Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1232859
13 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 8 APRIL 2020 OPINION WHEN this turbulence is over, and the Covid-19 pandemic is part of both global and our country's history, one thing that will be imprinted in our collec- tive memories is the concept of 'social distancing'. And here's to hoping that it will not have be- come the norm. As I see events unfold, my greatest fear is that if things continue as they are now, the most effective social distancing achieved will be that between the government and the people, as the former remains aloof, abstaining from providing sup- port which is ever so necessary to boost courage and fiscal strength necessary to return to business, work and profitability when the dust settles. This administration shall be remembered for the way this government has made its de- cisions. And a number of facts have now become glaringly ob- vious. 1) The government is unable to provide a good incentive package thus announcing set of measures after set of measures purely because the first was inadequate, just as the second one was. I say this since every time the government announced an in- centive package, it always gave the impression that the meas- ures introduced were the best possible. And yet, it always felt the need to make the provi- so that there might be a need for a subsequent one. So, the first package was sold as being the ideal one, but a few days later a second one was issued with the same claim. We are now expecting a third. Which therefore is to be the best one? How clear is the government on what the various indus- tries' needs are? What resourc- es does the government have available and how can it best deploy them? 2) The government does not have enough funds for every- one. So Prime Minister Robert Abela was reported to have said to a member of the constituted bodies. No one ever demanded or expected the government to provide fiscal incentives to aid everyone. The government does however have to be pre- pared for a minimum 10% de- crease in local trade. The gov- ernment must be prepared to fork out the finances necessary to help, most especially, the workers. 3) The government is not willing to assist every work- er made redundant. On the contrary, it is increasingly ap- parent that the government is only willing to help those busi- nesses that had to close shop because it was the very same government that ordered them to. This greatly saddens me as I see that, apart from cos- metic and puerile 'assistance', this government has selected to ignore many industries and sectors, the self-employed and their employees. This govern- ment seems to be working very hard on increasing its distance from the people, most especial- ly those who are in real need. Distancing between govern- ment and people is danger- ous. The more businesses are crushed by the pressures of the current situation – and the more businesses are aban- doned to the uncertainty that the future brings – the less they will be able to operate and function profitably and there- fore the more redundancies we are to expect. This is the black dawn of a new social challenge. At this point in time, the aid the government provides is to be considered the most vi- tal contribution this govern- ment is making to our people. Where this aid is withheld, poverty and social injustice shall abound. Inequalities shall multiply and grow across our islands. Thousands upon thou- sands of workers have been left without financial assistance and with many uncertainties. Life is cruel, it is said, and in these challenging times life is indeed proving to be extreme- ly tough, even for many people who thought they were finan- cially sound. Now is the time for the gov- ernment to approach families and provide answers. Now is the time to provide help so no one is left behind. Now is the time for the gov- ernment to show that this pandemic is not going to mark the end of the ever-decreasing number of farmers and fisher- men in Malta and Gozo. The stark absence of sound and consistent measures. The mindboggling absence of strat- egy as exemplified by the con- stant U-turns and changing lists, virtually on a daily basis, of who is eligible for what, de- note a lack of vision and a pan- dering to individuals rather than to the national economy and society as a whole. This manifest injustice causes disunity and weakens the hope one struggles to summon in these unprecedented modern times. It is actions not words that define us. This government's actions, which lie in sharp con- trast with its actions, are usher- ing in a new kind of oppression. One where assistance is given in a discriminatory manner and where some are evidently more equal than others. We must not allow this oppression to fester among our people. The social backlash will be terrible and linger through the years if not decades. Now is time for society to return to a culture rooted in sound ideals where our attitude and actions are based on values such as solidarity, justice, fam- ily, social and economic inclu- sion as well as a keen eye on the common good. Financial assistance, even if limited, would go a long way for many and its absence is weakening the value of human dignity. In today's reality, the immorality of corruption hurts more than ever. The Nationalist Party is con- tinuously providing the gov- ernment with sensible and comprehensive proposals on how to provide support to those most in need with a view that when all this is over, we will truly be able to get back to business. Current measures not only do not guarantee it, but ensure that many Maltese and Gozitan businesses will be reeling from the strain that has been put on them unnecessarily. Many workers will be left unem- ployed with stiff competition in the labour market brought on by an unsustainable economic model rooted in corruption in times of prosperity and inad- equate economic measures in time of duress. Ironically, it is the PN and not the socialist party that has been the voice of the people. I here make a distinction between speaking for the people and telling people what to think ir- respective of how ludicrous it is. PN's actions prove that it does not consider current times to be fertile ground for political rallying, covert though it might be, as exemplified in government press conferences that sound more like a political rally than an address to nation in times of duress. We believe now is the time to shoulder po- litical and social responsibility. The proof of this lies in our constant battle for an equitable distribution of aid. The government's arrogance is ever increasing. We are told decisions are being made based on expert advice and yet the advice of doctors and of the Prime Minister's own Minister of Health has been and contin- ues to be ignored. PN, on the other hand, is no- table in its humility, not be- cause of any skeletons in its closet, but because it believes social unity and prosperity need to be cultivated. As it has done these past few years in power, the current government persists in believ- ing that social wellbeing can be purchased by assisting select individuals with an eye on the next elections. For this – as for the previous Labour administration – what can and will make our country strong is inconsequential. Faced by this duplicitous governance, the PN must and shall continue to promote re- liable, comprehensive support for everyone. I call on the PN to continue serving as the na- tion's voice, working in humil- ity, with the aim to make the government's arrogance evi- dent. This PN, the voice of the na- tion, does not believe it holds a monopoly of all that is good. On the contrary, I hope we continue to strive to nurture and share all that is good, in the interest of our great nation, today and always. Edwin Vassallo Increasing social distance between Government and the people Edwin Vassallo is the PN opposition's spokesman for agriculture and small business Many workers will be left unemployed with stiff competition in the labour market brought on by an unsustainable economic model rooted in corruption in times of prosperity and inadequate economic measures in a time of duress