L-uniformijiet: mill-hazin ghall-aghar

Nirreferi ghall-artiklu ‘Tal-misthija u ‘Illegali” fis-sezzjoni ‘Ghadda minn ghala widnejna’ fejn issemma li l-iskola ta’ San Gwann wissiet lill-genituri li xtraw qalziet tal-uniformi mhux minghand min ha t-tender li mhux ser jaccettaw it-tfal l-iskola jekk jibqghu jmorru b’dan il-qalziet.

L-Ghaqda kienet infurmata minn xi genituri b’dan u mal-ewwel hadna l-passi billi ktibna sew lill-Ufficcju tal-Kompetizzjoni biex dawn jiehdu dawk il-passi mehtiega ghaliex imgiba bhal din qed igieghel lill-konsumaturi jixtru minghand hanut wiehed bir-rizultat li jinholoq monopolju. Ir-rizultat ta’ dan hu li l-konsumaturi jhallsu hafna aktar kif fil-fatt irrizulta f’dan il-kaz.

L-Ghaqda kitbet ukoll lid-Divizjoni tal-Edukazzjoni biex iwaqqfu dan l-abbuz ghaliex dan imur kontra l-kompetizzjoni. Lid-Divizjoni fakkarnieha li filwaqt li skola jista’ jkollha d-dritt li timponi uniformi, zgur li m’ghandhiex dritt li ggieghel lill-genituri biex jixtru minn post wiehed.

Dan ma kienx l-uniku ilment li konna rcevejna ghaliex xi hmistax ilu konsumaturi ohra lmentaw li meta marru biex jixtru l-uniformi minghand min rebah it-tender kellhom ihallsu l-prezz komplet ghall-affarijiet li kellhom jingabru aktar tard peress li min rebah it-tender ma kellux. F’dan il-kaz ukoll l-Ghaqda kitbet sew lid-Divizjoni tal-Edukazzjoni u lill-Ufficcju tal-Kompetizzjoni sabiex iwaqqfu dan l-abbuz. Id-Divizjoni tal-Edukazzjoni mal-ewwel haslet idha ghaliex baghtet dan l-ilment lill-kumitat li ghazel it-tender.

l-Ufficcju tal-Kompetizzjoni investiga u qalulu li dan sar biex il-genituri, meta marru biex jigbru l-affarijiet li ma setghux jiehdu l-ewwel darba, ma jdumux jistennew! L-Ghaqda infurmat lil dan l-Ufficcju li din kienet skuza banali ghaliex il-genituri meta marru l-ewwel darba bit-tfal setghu jehdulhom il-qies u wara jhallsu meta jmorru jigbru l-uniformi.

L-Ghaqda fakkret lid-Divizjoni tal-Edukazzjoni li kif jindika car ir-rapport li hareg l-Ufficcju tal-Kompetizzjoni juri li s-sors tal-prezzijiet gholjin li qed ikollhom ihallsu ghalihom il-genituri kollha gejjin minn politika zbaljata li qed thaddan id-Divizjoni. Din il-politika qed twassal ghal spiza akbar fl-edukazzjoni minghajr ma ttejjeb l-edukazzjoni u ghalhekk hi wahda li qed tikkawza inflazzjoni. Dan barra l-fatt li din il-politika serqet ukoll id-dritt tal-ghazla tal-genituri.

Min-naha l-ohra l-Ghaqda thoss li z-zmien tar-rapporti issa ghadda. Dan ghaliex dawn l-abbuzi li originaw fl-iskejjel tal-Knisja u dawk Indipendenti (fejn is-sitwazzjoni hi aktar aghar) issa qed isiru wkoll fl-iskejjel tal-istat. Barra dan, l-Ghaqda tal-Konsumaturi ghandha rapporti li dawn l-abbuzi mhux biss jezistu fl-uniformijiet izda f’oqsma ohra bhall-istationery.

Ghalhekk l-Ghaqda qed theggeg lill-Ufficcju tal-Kompetizzjoni biex dan, minn issa, jibda jiehu dawk il-passi mehtiega biex ma nsibux l-istess sitwazzjoni ma’ wiccna s-sena d-diehla. Tajjeb li nfakkru li din l-investigazzjoni issa ilha ghaddejja dawn l-ahhar hames snin u l-affarijiet minflok tjiebu marru ghall-aghar.

Published in it-Torca 27^th November 2011 as letter to the Editor

L-uniformijiet u l-izpiza tal-edukazzjoni

Regghet bdiet l-skola u bhal kull sena dejjem ikun hemm xi kwistjoni mal-bidu tas-sena skolastika. Din is-sena miss lill-uniformijiet. L-uniformijiet mhux l-ewwel darba li nqalghet. Xi hames snin ilu din il-kwistjoni kienet inqalghet ukoll. Il-Gvern kien qabbad lill-Ufficcju tal-Konsumaturi u l-Kompetizzjoni sabiex jinvestiga. Sal-lum ghadna ninvestigaw u decizjonijiet ghadhom ma ttihdux.

Din id-darba l-kwistjoni ma kinitx dwar il-prezz ta’ dawn l-uniformijiet, izda minhabba li dawn l-uniformijiet ma waslux fil-hin. Il-genituri kienu rrabjati ghaliex kellhom anki jahlu l-Hadd filghodu sabiex jakkwistaw l-uniformijiet ghal uliedhom. Izda wara dan kollu kien hemm affarijiet ohra li kienu ghaddejjin. Affarijiet li huma aktar importanti. L-Ufficcju tal-Kompetizzjoni fi hdan l-Awtorita’ Maltija ghall-Konsumaturi u Kompetizzjoni hareg rapport iehor dwar il-prezzijiet tal-uniformijiet tal-iskejjel. Dan ir-rapport hareg b’certa konkluzjonijiet izda wkoll nieda konsultazzjoni pubblika dwar dan.

X’kienu dawn il-konkluzjonijiet? Li aktar ma l-uniformijiet ikunu specifici ghal skola anqas hi l-ghazla ghall-genituri. Dan jghodd ghall-iskejjel kollha. Dan iwassal ghal aktar prezzijiet gholjin.

Li hemm differenzi fil-prezzijiet tal-uniformijet li ma jistghux jigu spjegati lanqas meta tqis id-differenzi fil-materjal;

Li meta l-uniformijiet iridu jinxtraw minghand xi hanut partikolari, l-uniformijiet ikunu aktar gholjin.

Li s-sistema tat-tenders fiz-zmien tas-survey ma gabitx prezzijiet orhos;

Dawn il-konkluzjonijiet mhux xi haga stramba ghaliex dawn kienu l-istess fatturi li l-istess ufficcju sab xi erba’ snin ilu. L-unika haga li nbidlet hi li minhabba l-politika tad-Dipartiment tal-Edukazzjoni li jinkoraggixxi uniformijiet specifici ghal kull skola, is-sitwazzjoni marret ghall-aghar.

Nemmen li l-aktar punt importanti li hareg dan kollu gej minhabba l-politika tal-iskejjel li jmorru ghal uniformijiet partikolari. Hawn tajjeb li niflu dan il-punt. Zgur li l-identita’ u l-image kienu u llum saru aktar importanti. Biss, biex noholqu dan l-image, bilfors hemm bzonn li niddisinjaw uniformijiet b’hafna kuluri partikolari li bilfors iridu jinxtraw minghand xi hadd partikolari?

Personalment ma nahsibx u nsemmi ezempju biex nohrog dan il-punt. Jekk wiehed ihares lejn il-maggoranza tal-irgiel li qed imexxu Malta, zgur li jsib li hemm numru kbir ta’ dawn li hargu mill-Liceo l-antik tal-Hamrun. Dawn ukoll li kellhom uniformi, kienet uniformi partikolari u kienet tintgharaf. Biss minhabba li kien hemm id-denn, hafna mill-affarijiet tal-uniformi kont tista’ tixtrihom minn fejn trid. Kellhom qmis li hi bajda, qalziet griz, ingravata u blazer. Minn dawn l-affarijiet l-unika haga li kont trid tixtri minghand xi hanut partikolari kienu l-badge tal-iskola u l-ingravata. L-affarijiet l-ohra li jiswew il-flus kont tista’ tixtrihom minfejn trid. Minhabba f’hekk zgur il-prezzijiet ma kinux daqshekk gholjin u l-familji kienu jistghu ilahhqu maghhom minkejja li l-pagi kienu baxxi hafna.

Zgur li din kienet skola tajba u b’identita’. Biss kien hemm l-ghaqal min-naha tad-dirigenti tal-iskejjel u kienu jaghtu kas aktar il-kontenut tal-edukazzjoni li kienu jinghataw it-tfal minflok hafna xinxilli li kull ma jaghtu huma image u spiza akbar ghal edukazzjoni minghajr ma jtejbu l-kwalita’.

Il-prezzijiet ta’ dawn l-affarijiet illum dejjem qed jizdiedu. Tajjeb li naghtu harsa wkoll lejn il-prezzijiet li hareg ir-rapport. Dawn huma bbazati fuq il-prezzijiet tas-sena l-ohra.

	Tal-Gvern	Tal-Knisja	Indipendenti
Qabel il-Primarja	34.47	144.31
Subien (Primarja)Semplici	79.54
Subien (Primarja)Komplessa	117.3	165.49	221.71
Bniet (Primarja) Semplici	80.96
Bniet (Primarja) Komplessa	120.66	187.03	199.23
Subien (Sekondarja)	201.06	188.03	236.56
Bniet (Sekondarja)	212.05	227.1	223.58

It-Tabella ta’ hawn turina kif tvarja n-nefqa fit-tliet livelli. Turina wkoll id-differenza bejn dawk l-uniformijiet li ghandhom disinn semplici u ghalhekk jistghu jinxtraw minn ghad ta’ hwienet u dawk l-uniformijiet li d-disinn taghhom hu kompless u ghalhekk ikunu jistghu jinxtraw minn hanut wiehed jew l-iskola stess. Ir-rapport jghid li din id-differenza fil-prezzijiet mhix gejja minhabba l-kwalita’ bhal ippruvaw jghidu xi whud. Jekk niehdu d-differenza fil-press ta’ uniformi semplici u wahda komplessa, insibu li hemm differenzi kbar fil-prezz. Uniformi tal-Primarja li tkun komplessa tiswa madwar darba u nofs ta’ wahda li tkun semplici!

Dan jindika kemm il-politika ta’ skola dwar l-uniformi tista’ twassal ghal spiza hafna akbar tal-edukazzjoni. Sfortunatament, il-Ministeru tal-Edukazzjoni jidher li qabad it-triq li biex jgholli l-image tal-iskejjel tieghu qed johloq uniformijiet komplessi b’kuluri differenti. Dan qed iwassal ghal spiza hafna akbar ghall-genituri. Li kieku din l-ispiza sejra biex ittejjeb il-kwalita’ tal-edukazzjoni, nifhima, izda sempliciment biex intejbu l-image hi nefqa zejda. Tajjeb li nkunu nafu kemm saret konsultazzjoni fuq l-uniformijiet mal-genituri li finalment qed ihallsu.

Fuq kollox irridu nifhmu li l-affarijiet huma aktar komplessi milli jaghti x’jifhem ir-rapport. Dan ghaliex il-genituri, l-aktar dawk li jahdmu t-tnejn, fuq certi oggetti tal-uniformi jridu jixtru aktar minn wahda jekk iridu jzommu lit-tfal taghhom dejjem indaf. Is-sitwazzjoni qed tkompli tiggrava ghaliex din id-drawwa ta’ komplessita’ fuq l-uniformijiet, qed tinfirex fuq affarijiet ohra. Per ezempju, qalulna li hemm hafna skejjel fejn it-tfal ikollhom jixtru l-affarijiet tal-kitba (stationery) jew minn hanut partikolari jew mill-iskola stess. L-iskuza hi li hemm affarijiet li ma ssibhomx kullimkien. Fil-fatt, jidher li qed isir sforz biex nikkumplikaw l-affarijiet u naghmluhom aktar specifici biex ikollhom jinxtraw minn hanut wiehed jew mill-iskola. Il-mistoqsija tohrog wahedha. Dan ghaliex qed isir? Hemm xi interessi li ma jidhrux?!

Ir-rapport isemmi wkoll li s-sitwazzjoni fl-iskejjel tal-Knisja u dawk Indipendenti l-affari hi aktar ta’ thassib ghaliex hemm hafna mill-iskejjel li jordnaw lill-genituri biex jixtru l-uniformi u l-affarijiet l-ohra minghandhom stess jew minn xi hanut wiehed tal-ghazla taghhom. Dawn qed iwasslu ghal spiza hafna akbar minhabba affarijiet sekondarji u mhux dawk necessarji ghal edukazzjoni ahjar. L-istess mistoqsijiet li staqsejna fil-paragrafu ta’ qabel jergghu jqumu b’aktar sahha. Sfortunatament, ir-rapport ma dahalx f’dawn l-affarijiet.

Ir-rapport jaghmel numru ta’ rakkomandazzjonijiet. L-aktar haga importanti hi li dawn l-affarijiet mhux qed jizviluppaw minhabba prattici hziena fis-suq, izda minhabba l-politika tal-iskejjel fuq l-uniformijiet li qed twassal li jinholqu prattici hziena li jwasslu ghal spiza hafna akbar li jkollhom ihallsu ghaliha l-familji taghna.

Ghall-Ghaqda l-affarijiet li hareg bihom ir-rapport mhux ta’ sorpriza ghaliex konna indikajnihom snin ilu meta qamet l-ewwel darba l-kwistjoni tal-uniformijiet. Dan ir-rapport jikkonferma li dawn il-prattici qed jaqtghu lill-genituri ‘l barra bil-konsegwenza li l-affarijiet qed jigu ddettati mill-iskejjel li ghandhom interessi differenti minn dawk tal-genituri.

Sfortunatamtnet, ir-rapport jieqaf biss fuq rakkomandazzjonijiet minkejja li hemm provi cari li dawn l-affarijiet qed ikissru l-kompetizzjoni. Ghalkemm nistennew rapporti ohra fuq dan it-tip, nemmnu li z-zmien tar-rakkomandazzjonijiet illum spicca u hemm bzonn li nibdew insemmu l-iskejjel li qed juzaw prattici hziena. Fuq kollox l-Ufficcju tal-Kompetizzjoni issa hemm bzonn li jibda jiehu azzjoni biex dawn l-abbuzi li qed ikollhom ihallsu ghalihom il-genituri jieqfu darba ghal dejjem. L-azzjoni trid tibda minn issa biex is-sena d-diehla innaqsu dawn il-problemi li, bla htiega, qed izidu n-nefqa tal-edukazzjoni.

21^st October 2011

A step or a quantum leap?

At the end of last year, a Bill to set up the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA) was issued. Unfortunately, there was very little public discussion about the new structure that is being proposed. The reason is that public attention was dominated by competition issues which, if anything, made consumers more conscious of the need that something quite urgent and radical needs to be done in this area.

Basically, the Bill is setting up a new authority through the amalgamation of two basic entities, the Consumer and Competition Division and the Malta Standards Authority. The new MCCA will have four main Directorates – Competition, Consumer Affairs, Standards and Metrology – four important strands for consumer protection. Thus MCCAA ought to act independently of the government of the day and provide a structure where the above-mentioned four strands interact to create a new synergy.

The Bill follows the traditional pattern where Ministerial powers, in our opinion, are excessive. On the other hand, the structure is innovative in that the powers of the four directors general to act independently of each other and of the Chairman are great. These are two points of concern to the Ghaqda as we want a structure which, though following the policy of the government of the day, should act proactively in all those areas where consumer interest is at stake and should provide holistic solutions. On the other hand, the Bill seems to address the issue of transparency quite well.

We believe that this occasion provides an opportunity which should not be missed. The time is ripe for radical changes in this area. The recent issues of petrol stations, distribution of gas and the abrupt changes in the tv channels offered all point out that consumers want and need change in this area. They are fed up with the usual half baked solutions worked out behind doors which all they succeed in doing is avert a conflict through maintaining the status quo to the advantage of the operators and at a higher cost to consumers either through higher prices or taxes.

In this spirit the Ghaqda is proposing that:

· the MCCAA should be continuously supervised through a House Committee where it will have to justify publicly its action or inaction both on achieving its yearly targets and on issues which arise;

· the Chairman together with the DGs will have to be approved by this Committee after satisfying it that they have the vision, ability and consumer interest at heart;

· reduced ministerial powers especially in the MCCAA internal operations;

· the MCCAA should be obliged to co-ordinate with other authorities especially those which deal with consumer services;

· its role should include the supervision of public services;

· more effective and equitable penalties and compensation which reflect today’s reality;

· a radical change in the personnel. Civil servants may occupy such posts initially but then they must decide either to revert back to the civil service or become employed by the MCCA to eliminate any conflict of interest that they might have to protect their career progression;

· the changes to the present Competition Act should focus on substantial and not procedural issues. If anything, the recent issues which cropped up recently indicate this need. The changes must take into cognizance the recent worldwide emphasis that competition law should be directed to ensure that competition must result in direct tangible benefits to consumers.

We believe that the Bill is a step in the right direction. But even the setting up of the Consumer Affairs Department in 1994 was such a step and it took 16 years to change it to an authority, a proposal of the Ghaqda back then. If we were bold then, we would be far ahead from where we are now. We believe that this occasion presents such a challenge – shall we follow the usual line and achieve a step in the right direction or shall we be bold and take radical action and achieve a quantum leap towards more tangible consumer welfare, something that local consumers are yearning for?

The article was published in the Times of Malta on the 13^th January 2011.

Christmas shopping

Christmas is round the corner and if there is a time when consumers are more vibrant in their shopping, surely this is the time. And this is time when consumers should be more careful.

By now most of the shopping for most people is already over. In fact this is the time when complaints are most common. Some of these complaints are not the result of the business community but because of lack of planning. The most common complaint is that consumers realize that they do not need the product they bought. In such a situation, consumers do not have any rights.

However, there are other circumstances where consumers are within their right to complain. But today I will not deal with complaints. Neither will I deal with consumer rights, except one.

This is an important right which unfortunately few know about. It stems from the definition of consumer as defined in our legislation. According to the Consumer Affairs Act a consumer is:

“(i) any individual who in transactions and other matters covered by this Act or any regulations made thereunder, is acting for purposes which are not related to his trade, business, craft or profession; and

(ii) any other individual not being the immediate purchaser or beneficiary, and whether or not a member of the consumer’s household, who having been expressly or tacitly authorised or permitted by the consumer, may have consumed, used or benefited from any goods or services provided to the consumer by a trader acting in the course of a trade, business, craft or profession, including goods or services provided as part of gift schemes and similar or analogous inducements; and …”

Thus a consumer is someone who buys the product or service to consume it and not for the purpose of trading. Moreover, the second paragraph is more important at this time of year as the rights consumers have are not limited to the original consumer but to all others who are permitted by the consumer to use the product. This in effect means that those who receive presents have the same rights as the original consumer.

There is logic behind this as this means that the rights of the original consumer are transferable. Thus if a product is bought and given as a present, who receives the present will also have the same rights. This is because the rights have been transferred by the original consumer.

Having said this all the other conditions apply. For example, one important condition is to keep the receipt. This is especially important nowadays because of parallel trading where the same product may be imported by different importers.

Two important tips for last minute Christmas shopping: The first is DON’T PANIC. Plan your shopping. If you’re unsure about which present to buy, go for vouchers. The second tip is to check carefully the product you’re buying as it might be impossible to change as stocks might be depleted. If you’re buying a service for someone, check the conditions especially if there are any time limits for the service to be availed of, and any other conditions.

This article was published in Maltastar on the 21st December 2011.