Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/573382
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER 2015 4 News 'Significant savings' envisaged in new wardens system MIRIAM DALLI A new local enforcement system that will in part nationalize the sys- tem of wardens across localities, is expected to generate "significant savings" by phasing out so-called Authorised Officers (AO) who managed the enforcement system on behalf of councils. AOs were responsible to manage the affairs of Maltese local coun- cils according to their regional grouping. Now, bringing the enforcement of the five regions under one roof, the new Local Enforcement Sys- tem Agency (LESA) will be as- suming the work carried out by five AOs. According to the justice minis- ter, LESA head Ray Zammit – the former acting police commis- sioner who resigned following the Sheehan shooting inquiry – will be paid €50,000 per annum, a sal- ary that is in itself almost 25% less than what a single AO used to be paid under the previous system. In December 2014, Zammit was removed from the helm of the po- lice corps for the way he handled an incident in which Home Affairs minister Manuel Mallia's security driver, constable Paul Sheehan, shot at a speeding car that nicked the ministerial car. Zammit then was plunged back into controversy over business re- lations he had with property own- er Joe Gaffarena, allegedly within breach of the civil service code. The ministry confirmed that Zammit will be assuming the func- tions of the AOs as of 1 October. As CEO, Zammit will be chauffer- driven and have his mobile phone and internet service expenses paid for. LESA will be operating from a second-floor office rented at the former Television House in Guar- damangia. The first floor is rented out on a commercial basis to other entities, the majority being private media companies. Under the old system, five au- thorised officers were assigned to the five regions for councils. Figures provided by the ministry show that an AO could earn as much as €82,000 per year. It also transpired that the AO respon- sible for the southern region re- ceived a yearly payment of €65,433 over the past five years. In 2014, the AO responsible for the central region received €82,000. The five regional committees used to contract private operators for warden services. The regula- tory function of the system used to be effected by the AOs. Acting independently of the LES reform, two of the regions have termi- nated the contracts of their AOs over the past months, redirecting the job to the region's executive secretary. The northern, Gozitan and central regions, acting on the in- struction of the local government director, issued a one-month ter- mination notice, as per contract. "A centralized regulatory system of local enforcement is crucial to save the current system from it- self," a spokesperson for the min- istry said. The ministry said LESA will be in a better position to expeditiously identify "the defaults" of the pri- vate operator. Agency representa- tives will be roaming the streets, overseeing local enforcement and report back in a bid to create more uniformity. Local wardens will be trained in traffic management, car accidents, environment protection and con- struction sites management. The training will ensure that wardens follow uniform guidelines, while receiving training in intrapersonal skills and relevant legislation. "LESA will be able to plan ahead and draft proposals and policies. We believe that there are instanc- es – such as traffic management during school hours near school buildings – where local wardens can assist," the ministry said. To mark "a fresh page" in the enforcement system, a rebranding programme will be launched next year along with a new uniform for the wardens. mdalli@mediatoday.com.mt CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 In the package of law that will fine-tune the Criminal Code, the govern- ment will remove laws that pun- ish the vilification of the Roman Catholic religion "and other cults tolerated by law" – laws that have been in place since 1993. "In a country that respects beliefs and freedoms, all religions must be protected in the same manner. The Roman Catholic religion is already at an advantage in our law and what we propose is that all re- ligions are treated equally." Answering questions by The Malta Independent director Pierre Portelli, Busuttil also spoke of how he was different from Labour's Muscat, "taking action when re- quired and fighting for clean poli- tics". "We have a Prime Minister who thinks he's a salesman selling pass- ports," Busuttil said to his audi- ence's laughter, when asked about PN MPs and members who worked with legal firms operating the citi- zenship-by-investment scheme. Busuttil said that he was "the new chapter of the Nationalist Party" and that he had learned from the party's past mistakes and the party was moving on. But as Portelli pressed Busuttil to state in what way the Opposition had been effective, the PN leader said it was thanks to his party that the government's "shady dealings" were being uncovered, taking credit for the Gaffarena saga and the Café Premier bailout, stories exclusively broken by The Times of Malta and MaltaToday respectively. The PN leader said his party was "halfway there" after narrowing the electoral gap by half during the local councils elections. "We have made inroads but there is still a long way to go. The posi- tive results we achieved over two years and a half are encouraging and give us a greater boost to con- tinue working," he said. Busuttil said the results wouldn't have been possible without radi- cal changes within the party and its structures: "We are preparing ourselves to enter the 2018 general elections to win them". He said that the PN wanted to once again become the people's party and one way of making the PN closer to the people was ask- ing Chris Said to assume the role of Gozo shadow minister: "People need us to be close to them, especially Gozo, where residents are worried about the government's plans to privatize the hospital. "People don't know what's go- ing to happen; workers don't know whether they will still have a job. And I tell these people that, if Joseph Muscat is going to throw you away, we will be right there for you." Turning to a member of the audi- ence who was from Gozo, Busut- til questioned whether the new healthcare service in Gozo would differentiate between Maltese citi- zens and paying patients. "Eucar, imagine you require hos- pital treatment and the patient next to you is paying for the serv- ice… will he receive better treat- ment because he is paying for the service?" Busuttil asked. He also claimed that the General Workers Union was telling hos- pital workers in Gozo "to think of [employment] alternatives as there were too many workers". Busuttil took the opportunity to urge volunteers to join a customer care office run by the PN in Gozo which was receiving people dis- gruntled by both the previous and present administrations. The PN leader insisted that while Labour was implementing "the politics of clientelism", he was committed to ensure that only people who deserve something re- ally get it. "We need to have the courage to face people and tell them when they are right and when they are wrong." Upon his arrival, Busuttil was met with a round of applause by an audience that was left waiting for over an hour and a half. The PN set their podium up in the wider open- ing of De Valette Square, right in front of St Catherine's Square, where a couple got married yes- terday. So as not to interrupt the wedding ceremony, the PN thought to delay the event by 45 minutes. Despite the couple leaving the church by 7pm, an hour later the party faith- ful were still waiting for the activity to start, with several complaining of the heat and lack of chairs. 'Government's liberalism taking changes to extreme'