Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/216204
21 Opinion maltatoday, SUNDAY, 24 NOVEMBER 2013 2013 Stefano Mallia We need stronger governance I n the light of the citizenship law debacle, we need to stop and take stock of the situation. Two lessons seem to emerge from it. The first concerns the fragility of our country's reputation. It takes years to build it up and just a few moments to dismantle it. The second is that we need to strengthen governance so that such episodes become the exception and not the norm. A lot of political bungling has been occurring since the last election. It started with the opening of parliament when the President was made to read a "speech from the throne" that had nothing edifying or regal about it. The bungling was visible in the pogrom that occurred in the civil service, the army and the Health Service following the election result. Then there was the manner and the setting in which the amnesty to prisoners was announced. We had the sale of a substantial part of Enemalta to a foreign country without a parliamentary debate or consultation. Accompanying this was MPs' submissions of their income returns to parliament which more than half the citizens of Malta stubbornly refused to believe – and for good reason as well! Following this came the 2014 Budget, which was vetted by the Auditor General. Last week the European Commission cast serious doubts on it. I am sorry to say, and for Malta's sake I hope I am misjudging the situation, that "bungling our way through" seems to have rapidly become the style of politics Latest controversy: sale of citizenship The controversy surrounding the amendments to the citizenship act was the last to appear on the political stage. I am sorry to say, and for Malta's sake I hope I am misjudging the situation, that "bungling our way through" seems to have rapidly become the style of politics. This contrasts sharply with pre-election campaign promises of plans and road maps. Having vented my frustration, I wish to add that I believe that the perpetrators of these serious political mistakes acted out of a sense of misguided urgency. But I urge caution. We need to look before we leap. All possible outcomes of an action under consideration should be assessed thoroughly before the decision is taken. Even when we do this we are still liable to err. But we can minimise the probabilities of serious mistakes by consulting more. The national parliament is the place where this should be done. Then there are the social partners and the MCESD. Consultation within these two institutions could help government avoid serious mistakes, and the acrimony which accompanies them. Of course, consultation should not be limited to these fora. The wider it is, the stronger is the sense of inclusiveness and acceptance of the decisions taken. On the citizenship issue, many have noticed an impatience to listen on the part of the government. The result was an unprecedented crescendo of criticism nationally and – more damagingly – for Malta's image in the international press. The damage that has been done will take years to undo. Unfortunately, the politicians who took the bad decisions might never pay for their mistakes. They are not even obliged to shoulder the burden of reversing the damage done to Malta's reputation. This task will fall squarely on the shoulders of the private sector – the ultimate losers in this whole debacle. It's extremely worrying when you see a sector such as financial services – which traditionally is the bedrock of consensus – ending up in the eye of the storm. For let's be frank, the kind of attention which Malta got over the past fortnight or so from the international media was not of the type that will in any way attract operators and investors in manufacturing, financial services and tourism. Our competitors are actually rubbing their hands in glee. Seeing that we fall harder can only be to their advantage. When governments stubbornly refuse to listen, we call them arrogant, a descriptor that was abundantly applied to this side of the political divide before the last election. Arrogance puts voters off and makes the politician prone to committing more mistakes. Our competitors are actually rubbing their hands in glee. Seeing that we fall harder can only be to their advantage Unfortunately, like blood pressure, many politicians fail to notice it, even when they are suffering from it. What seems to be emerging quite strongly is that Malta needs to take a long hard look at its governance. It needs to discover the advantages of a politically neutral, efficient and productive public service. Some other countries have done it, so why not us? We need to fight corruption and tax evasion. We need to promote true meritocracy. But we also need to combat excessive bureaucracy and remove stateinduced burdens on businesses. Otherwise, how can the Maltese economy fly to the next higher stage of its development if we continue to tie lead weights around the feet of business? We need to re-instill a spirit of commitment in all sectors. Money, markets and political power have a function in society, which is to spur on economic growth, jobs and improvements in the quality of life. They can never become an end in themselves. We must never lose sight of this simple fact. Stefano Mallia is a Nationalist candidate in the forthcoming European Parliamentary elections YOUR FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY www.maltatoday.com.mt