The Malta Independent on Sunday contacted various individuals, asking them for their views on 2017 and their hopes and concerns for the year ahead in their particular area of expertise.
Godfrey Baldacchino - Professor of Sociology at the University of MaltaIn 2017, the world was busy celebrating the 500th anniversary of the publication of Sir Thomas More's Utopia (1517): a fictional account of an idealised, perfect society. In Malta, many would be excused for believing that Utopia was hardly fiction, but rather a condition strutted by this small archipelago which has finally vindicated its long history of poverty, pillage and dependency and come of age as a modern, peaceful, affluent and multi-cultural democracy, all economic systems at full blast.
The snap June 2017 General Election delivered a landslide result for the Partit Laburista (PL), with an even stronger popular mandate than 2013 (55 per cent) - the likes of which a Maltese political party had not seen since 1947. And yet, others would describe the very same country as a shady jurisdiction run by a cabal that has twisted the institutions of the state to serve its purpose and would stop at nothing - not even murder - to protect its interests. Here we are, back to two solitudes, two diametrically opposed representations of the state, as gripped Malta during the constitutional crisis of 1981-1986. Might a root-and-branch overhaul of the Constitution, with a strong input by civil society, patch the rift in 2018?
Labour-importing economy
We are also gradually waking up to Malta as a labour-importing economy and society. The arrival of refugee claimants and asylum seekers in the opening years of the 21st century has now been eclipsed by a more significant influx of foreign nationals looking for gainful employment. Our Somali waste collectors have been joined by Filipino care workers, Italian restaurateurs and Serbian construction workers. We do not yet know whether they will stay here when the current economic spurt runs out.
Meanwhile, we are not yet fully cognisant of the social impacts and accommodations necessary to facilitate the transition to cosmopolitan Malta (as, for example, the diminished public role of the Maltese language). Many people are under the false impression that it is the state's business to deal with foreigners. 'Integration' may be a declared state policy, but it is implemented by the citizens and not the civil servants.
A labour importing economy and a powerful government, both on a small island state whose performance defies what is supposed to be an inherent and chronic vulnerability? Economist Lino Briguglio calls this 'the Singapore effect'. Is Malta heading towards becoming 'the Singapore of the Mediterranean', with all that this would imply?
With the government enjoying a supermajority in Parliament, it is well-placed to make some bold decisions in 2018: urging consumers to recycle plastic bottles and aluminium cans with suitable fiscal inducements; nudging transportation away from the use of private vehicles and incentivising the refitting and restoration of existing vacant properties.
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Tara Cassar - FAA representative on the environment
The positive aspects of 2017
On the environmental front, the silver lining is the undaunted dedication of unsung environmental heroes who are constantly working behind the scenes on positive and future-looking projects, whilst also seeking to safeguard and conserve the health, wellbeing and heritage of the country.
These people continue to dedicate a huge amount of their time and energy to a selfless endeavour to protect the environment for the community. We are also seeing eNGOs upscaling and becoming increasingly professional in their work and this is definitely a positive step for the long-term protection of our environment.
With regard to the institutions and authorities, we find that the Environment Minister's afforestation efforts and project initiatives, as well as his attempts to empower the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), which is slowly being strengthened, to be worthy of mention. With regard to the Planning Authority, we welcome the recent scheduling of certain historic properties and the massive clean-up of Wied Qirda as steps in the right direction.
The overwhelmingly positive response to the Public Domain Campaign, which the FAA led in conjunction with Friends of the Earth, was an immense success. The campaign sought to safeguard numerous sites of natural, ecological and heritage value. We had over 5,500 people supporting this campaign and we are now seeking to ensure that it comes to fruition.
The negative aspects of 2017
The continuing deregulation of the planning process remains one of the strongest threats to the state of our environment, be it in urban or green areas. Another factor is the stonewalling of the authorities when it comes to providing environmental information and their obstinate refusal to consider planning in a holistic sense. Unfortunately, we can go on about the negative implications of each of these aspects endlessly...
In addition, despite the categorisation of Outside Development Zone, we have seen hundreds of inconsistent planning permits granted. Unfortunately, these short-sighted piecemeal approvals are already having a serious impact on our environment, with villas under the guise of agricultural stores popping up in the remotest of rural areas, and this most often against the recommendation of the ERA. The weakness of the ERA's position, coupled with a failure of enforcement, is undeniably taking its toll on the state of our environment and really needs to be addressed urgently.
Outlook for 2018
We need the authorities to come to their senses and realise that this one-sided, unregulated, anything-goes approach to planning is not sustainable and cannot go on at this increased rate without there being serious consequences.
Perhaps, when traffic has become so bad that we would be better off dumping our cars in the street and crawling to our destinations, certain authorities just might start to acknowledge that things on the ground haven't been as peachy as projected on paper. Until then, we will keep insisting that we are not just fighting for patches of green and butterflies but for holistic sustainable planning solutions that truly safeguard our environment, our heritage and, above all, the public's wellbeing and right to a decent quality of life.
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EY's Ronald Attard (Country Managing Partner) and Chris Meilak (Executive Director - Economic Advisory)
A strong economic showing in 2017 - but it's time to look at the bigger picture
In recent years, Malta's economy has gone from strength to strength. In 2017, GDP surpassed previous estimates, unemployment levels fell and the government registered a surplus in its 2018 budget. None of this means that we can start to take economic achievement for granted. With the increasingly indeterminate global challenges on the horizon, this is not the time to rest on our laurels. If ever there was a time to think of new opportunities, sectors and synergies to explore, it is now. Running on the spot is just not an option.
At the same, we at EY are also calling for measuring success in more than just economic terms: GDP growth, unemployment and so on. We need a more holistic framework that ties in with our social, environmental and technological realities. That is where our future lies.
Skills shortage will be biggest challenge for businesses in 2018
For a number of years, EY's Attractiveness Survey provided a snapshot of where the country presently finds itself and where it should be going. The last few years have shown that, as a result of our success, our workforce size is slowly becoming a limiting factor for many businesses. The handling of this shortage next year will be a determining factor for sustaining economic performance. Positively, policy-makers and private stakeholders are aware of this challenge and seem keen to take bold steps through the importation of labour, the re-skilling of certain segments of the workforce or by providing additional incentives.
Embracing disruptive technology in 2018
Emerging disruptive technologies, such as blockchain, robotics, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, took centre stage in 2017. They are expected to continue reducing market friction and inefficiencies, driving huge productivity gains and building in added layers of trust and accountability in 2018. None of this should be seen as a threat to Malta's economy. In fact, there is already a lot happening that should point to myriad opportunities opening up. With labour in short supply, these new technologies may, in fact, enable workers' throughput, output and productivity to be increased, allowing companies to expand even if they cannot find all the workers they need.
Broadening Malta's pull factors
According to EYs' 2017 Attractiveness Survey responses, Malta can boast of an attractive fiscal regime, access to the EU market, a pro-business culture, cost-competiveness and a skilled, English-speaking, workforce. But the pull factors must be broadened.
The -consensus during EY's Annual Attractiveness conference was that in 2018 (and even beyond), Malta should utilise its current economic foundation, harness local innovation and introduce ground-breaking concepts to the market. For instance, one proposed solution to the island's current traffic woes came in the form of proposed bold action to encourage mass electric vehicle adoption, paving the way to a future of shared autonomous cars backed by a blockchain-based digital infrastructure. We also discussed the benefits of moving to a cashless economy.
The pressing need to innovate is increasingly necessary in a changing economic environment where the status quo, even on issues such as taxation, is being continuously challenged. Malta therefore needs to continue developing new economic niches and sectors and increase its focus on R&D to bolster its economic offering.
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Amy Camilleri Zahra - disability rights activist and President of Amputees for Amputees (A4A)
Positives and triumphs
As a disability rights activist and as President of A4A in particular, I have to say that one of the triumphs of 2017 was the relocation of the Orthotic and Prosthetic Unit from the basement of the old out-patients building at St Luke's Hospital - which more or less resembled a dungeon and was not fit for anyone, let alone patients who had just lost a limb - to new and accessible premises.
We had been lobbying for this since the launch of the organisation back in 2009, so we are very happy to finally see it happening. We now hope that the service being offered at these premises will continue to improve for the benefit of amputees in Malta.
The move of disability-related services to Agenzija Sapport in order for the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD) to take on a more regulatory role is also another triumph for the disability sector.
Issues
As regards problems, I would say that the biggest blow to the disability sector and to all the work carried out by the CRPD in the past 30 years (incidentally, the CRPD celebrated its 30th anniversary this year) has been the court ruling against the CRPD in the case of the National Stadium at Ta' Qali. The ruling has set a very dangerous precedent and goes against both the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability - which Malta ratified in 2012 - and the Equal Opportunities Act.
Another blow to the disability sector and to the long-standing fight for inclusion is the fact that the Naxxar Community Hub for Persons with Disability, previously referred to as the Disability Hub, received the go-ahead. I fear that this will only create a ghetto for people with disability and will reinforce the idea that mainstream spaces need not be accessible, since disabled people will have their own space in Naxxar. In addition, even the idea of such a hub goes against everything that is enshrined in the United Nations Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disability, particularly the right to live in small homes in the community and the right to accessibility. The fight by disabled people for inclusion became very prominent in the 1970s, particularly in the UK and the US - it came to Malta much later. The idea of a hub will take us back to the pre-1970s, when disabled people lived in large institutions and were segregated from the rest of the community, with the agenda being set by the staff and non-disabled people.
Looking to 2018
As for my hopes for 2018, I have a number of them but will stick to three: I hope that the 70th anniversary of the enactment of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights will not pass by unnoticed, but that serious action in safeguarding the human rights of everyone - without distinction between one minority group or another - is taken. I also hope that, in 2018, the autonomy of the CRPD is strengthened and that its roles and set-up will be based on the Paris Principles. I also hope that Parliament will continue with the transposition of the UNCRPD into Maltese law.
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George Hyzler - President of the Chamber of Advocates - the rule of law and legislation
Over the course of 2017, we experienced serious failures in some of our institutions and in the practice of good governance and the rule of law. This has posed a serious threat to confidence in our country. Many people may have genuinely believed that a strong electoral mandate for the party in government would serve to counter the effects of these failures. I do not share that view but I am optimistic that this could be a good opportunity for our representatives in Parliament to address these inherent weaknesses and make every effort to restore public trust in our institutions as well as our country's reputation - which has taken a serious battering.
A look ahead
We therefore look forward to 2018 as the year that the Government and the Opposition parties come together to address the weaknesses that have emerged. Trust in the institutions also has a direct bearing on many areas of our work as legal practitioners and we have a direct interest in assisting in the repair of any damage sustained. For this reason, we have commissioned a report on the subject of the rule of law and governance that should contribute to the public debate.
We also hope that the coming year will be the year that the Government appreciates the need for the enactment of the much-awaited law to regulate the legal profession that will allow it to develop to the levels of our European counterparts.
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