Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1264355
13 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 28 JUNE 2020 OPINION helping us be Let's keep it up governance Miriam Dalli is a Member of the European Parliament for the Labour Party Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi is parliamentary secretary for European Funds force with higher morale, an im- proved work ethic and a sense of loyalty towards their company. This is not to mention the obvi- ous general improvement in the environment we live in, with few- er cars on our roads. There are certain considerations that must be kept in mind when it comes to remote working, such as data protection, privacy mat- ters and the need to invest in the right IT infrastructure for people to work from home, in order not to widen any further the digi- tal divide. We can address these challenges by establishing policies that aim to limit abuse as much as possible. The question is: why haven't we been doing this before and why aren't we doing it more? Malta Enterprise had introduced meas- ures to support employers and also self-employed individuals who invest in technology that empowers teleworking. Such measures partially covered the costs incurred between February and May 2020 for teleworking solutions. The government intro- duced a support mechanism for parents whose children were be- ing home schooled and who had to work from home. These were steps in the right direction. How- ever, now that the pandemic has been declared as over, there seems to be a general call for all employ- ees to go back to their workplace. We need to learn lessons from COVID-19 that are not only re- lated to health practices, but also to our general lifestyle. We need to think of financial incentives for companies that accept telework- ing, even if once or twice a week, when the nature of the work al- lows it. Let's not even limit ourselves to working remotely. This also applies to our students and our lifestyle in general. We have been discussing parking problems at the University of Malta and Mal- ta's Junior College for a very long time. Perhaps its time to realise that instead of increasing park- ing space, we can organise online lectures of modules that are the- oretical. After all, remote univer- sities across countries have been existent for decades, thanks to technology. There are some services that we simply cannot do without, yet the way we go about them can be modified. Take supermarkets as an example. We all need domes- tic products, yet we do not need to commute to get them. I would love to see financial incentives for customers and supermarkets to do their shopping online rather than in the traditional way. We cannot all telework, but we have all realised what a better life we live with less cars on our roads. Perhaps it's time for the govern- ment to provide mass transport for its workers to their respective workplaces. That way, whoever must com- mute, can do so without contrib- uting to placing more cars on our roads more than our roads can handle. I believe such measures are the next natural steps to take. Let's not limit ourselves to ensuring economic regeneration in the traditional sense. This is a per- fect opportunity of us to put our heads together and think of what worked during the pandemic, why it worked, and how we can still make it work in the future. time for pettiness. The job before us is to get on with enacting legislation to car- ry out further reforms. We will amend the Constitution and in- troduce new legal frameworks. The government will continue the process of strengthening the Attorney General's office in order to take over prosecutions. Thus, a clear distinction will be obtained between the investigative role of the police and the responsibility to prosecute shall be vested in the Attorney General. Legislation will allow an appeal against non-prosecution by the Advocate General thus introduc- ing another check and balance in relation to the powers of the At- torney General. The government will be intro- ducing legislation to enable these institutions to report cases of cor- ruption directly to the Standing Commission Against Corruption (PCAC), which will report directly to the Attorney General if it finds evidence of corrupt practices. When the PCAC reports the case to the Advocate General, it is granted an automatic right to appeal against the decision of the AG in the event that it decides not to prosecute. In future, the Chief Justice will be appointed by the President af- ter the nomination of the Chief Justice obtains two third sup- port in Parliament. A deadlock mechanism must also be in place. This method of appointment will strengthen the independence of the office holder and enhance confidence in the judicial system. The judiciary will have four out of the seven seats on the Judicial Appointments Committee. This respects the recommendation of the Venice Commission that the choice of members of the Judi- ciary will no longer be vested in political figures and the judiciary shall have a major role. The constitutional amendments will empower the President to act alone when requested to appoint a Judge or Magistrate, from a list of three names provided to him by the Committee. The proposed amendments will see to it that it is not Parliament, but a Commission for the Admin- istration of Justice, that impeaches a member of the judiciary, subject to a right of appeal to the Consti- tutional Court. With the President gaining en- hanced powers, it is necessary that the President is elected by a two-thirds majority in Parliament. This is another major reform in our constitutional structures since the President will be given execu- tive powers in the appointment of the judiciary while strengthening the mechanism with which the President is elected. A deadlock mechanism is also being proposed to be used if necessary. Many more methods of ap- pointment are subject to further changes from the way Permanent Secretaries in the Public Service are appointed to a cap on those appointed to Ministries as people of trust. The Ombudsman's Office will be further strengthened particu- larly when accessing information in relation to the duties of his of- fice. The Venice Commission has issued a positive report on our ambitious reforms. It is impera- tive that we proceed with speed to enact these extensive reforms. Good governance shouldn't be just a phrase, but a programme of achievement.