‘How They Ridiculed Me’: Maltese MP Who Proposed Restaurant Vouchers Decries Tribal Politics
A Nationalist MP has called out the state of tribal politics in Malta after his proposal to incentivise eating out was ridiculed by his critics, only to be adopted by the government two months later.
“I am please that the government has agreed with my proposal in principle,” Hermann Schiavone told Lovin Malta. “Some sections of the media and PL exponents had tried to ridicule the PN when I had prudently proposed this back in April.”
“What’s a good proposal now was a good proposal back then, but unfortunately we’re still in that mentality of tribal politics.”
“Sadly, everything that the Opposition proposes gets ridiculed, but we’ve shown we don’t just criticise the government but come up with costed and viable proposals.”
Back in April, Schiavone urged the government to give everyone €50 vouchers to spend at restaurants and bars to give the catering industry a boost after months of COVID-19 induced shutdown.
The government yesterday took it a step further, announcing that every resident in Malta over the age of 16 will get a €100 voucher to spend on hotels, bars, restaurants, and retail outlets.
People will receive five vouchers in multiples of €20; four will be expressly for the use at hotels, bars, and restaurants, while one will be for retail outlets.
Schiavone praised the scheme as one which will give the catering industry a well-needed boost, incentivising people to get back into the habit of eating out after several months of COVID-19 induced lockdown.
“I understand that some people may still be concerned about the virus but we couldn’t remain as we were; otherwise people may not have died of the virus but would have died of hunger instead,” he said. “We had to strike a balance and I have full faith in the health authorities, who have told us it is safe to eat out so long as certain measures are adhered to.”
“I’ve gone out to eat a few times since restaurants reopened and, judging by the way they’ve responded to the measures, I don’t think people should fear eating out.”
Do you know how you plan to spend this €100 voucher yet?
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