Fi stqarrija bl-ewwel reazzjonijiet għall-baġit iċ-Chairperson tal-AD Carmel Cacopardo qal li min-naħa, il-proposti tal-baġit isaħħu ix-xibka soċjali billi jgħin diversi kategoriji ta’ persuni.  Madanakollu, l-kejl tal-progress tal-kwalità tal-ħajja imbagħad jieqaf ħesrem milli jikkunsidra aspetti oħra daqstant ieħor importanti. 

Jagħmel sens li tissemma l-ħtieġa ta’ riċiklar tal-iskart. Li l-Baġit ma jindirizzax huwa kif dan l-isforz jintegra ruħu fl-ekonomija ċirkolari anke jekk il-ministru tal-ambjent kemm-il darba ftaħar fuq il-priorità ta’ din l-ekonomija. Fid-diskors kollu, l-ekonomija ċirkolari ma tissemmiex darba.  Jinbet għaldaqstant is-suspett li l-gvern tilef il-boxxla fuq aspett tant importanti fuq bażi ekonomika, soċjali u ambjentali. 

Id-diskors jagħmel enfasi fuq il-ġenerazzjoni tal-enerġija mill-inċinerazzjoni tal-iskart li tirrikjedi volumi kbar ta’ skart biex tkun vijabbli. Id-diskors ma jsemmi xejn fuq kif dan jintrabat ma inizjattivi ta’ riċiklar li jnaqqsu l-istess volum tal-iskart. Il-Gvern qisu jrid jikkonvinċina li min-naħa l-waħda jrid inaqqas l-iskart imma min-naħa l-oħra għandu bżonnu għax mingħajru l-inċineratur ma jaħdimx.

Id-diskors tal-baġit jagħti wkoll impressjoni li qed jindirizza aspetti importanti li jimpattaw il-kwalità tal-ħajja meta fil-fatt joffri biss soluzzjonijiet nofs leħja. Fosthom hemm il-politika dwar l-ilma. Id-diskors isemmi inċentivi għal tiswijiet ta’ bjar eżistenti imma ma jagħmel l-ebda sforz biex jindirizza il-kwistjoni akuta ta’ abitazzjonijiet bla bjar li bħala konsegwenza ta’ dan jarmu l-ilma tax-xita fid-drenaġġ jew fit-toroq. AD kienet tistenna kif dan in-nuqqas nazzjonali jibda jiġi ndirizzat kemm għax jikkonserva l-ilma kif ukoll għax itaffi l-għargħar kif ukoll inaqqas il-fawran tad-drenaġġ fit-toroq Maltin wara xita qalila bħal ma kellna fl-aħħar jiem.

L-istess jistà jingħad għal soluzzjonijiet tal-konġestjoni tat-traffiku. Id-diskors jalludi għal inċentivi fiskali li jħajru l-użu ta’ mezzi alternattivi ta’ trasport filwaqt li jinjora għal kollox aspetti iktar krucjali. Il-Perit Cacopardo tenna li inutli li l-gvern ser jonfoq mitt miljun fit-toroq f’sena meta kull ma qed jagħmel huwa li jakkomda iktar karozzi fit-toroq.  Daqstant ieħor huwa inutli li l-baġit jagħti incentivi fuq ix-xiri ta’ roti u pedelecs jekk ma jiżgurax infrastruttura adegwata biex dawn il-mezzi jintużaw mingħajr periklu.   

Fuq l-ambjent in ġenerali il-baġit għal darb’oħra jerġa’ jitkellem fuq pjan strateġiku għall-ambjent qisu pjan strateġiku bħala pajjiż qatt ma kellna. Il-Perit Cacopardo qal li dan jinkwieta lil AD għax jagħti l-impressjoni li pajjiżna ser jerġà jinħela fuq strateġija oħra meta li jonqos hija fuq kollox l-azzjoni konkreta li biha jigu attwati il-pjanijiet strateġiċi li bħala pajjiż ilna s-snin li ddiskutejna u fassalna. 

Cacopardo qal ukoll li d-diskors tal-Baġit kien saħansitra kontradittorju.  F’waqt minnhom il-ministru tal-finanzi jiddikjara ruħu kontra l-evażjoni tat-taxxa. Fl-istess ħin iżda, ma jitkellimx fuq il-fatt li l-gvern Malti tal-lum, bħal ta’ qablu, sistematikament jinkoraġġixxi kumpaniji barranin li jirreġistraw Malta bil-karrotta ta’ ħlas ta’ inqas taxxi milli kieku jħallsu fil-pajjiz tal-oriġini tagħhom. Fl-istess waqt ukoll, il-ministru tal-finanzi naqas milli jidħol fuq kif il-gvern biħsiebu jindirizza l-kontradizzjoni li jaħdem kontra l-evażjoni tat-taxxa meta fi ħdanu hemm funzjonarji li fetħu kontijiet fil-Panama bl-intenzjoni li l-gwadann tagħhom ma jidhirx u għaldastant jevadu t-taxxa. Bejn il-kliem u l-fatti hemm il-baħar jikkumbatti, tenna jgħid il-Perit Cacopardo. 

Id-diskors jirreferi wkoll għas-saltna tad-dritt u għal darb’oħra jipprova jagħti l-impressjoni li pajjiżna miexi fuq ir-rubini. Madanakollu id-diskors iħalli barra aspett l-iktar krucjali li jindirizza it-tisħih tas-saltna tad-dritt; it-tnedija tal-konvenzjoni kostituzzjonali li konvenjentement tħalliet fuq l-ixkaffa għal snin sħaħ. “Huwa biss meta nindirizzaw it-tqassim tal-poter u s-sorveljanza tiegħu li jkun possibbli li nagħmlu qabża fil-kwalità lejn saltna tad-dritt li tkun effettiva” sostna l-Perit Cacopardo.

Hemm imbagħad aspetti li id-diskors tal-baġit injora kompletament. Dawn jinkludu l-proposta li qed issir minn numru ta’ korpi kostitwiti ghal determinazzjoni tal-living wage li tagħti dinjità lil ħaddiema kollha. Huwa ta’ għajb ukoll li l-baġit jitkellem fuq l-imigrazzjoni bħala kwistjoni ta’ sigurtà u ma jsemmi xejn fuq investiment fl-integrazzjonii ta’ persuni li qed jagħtu kontribut lis-soċjetà Maltija. Il-Baġit lanqas ma jitkellem fuq mezzi kreattivi li ilhom l-għexieren ta’ snin jeżistu f’pajjiżi oħra fosthom il-ħolqien ta’ koperattivi fil-qasam tal-housing li jnaqqsu l-pressjoni finanzjarja fuq numru sostanzjali ta’ persuni. Il-Baġit ikompli jitkellem fuq iż-żieda tan-numru ta’ turisti f’Malta u Għawdex u ma jitkellem xejn fuq is-sostenibbiltà tal-attivita turistika li mingħajrha jiddgħajjef l-prodott turistiku nnifsu b’detriment ghall-ekonomija u l-kwalità tal-ħajja tal-Maltin u Għawdxin. 

Cacopardo tenna wkoll it-tħassib tal-Alternattiva Demokratika li għal darb’oħra, iż-żieda fuq l-għoli tal-ħajja qed tinħadem fuq formola li tħejjiet snin ilu u li għaldaqstant tagħti stampa żbaljata ta’ kemm attwalment għandu jkun il-kumpens tal-għoli tal-ħajja illum.    

Huwa ndikattiv ukoll li l-ħarsien ta’ persuni bl-awtiżmu, fost persuni oħra, l-budget jitkellem fuqhom fil-kapitlu tas-saħħa meta illum ilna li morna lil hinn mill-mudell mediku tal-mod kif inħarsu lejn dawn il-kundizzjonijiet.  Alternattiva Demokratika tistenna li l-inklużjoni ta’ persuni differenti tiġi ttrattata mil-lat edukattiv mhux mil-lat mediku. 

“Kollox ma kollox filwaqt li l-baġit jenfasizza l-ġid finanzjarju, fl-istess waqt jitlef opportunitali jagħmel differenza f’numru ta’ oqsma li jmorru lil hinn mill-but imma li għandhom impatt sostanzjali fuq il-kwalità tal-ħajja ta’ kulħadd” temm jgħid il-Perit Cacopardo.

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Budget 2019 – Quality of Life is not measured by money alone

In a statement with Alternattiva Demokratika’s first reactions to the Budget 2019, AD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that while the budget proposals strengthen the social safety net, quality of life is not measured solely by financial metrics and the budget does not tackle other aspects which are equally important.

While it makes sense to mention the necessity of waste recycling, the budget stops there and it does not address how this effort should be integrate into a circular economy, even though the environment minister repeatedly boasts of how supposedly the move towards a circular economy is a priority for government. In the entire speech, the circular economy is not mentioned once. This raises the suspicion that government has lost the plot and does not have any policy ideas on such an important aspect of the economy with its social, economic and environmental effects.

The speech emphasizes energy generation from waste incineration which requires large volumes of waste to be viable. The speech is however silent on how this fits in with the stated commitment to actually reduce the volume of waste. Government is trying to square the circle, on the one hand it wants to reduce waste but on the other hand it needs more and more waste to make a huge incinerator viable.

The budget speech also gives the impression that it addresses important aspects which impact the quality of life when in fact offers only half baked and token solutions. Among them is on water policy. The speech mentions incentives for repairs of existing wells but it avoids altogether a real and focused effort to address the acute issue of dwellings built without wells, with the consequence that water ends up in sewers or flooding the streets. Developers are let of the hook even when roads are flooded and sewers are overflowing, not to mention the sheer waste of perfectly good water.

The same can be said of the supposed solutions to traffic congestion. The speech mentions financial incentives to encourage the use of alternative modes of transport, but here again it ignores the roots of the problem. Cacopardo reiterated that government spending of one hundred million Euros for road widening a year will only increase congestion and push users of alternative means of transport off the roads. It is useless to incentivize the purchase of bicycles and pedelecs when there is no investment in adequate infrastructure to ensure that people can commute safely using these important alternative means of transport, which actually help to decrease congestion in our roads.

On the environment as the budget speaks of a strategic environmental plan as if we have not had enough plans and reports already. Carmel Cacopardo said that AD hopes that no more time is wasted when what is needed is concrete and determined action to improve the environment in which we live and on which we depend for our wellbeing. There are enough strategic plans, what is needed now is action.

Cacopardo also said that the budget speech is contradictory. While the finance minister declares himself against tax evasion, at the same time however, he does not mention the fact the Maltese government today, like its predecessor, systematically encourages foreign companies to register in Malta using the carrot of lower tax payments than they would pay in their country of origin. The finance minister also failed to explain how government intends to work against tax evasion when within at the same time high officials in government opened accounts in Panama with the obvious intention of evading taxes.

The speech also refers to the rule of law and tries again give the impression that all is well in our country. However the speech leaves out the most crucial aspect which will strengthen the rule of law; the launch of the constitutional convention has been conveniently forgotten. “Only when addressing the distribution of power through constitutional reform will the country make a leap forward in the rule of law”, said Cacopardo.

There are also issues that the budget speech completely ignored. These include the proposal is made by a number of organisations for determining a living wage, a measure which would truly give dignity to all workers. It is also disgraceful that the budget speaks of immigration only as a matter of security and is completely silent on investing in the integration of people who are contributing to Maltese society. The budget does not speak on creative ways to tackle housing issues such as the creation of cooperatives in the housing sector to reduce the financial pressure on a substantial number of people. The budget boasts of the huge number of tourists visiting Malta and Gozo but fails to mention the need for sustainability in this sector. If we do not move towards a sustainable model of tourism both the sector itself and also the quality of life of people will suffer. Cacopardo also reiterated AD’s concerns that the cost of living adjustment is calculated using a formula drawn up years ago and which badly needs updating. The budget speech included measures to help people with autism in the health chapter, when the world is moving away from the medical model of how we look at these conditions. We expect this issue to be treated from an educational policy point of view.

“Overall while the budget highlights financial welfare, at the same time it loses an opportunity to make a lasting difference in a number of areas important for our quality of life that go beyond finances” concluded Carmel Cacopardo.