The Public Servant: Three Ways The Abela Administration Can Truly Honour Jean Paul Sofia’s Memory
Civil servants are often at the frontline of a country’s development, seeing the backroom politics that will eventually shape the nation – and that includes the good, the bad and the ugly. Lovin Malta is launching a new series written by a public servant who wants to see the country make the necessary changes to become a better place for all.
As a public servant, my primary duty is to serve the government of the day.
While I am proud to fulfil this obligation through my contributions to the functioning of the state, my responsibility also extends to serving the People whom this government represents. It’s therefore crucial for public servants to actively contribute ideas on fundamental questions concerning the country’s wellbeing and future.
In this space, I will be doing just that.
The nation’s anger at the Government’s tone-deaf mishandling of calls for justice for Jean Paul Sofia is rooted in deep disillusionment with broader, systemic issues.
These include the destruction of our natural and urban environment by incongruent, shoddy, and piecemeal development; a catalogue of cases indicating our elected officials’ subservience to or collusion with big business and persons linked to organised crime; and the absence of any coherent urban planning or comprehensive masterplan to guide development and economic activity.
The outrage at the Government’s aloof response to the collapse of our electricity distribution network derives from this same well of discontent. Perhaps the only surprise is that this outrage merely simmered, which speaks either to a sense of helplessness or to a growing indifference in Maltese society over our country’s prospects.
We cannot succumb to the increasingly popular fatalism that Malta is beyond saving. We all know the problems we face. It’s now time for action and solutions.
As public momentum fades with the passing of the news cycle, we run the risk of passively accepting more isolated, incoherent, and superficial regulatory changes.
The government’s shallow proposal to regulate contractor licensing, four years and many senseless deaths after it was promised, is a clear example of this. We must demand more.
Here are some ideas for how this or any future government can honour Jean Paul and other victims of Malta’s construction hysteria:
1. Implement a root-and-branch reform of Malta’s development and planning sector.
This must replace existing laws and policies, including the 2006 Local Plans, with a holistic national development plan, supporting legislation, and the allocation of sufficient resources and enforcement powers to regulators.
The strategic ambiguity of existing ‘rules’ and guidance has come at an astronomical human and environmental cost. Warnings from experts and former public servants when these were imposed have come to pass.
This reform must therefore put in place a new architecture that unambiguously regulates development zones, environmental prioritisation, medium and high-rise zones, greening and public spaces, utility infrastructure and carrying capacities, contractor licensing, labour rights, occupational health and safety, legal redress mechanisms for victims of construction-related incidents, the right to light, disturbance mitigation, and conservation of traditional streetscapes.
Public procurement criteria should be revised, adding more weight to quality and ending the race-to-the-bottom that comes with awarding tenders to the cheapest compliant applicant.
A bespoke airspace trading system should be introduced, under which owners of properties in our town and village cores can sell their airspace credits to high-rise developers in the new zones established under the reform.
This system would protect existing property rights, safeguard the state against expropriation claims, and most importantly, ensure that we put a stop to the pencil and shoebox developments that have disfigured our islands.
2. Impose a targeted, time-bound moratorium on new development permits in ODZ and for buildings of over three storeys.
This should remain in effect until the national development reform is complete.
Putting a timeline and economic cost on this reform through the moratorium will bring all public and private stakeholders to the table and ensure its completion. Additionally, it will prevent further environmental and human costs that would be incurred while authorities spend years on a “national discussion” only to eventually implement fragmented and cosmetic changes.
Any economic impact would be balanced by the long-term legal certainty the development plan provides to genuine investors.
Easy fixes are what have got us into this mess. We need to find the collective courage to take the difficult decisions that are needed to stop the rot and change our country’s direction of travel.
3. The findings and recommendations of the Public Inquiry into Jean Paul’s death, which we yesterday learned will also investigate the state’s actions and omissions, regulations, and processes in this case and the entire sector, should feed directly into the structural development reform process mentioned above.
Jean Paul’s death is a cruel manifestation of the systemic disorder and neglect in Malta’s approach to development. It must serve as a catalyst for real change. That this sector is possibly the only one in which no post-Independence administration has left a positive legacy is an excellent opportunity to build a fairer, safer, greener, and more united Malta.
The Public Servant is a new Lovin Malta series aiming to make Malta better. Having verified their credentials, Lovin Malta has agreed to keep this individual’s identity concealed.
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