The Malta Chamber of Commerce has expressed its serious concerns about the state of play and the way challenges are being handled, saying the “country is in a nose-dive”.

“The economy and the quality of life of people are suffering because of a lack of foresight, poor planning, lack of transparency, weak enforcement, and slow action where action needs to be taken,” it said in a statement.

“The country is in a nose-dive and we persist in denial, failing to read the signs of the times.”

It urged the government to stop trying to please everyone at once and to prioritise the long-term national interest over immediate partisan interests.

“Government needs to listen more to the warnings voiced by people whose interests are non-partisan, and address structural issues that are impairing productivity and undermining competitiveness, the country’s attractiveness, and people’s well-being and quality of life,” a press statement read.

“The time for patched-up, short-term quick fixes is over.”

The Chamber added that year after year, it talks about the same issues, which while some improvements are registered, the whole approach is “uncoordinated” and the general situation continues to free fall, causing, in many cases “irreversible damage”.

These factors contribute to an erosion in the quality of life of people and make the country unattractive for high-quality investors and visitors alike,” it added, urging the leaders of the country to pull their socks up.

“Visions, strategies and reforms which remain on paper are pointless. The country’s leadership needs to step up and take the right decisions with the required urgency, however tough these decisions may be.

It compiled a list of points to urgently address “until it becomes too late”:

1. Implement tangible measures to reduce traffic congestion, such as attaching car license fees to usage, introducing parking fees in central urban areas with fees paid being transferred into an e-mobility wallet for the use of sustainable means of transport, and restricting certain congesting activities during peak hours;

2. Ensure a reliable supply of electricity that can cater for our predictably hot summers without recurring power outages;

3. Ensure proper maintenance and cleansing of public areas;

4. Ensure proper enforcement of laws and regulations in all spheres of business activity and for all residents and visitors;

5. Provide assistance to real low-income earners rather than indulge in distributing handouts;

6. Direct subsidies to businesses operating a sustainable model to help such businesses become more viable and prevalent in our economy;

7. Incentivise a shift away from labour-intensive activities towards an economic model which is not dependent on increasing the population – the present economic model requires the importation of an additional 20,000 workers annually, which is unsustainable and is pushing the country’s infrastructure to breaking point.

Do you agree with the Chamber’s assessment?