Mizzi is Minister for Tourism THE introduction of Malta Air will truly take travel and tourism in Malta to the next level. What we've signed this week creates more quality jobs in the sector and inward investment into Malta – hundreds of new careers at the airline and the airport – but that's not really what the story's about. This deal and our long-term vision for Malta se- cures the future of tourism, and travel, for the long-term. It was a tough, business-focused negotiation, but we've won a great deal for our country – and built a bond of trust with Ryanair as the largest airline in Europe. As government, we have ensured we kept a golden share that protects Malta's interests. Effectively, it is our guarantee and gives our country a competitive advantage for the future, securing the lock-in of Ryanair's opera- tions in Malta. In terms of aviation, this innova- tive partnership between the govern- ment and private sector takes the best aspects of both to position Malta as an aviation cluster in the centre of the Mediterranean, connecting Malta to more destinations than ever before. This kind of bold, innovative thinking is what will keep our country at the top of the table. We didn't get there by accident – we got there because we had the courage to change. We do not make things because they are easy, but we do them because we believe they are the right things to do and that the country will ultimately benefit greatly from such initiatives. I have always believed that Malta's greatest asset is our people. We don't have mines… We don't have oil…. We don't have gold. We have smart, resilient, and hard-working people with spirit and strength, ambition and aspiration, drive and dedication. This is what drives Malta and this is our major strength compared with any other country all over the world. I would like to also address certain questions raised with regards to Air Malta. As a government we have worked on getting Air Malta back on its feet, by adopting a growth strategy, having a larger fleet and increasing routes all over Europe and beyond. We now enter into the next phase – Air Malta will keep focusing on being a legacy airline, an airline which offers a top-end business class products, flies to premium and aviation hubs in the EMEA region – including medium- haul destinations, and offering cargo services to and from Malta. This year, Air Malta registered its first operational profit after 18 years. We have not done all of this to let it go, but rather a complementing business strategy to Malta Air. We look forward to continue our fleet replacement programme to have more economical, environmentally friendly aircraft which will pave way for Air Malta to start offering new destiations such as Cairo, Accra and Mumbai. I believe that this is only the begin- ning of another successful chapter in the story of Malta that we are writing together.