Monday, February 9, 2009

Regulators - MRA , amongst others

Ir-regolatur – l-MRA fost ohrajn

Il-gimgha li ghaddiet il-Professur Edward Scicluna kiteb artiklu dwar il-kwistjoni tat-tariffi tad-dawl u l-ilma u iffoka fuq ir-regolatur – l-Awtorita’ ta’ Malta dwar ir-Rizorsi (MRA).

Il-Prezz

Il-Professur Scicluna semma zewg punti importanti – kif ghandu jinhadem il-prezz u r-rwol tar-regolaturi. Dwar il-prezz semma kif ghandu jinhadem. Biex naslu ghall-prezz irridu nikkomparaw azjenda ta’ daqs l-Enemalta, izda li tkun qed tahdem f’suq kompetittiv, kemm ticcargja ghal kull unit elettriku. Hu minhemm li rridu nistabbilixxu l-prezz u mhux mill-ispiza u l-kotba mhux awditjati. Kien preciz meta qal li l-metodu li niehdu l-ispiza tal-Enemalta biex nikkalkolaw il-prezz mhux tajjeb u jmur kontra l-interessi tal-konsumaturi. Dan ghaliex l-Enemalta hi monopolju u ghalhekk m’ghandha l-ebda interess li tnaqqas dawn l-ispejjez kemm jista’ jkun. Li kieku l-Enemalta qed tikkompeti ma’ xi azjenda ohra, peress li ma tkunx tista’ tgholli l-prezz kemm trid hi, ikollha tara x’taghmel biex tnaqqas l-ispejjez. B’hekk l-ispiza ta’ thaddim taghha jkun hafna aktar baxx milli hu llum.

Ma tantx trid immaginazzjoni biex tissoponi kif jitilghu l-ispejjez mhux gustifikati. Kull ma trid hu tiftakar meta nkunu qrib elezzjoni u kif f’daqqa wahda kull azjenda kkontrollata mill-gvern ikollha bzonn ghexieren ta’ impjegati u kif jinfethu l-bibien ghal promozzjonijiet. Dawn l-ispejjez izidu l-ispiza tal-azjendi mhux ghal ftit zmien izda ghal snin shah. Skont il-mudell li ntghazel li jirkupraw l-ispejjez kollha, dawn ikollhom ihallsu ghalihom il-konsumaturi, irrespettivament jekk kien hemm bzonnhom jew le.

Dan barra l-fatt li ma jkun hemm l-ebda incentiv li tibdel il-metodi li tuza sakemm dawn b’xi mod ikunu ghadhom jahdmu minkejja li dawn il-metodi ma jkunux l-aktar efficjenti. Kumpanija li tkun qed tikkompeti il-hin kollu tkun qed tfittex l-aktar metodi efficjenti biex tnaqqas il-prezz u tkun aktar kompetittiva.

Il-metodu li ntghazel biex nikkalkolaw it-tariffi jkompli jzid l-inefficjenza ta’ azjendi bhal Enemalta. Ir-raguni hi li l-ebda Chairman jew Ministru mhu qed ihallas ghal dawn l-inefficjenzi. Dawn qed ihallas ghalihom il-konsumatur. U l-konsumatur qed ihallas ghalih darbtejn. L-ewwel darba bhala konsumatur billi jhallas prezzijiet aktar gholjin u t-tieni darba bhala haddiem. It-tieni darba jhallas ghaliha ghaliex l-inefficjenza jehel biha l-haddiem. S’issa ghadni ma naf bl-ebda Chairman li wehel hu ghall- inefficjenzi minkejja li hu responsabbli. Ma naf bl-ebda Ministru li ammetta li mexxa dawn l-azjendi b’mod inefficjenti. It-Tarzna tipprovdina bl-ahjar ezempju ta’ kif jigru l-affarijiet f’Malta.

L-Awditur Generali

Hu hawn fejn jidhlu sew ir-Regolatur u sew l-Awditur Generali. Dan tal-ahhar ghandu jara mhux biss jekk il-flus li hargu marrux fejn sar l-infiq izda per ezempju, jekk sarux skond il-budget. Jekk ma sarux skond il-budget li kellha l-azjenda, ghaliex? Min hada d-decizjoni? Kien gustifikat li ssir din in-nefqa minkejja li ma kinitx fil-budget? U fuq kollox ghaliex ma kinitx tidher fil-budget? Il-budget sar sewwa jew le? U ghaliex l-accounts tal-Enemalta ma gewx awditjati? Min ha din id-decizjoni? It-targets imsemmija ghas-sena intlahqu jew le? Jekk ma ntlahqux, ghaliex ma ntlahqux? Ir-ragunijiet huma sodisfacenti jew le? Jistghu l-konsumaturi, li huma wkoll it-taxpayers, ikunu jafu min hu responsabbli?

Ir-Regolatur

Ir-Regolatur ghandu responsabilitajiet differenti. Il-lista hi wahda twila ghaliex barra d-dmirijiet li semma l-Professur Scicluna, ir-Regolatur ghandu ohrajn li jiggarantixxi standards ghas-servizz li tipprovdi l-Enemalta.

Fost dawn insibu kemm hu accettabbli li jinqata’ l-elettriku fid-dinja tal-lum. Regolaturi f’pajjizi ohra poggew targets li m’ghandhomx jinqabzu mill-azjenda li tkun qed tipprovdi l-elettriku. Hu accettabbli li per ezempju, jinqata’ l-elettriku ghal siegha bhal ma gara ricentament fis-Swieqi? Gie stabbilit l-massimu ta’ zmien li hu permessibbli li jinqata’ d-dawl tul sena bhal ma jigri f’pajjizi ohra? Niftakar li snin ilu kont ktibt lill-MRA u staqsejt jekk kienx hemm dawn l-istandards. Sintendi, risposta qatt ma rcevejt.

L-istess bhal ma kontx ircevejt l-ebda risposta dwar targets ta’ kemm ghandhom jitnaqqsu l-leakages mill-Water Services Corporation. Dawn huma affarijiet normali f’pajjizi tal-UE. Izda fuq kollox ir-regolaturi mhux hemm ghalxejn. Jekk il-kumpaniji ma jzommux mal-istandards jehlu multi.

Fir-Renju Unit, it-Thames Water kienet wehlet multa ghaliex ma lahqitx dawn l-istandards u kellha tidhol ghal investiment ta’ aktar minn £150 miljun filwaqt li kienet wehlet multa ta’ aktar minn £1 miljun lira ghaliex ma tatx kumpens lill-konsumaturi ghaliex ma zammitx l-appuntamenti taghha. Min jaf f’Malta x’multi kienu jehlu sew l-Enemalta u sew il-WSC kieku ghandna regolaturi effettivi bhal dawk li semmejna.

Possibbli li Malta naslu ghar-regolaturi effettivi? Jien nemmen li nistghu ghaliex f’hafna minn dawn ir-regolaturi hemm nies kapaci. Li ma hemmx hi tmexxija serja li twassal sabiex ir-regolatur iqis li hu qieghed hemm biex ihares lill-konsumaturi u mhux lill-gvern tal-gurnata, minkejja l-ligi.

Published in Torca 1st February 2009

Book Prices in Malta


Ghalkemm il-qari tal-kotba qed jikber, in-numru ta' librara dejjem qiesu qed jonqos. U fejn hemm nuqqas ta' azjendi li jbighu l-istess affarijiet, ghandek nuqqas ta' kompetizzjoni. Sintendi l-konsumaturi jkollhom ihallsu aktar.

Il-gimgha li ghaddiet mort nixtri xi kotba. Rajthom daqsxejn gholjin imma kont fil-vena li nixtri l-kotba u xtrajthom. Wara qabbilt il-prezzijiet ma' prezzijiet fuq l-internet. Hawn taht qed ingib il-prezzijiet kif qed jinbieghu Malta, il-prezzijiet fuq l-internet (inkluz il-posta):

Isem tal-ktieb ..................Prezz Malta... Prezz internet
My Name is Salma .............€13.09...............€7.99
Overworld: the life and
times of a reluctant spy.....
€13.09...............€4.66
Pitch Invasion ...................€14.65...............€9.49

Total ..............................€40.83 ..............€22.14

Mhux ta' b'xejn li kull min ghandu l-internet qed jixtri l-kotba minn hemm. Mhux ta' b'xejn li l-hajja dejjem qed toghla.

Dawn huma l-affarijiet li hemm bzonn li d-Divizjoni tal-Konsumaturi tinvestiga biex il-konsumaturi Maltin jiehdu 'a fair deal'.

Published in l-Orrizont of the 23 January 2009

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Kejl ħażin tal-Enemalta

Fl-artiklu li deher fl-aħħar ħarġa ta’ din il-gazzetta ssemma li hemm mijiet ta’ nies li nstabilhom li l-meter tal-elettriku kien qed jaħdem slow. Meta kont nilqa’ l-ilmenti fl-Għaqda tal-Konsumaturi kont iltqajt ma’ żewġ każi bħal dawn fejn familja tkun qed tgħix għall-kwiet f’darha u ssib li tiġi mhedda mill-Enemalta li se jaqtgħulha dan is-servizz jekk ma tħallasx mijiet jew eluf ta’ ewro fi żmien qasir. Dan għaliex skont l-Enemalta l-meter ikun qed jaħdem slow.
L-ewwel diffikultà hi l-biza’ li se jtellgħuhom il-Qorti meta ma għamlu xejn ħażin. Ħadd ma jrid pulizija wara biebu. Nista’ ngħidilkom li għal dawn iż-żewġ familji kienet trawma.
It-tieni diffikultà tkun meta int tibda tiċċekkja u tipprotesta. Ir-raġuni hi li l-kontijiet jinħargu mill-Water Services Corporation. Dawn jgħidulek li għandek tipprotesta mal-Enemalta. S’intendi jgħidulek biex tikteb. Hawn il-problema tikber. Risposta ma tiħux mill-ewwel u l-familja f’dan iż-żmien mingħajr risposta tkun bejn ħaltejn jekk għandhiex tħallas jew le. Fuq naħa tista’ tispiċċa l-Qorti u mingħajr dawl u fuq l-oħra titlef somma flus mingħajr ħtija. Dan speċjalment jekk is-somma tkun kbira. Fil-każi li kont iltqajt magħhom jien, kas minnhom kien fuq l-Lm1,000 u l-ieħor kien fuq it-Lm3,000.
Dawn iż-żewġ familji setgħu jħallsu, iżda d-diffikultà kienet: għaliex għandhom iħallsu qabel ma l-protest tagħhom jinstema’, speċjalment meta jafu li m’għandhomx ħtija? Tara l-ansjetà li tinħolqilhom għaliex fuq naħa jafu li huma m’għandhomx tort u fl-istess ħin jibżgħu li jekk ma jħallsux jistgħu jispiċċaw mingħajr dawl jekk mhux il-Qorti.
Min-naħa l-oħra jafu li jekk iħallsu u jinstab li ma kellhomx tort, flus lura ma jiħdux għaliex jgħidulhom li se jaqtgħulhom is-somma mill-kontijiet ta’ wara. Tista’ toqgħod ċert li għal ħafna, wara li jkunu ġemmgħu Lm3,000 b’sagrifiċċji kbar, ma jiħdux gost li jaraw dawn itiru f’daqqa għax xi ħadd jgħidlek li l-meter li waħħal hu stess kien qed jaħdem slow! Ma nafx familji li jiġu jaqgħu u jqumu jekk jitilfu Lm3,000.
Għaliex għidt li f’dawn il-każi l-konsumaturi m’għandhomx tort? Hemm ħafna raġunijiet iżda l-aktar waħda importanti hi li l-meter hu proprjetà tal-Enemalta u hi responsabbiltà tagħha li tara li dan qed jaħdem tajjeb. Li kieku kien il-konsumatur li għażel il-mudell u kien qed jikkalkula l-ammont ta’ elettriku wżat ngħid missu qagħad attent li l-meter qed jaħdem tajjeb. Imma jekk il-meter għażlitu u waħħlitu l-Enemalta, kif jeħel il-konsumatur li l-meter qed jaħdem slow? U għaliex 12-il sena u mhux 5, 10 jew 20 sena?
L-inġustizzja u l-assurdità ta’ dan kollu taraha jekk timmaġina li għodwa minnhom meta tmur għand tal-grocer dan jgħidlek li għandek tagħtih €500 għaliex il-miżien tiegħu ma kienx qed jaħdem tajjeb għal dawn l-aħħar 12-il sena.
L-inġustizzja hi akbar għaliex jekk hemm meters li jaħdmu slow, żgur hemm meters li għaġġlu aktar milli suppost. Sal-lum għad irrid niltaqa’ ma’ xi konsumatur li rċieva ċekk ta’ eluf ta’ ewro għaliex il-meter kien qed jgħaġġel! Forsi l-Enemalta tista’ tgħidilna kemm il-miljun ewro qassmet f’ċekkijiet bħal dawn!
U hawn terġa’ toħroġ l-ineffiċjenza tal-Awtorità ta’ Malta għar-Rizorsi. X’qed tagħmel biex tara li jkun hemm ġustizzja mal-konsumaturi f’każi bħal dawn?

Published in ILLUM of the

18th January 2009

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Things of 2008

The best books I’ve read were Norwegian Wood and Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World and Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami and The Undercover economist by Tim Harford.


Haruki Murakami always strikes me as one who can describe human feelings raw as they are. He’s a realist in the sense that his stories are all a sort of unfinished symphonies – just as human relations are. The first book is a science fiction story though one which is moulded within a network of contemporary human relationships. Norwegian Wood struck me as a story of how humans are moulded by their youth experiences.


The Undercover economist, on the other hand is a different type of book. It deals with basic economic principles but elaborates them with modern day business examples. If all economics books were written this way, economics would be one of the most popular areas of study of students. After reading this book I believe that economics is considered by some as a dismal science only because it is dealt by dismal writers. I recommend this book to all economics students.


The worst newspaper article title I’ve seen for years was ‘New energy rates workings – Families will save €27 a year’ by Mathew Xuereb which appeared on The Times (4th December 2008). I don’t think there is much to say except quote two comments which were posted when this article (?!) was published.


The first was from a certain Mark Fiorentino – “This is a perfect exercise in giving a nice title to a piece of very bad news. Journalism or political spin?” The other was from a certain Joseph Micallef – “At times like this I begin to seriously doubt the objectivity of our press. How can one say one is saving when one is paying more? This is a tactic the government uses continuously, and the press seems to be in on the game.”


This title will haunt Mr Xuereb for years to come - if it was his!


The best article on consumer affairs was the one by Marie Louise Coleiro Preca titled ‘Monopolji u Kartelli’ which appeared in l-Orizzont on the 12th December 2008. It gives an idea of the charade that we making of the principle of competition and consumer protection. It points out also to one main weakness – unless the regulators stop operating as government departments, serving the government’s interest, consumers cannot expect a fair deal. If anything it shows that Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca is still very much aware of the problems in this area.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Reflections on Budget 2009 (1) - Eco-taxation

I am very sceptical on the way we are dealing with the environmental problems. And the present budget does nothing but increase my scepticism.

But let’s clear some jargon out of the way. The present Government is known of its Newspeak. This has been going on for some years. Some of the words in Newspeak that immediately come to mind are the following:
Adjustment – meaning an increase if it is a tariff or a decrease if it is a benefit
Negative growth – a decrease
Tariff – stealth taxation
Administrative charge – another form of stealth taxation

One of the latest additions has been the word contribution. Thus one does not find the word eco-taxation mentioned in Government publications but eco-contribution. Ask anyone and you will be surprised that for them the word contribution has the connotation of being voluntary. Ask them if they are paying this ‘contribution’ voluntarily and you will understand if this is a contribution or a tax.

Is eco-taxation good? Some would say that since it is based on the polluter pays principle, it should be good. But what are the economic effects and is there an alternative?

One economic effect is that it increases the cost of those products that pollute. It therefore does discourage consumers from purchasing that product. But this is intrinsically negative. Consumers do not buy that product because it becomes more expensive and not because it pollutes. Thus the effect of such a tax re. environment is only temporary. Once the new price becomes affordable, then consumption will resume at the previous level. This is what happened when the Government introduced eco-taxation on plastic bags, some two years ago.

There is, however, another effect. Eco-taxation increases government revenue. Thus under the pretext of being environment friendly, the government would be able to increase its revenue without bother of explaining the need for such revenue. Thus the government would be able to increase its revenue without any hindrance. Everybody knows that one of our main economic problems is unbridled government spending – something which surely increase given this lack of transparency and thus lack of accountability.

Increase in prices would not only have the above effects but it will increase inflation. During these last few years, except for the first six months of last year, there wasn’t any management of inflation. Thus inflation has been one of our main economic problems – a problem which also contributes to our lack of competitiveness. Another effect has been the downward trend in our standard of living as our wage increases are not even equating the increase in inflation.

But on the other hand, is there a way out as surely we cannot continue to tolerate the deterioration of our environment. One way out, is reducing taxation on products which are eco-friendly. This could have easily been applied in the case of light bulbs. The present budget is increasing the price of incandescent bulbs - the older type of bulbs. This will contribute to inflation.

But what if the energy saving bulbs had a decrease in taxation? The effect on consumers will be that they are encouraged to use this type of bulbs as their becoming relatively cheaper than the old type, thus those using these energy saving bulbs will be rewarded. Moreover there is no effect on inflation and government revenue and thus its expenditure is curbed.

But this is only a partial solution. A complete solution would require the following:
• Educating everyone especially adults. I believe that our children are more environmentally sensitive. But even here we must be more creative. People must be shown practical ways of how to save energy while keeping their standard of living. It is useless to expect people to be willing to live in the dark ages.
• Standards. These are a requirement. Higher standards, especially in the area of energy savings equipment, are supported by everyone. This must not be a temporary effort but a continuous one as it will also increase our productivity and competitiveness.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

A new Consumer Affairs Council

A new Consumer Affairs Council has been recently appointed. The only two persons who had kept their place on the Council are Mr Adrian Muscat Inglott and Mr Anthony Camilleri. The latter is the representative of the business community on the Council. Mr Muscat Inglott, on the other hand, is known for his commitment to consumer affairs and I always held Mr Muscat Inglott in high esteem. In the past, Mr Muscat Inglott and I had worked on several campaigns. Once convinced of an issue in favour of consumers Mr Muscat Inglott will persist until the goals set are reached. I hope that the present Consumer Affairs Council will have a successful term of office to benefit consumers.

I hope that this new Council will be more focused than the previous one. One of the main functions of this Council is to be a watchdog on the Consumer and Competition Division. For one reason or another, the previous Council had found great difficulty in securing the necessary information to ensure that the Division is operating efficiently.

Anther problem was the lack of resources to monitor even the most important developments which were taking place in this area both locally and internationally especially within the EU. In fact, the Consumer Affairs Council was conspicuous by its absence. The only event which had been kept alive, and also could be considered as a success, was the annual conference which dealt with a topic which either was effecting Maltese society or was a new development being implemented for the first time on the Island.

For a time, given the lack of research in the area of consumer affairs, the Council also tried to get itself involved in researching certain issues. However, in spite of the several attempts, it failed, again, because of lack of resources. This is an important function as policy, one of the functions of the Consumer Affairs Council, needs to be founded on research.

One difficulty that has arisen is the tension that was created between the Consumer Affairs Council and the Consumers’ Association. This happened because some within the Council played in the hands of others who had the intention of trying to control the Association. I sincerely hope that the Consumer Affairs Council will go out of its way to help the only consumers’ association we have, rather than create problems.
One last point. I hope that the Consumers and Competition Division does not look at the Council as a competitor but rather as a source of inspiration. This was the main source of all problems. The Division has a phobia for looking at others working in same field as competitors. This was again the source why the relations between the Division and the Association were never close in recent years. With regards to the Council, this attitude restricted the well-functioning of the Council as the latter did not have an independent source of funds but always depended on the Division. This in fact inverted the relationship that was supposed to be between the Division and the Council. As I said in the beginning, the Council is supposed to be the watchdog of the Division. But the dependence of funds made the Council dependent on the Division for its functioning.

I sincerely hope that the above problems are solved to ensure that the Council functions to the benefit of the local consumer and not just remain a useless structure.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Sistema bazwija

Nirreferi ghall-artiklu ‘Tbazwira kontra l-ligi ghad-dawl u l-ilma’. Fost affarijiet ohra ssemiet l-Awtorita’ ta’ Malta dwar ir-Rizorsi.

Issemma li jidher li l-Gvern irid li din l-Awtorita’ sservi ta’ ‘rubber stamp’. Jekk inharsu ftit lejn il-ligi li kienet ghaddiet tista’ toqghod cert li l-Awtorita’ m’ghandhiex il-porter li tieqaf lill-Gvern.

Jekk wiehed jara l-ligi ta’ din l-Awtorita’ jsib li l-Ministru, meta jrid, jista’ jnehhi l-Membri tal-Awtorita’ “ jekk, fil-fehma tal-Ministru, dak il-membru ma jkunx idoneu biex ikompli f’dik il-kariga jew ikun sar inkapaci milli jwettaq sew dmirijietu bhala membru”. Ifisser li l-Ministru m’ghandux bzonn ikollu l-ebda raguni hlief li tinbidillu l-fehma.

Barra minhekk jekk wiehed ihares lejn l-artikli l-ohra jsib li ‘L-Ezekuttiv Principali u l-kapijiet tad-Direttorat ghandhom jinhatru mill-Awtorità wara konsultazzjoni mal-Ministru’.

Fuq kollox meta l-Ministru ‘jidhrulu li jolqtu l-interess pubbliku, minn zmien ghal zmien jaghti lill-Awtorità direttivi bil-miktub ta’ xorta generali’. Dan ifisser li l-Ministru jista’ jindahal fuq kull haga, jekk jidhirlu li din tolqot l-interess pubbliku.

Biss jidher li l-Ministru mhux kuntent li ghandu l-poter li jpoggi n-nies tieghu biex imexxu l-Awtorita’, jigi ‘kkonsultat’ f’min jiehu l-karigi ezekuttivi, u jaghti d-direttivi fuq dak li jidhirlu. Jidher li minkejja li l-Awtorita’ ghandha l-poter u l-obbligu li tirregola l-istrutturi tal-prezzijiet u tistabbilixxi l-mekkanizmi li bihom jigi stabbilit il-prezz, il-Ministru hass li hu ‘l fuq mil-ligi u ddecieda hu.

Nitkellmu car, minkejja dan kollu, ma jfissirx li n-nies li qed imexxu l-Awtorita’ gew skolpiti mir-responsabbilta’ li ghabbiet fuqhom il-ligi. Li gara dan kollu u ma jitniffsux, jidher kemm l-Awtoritajiet li ghandna huma minghajr sinsla.

Biss fuq il-kwestjoni tad-dawl u l-ilma hemm entitajiet ohra mdahhlin. Per ezempju, ghaliex id-Dipartiment tal-Kompetizzjoni Gusta ma nvestigax ir-rati l-godda. Id-Direttur ta’ dan id-Dipartiment ghandu dritt li jinvestiga u jiddeciedi fuq ir-rati, peress li l-Enemalta hi monopolju. Jew anki dan qieghed hemm biex jipprotegi l-interess tal-Gvern, meta suppost li qieghed biex jiddefendi l-interessi tal-konsumaturi!

U x’inhu jaghmel l-Awditur Generali, entita’ ohra li qed inhallsu ghaliha ahna l-konsumaturi, biex jara li dawn qed jahdmu tajjeb u b’hekk ikun qed jassigura li t-taxxi li qed jigu mhallsa mill-konsumaturi qed jigu minfuqa sew. Personalment inhoss li l-Awditur Generali ghandu bzonn sew aktar poteri u sew aktar hegga.

Biss fuq kollox, x’qed jaghmel il-Parlament? Ghaliex hallejna li l-Enemalta minghajr kontijiet awditjarji. Din mhix entita’ zghira!. Qed jintefqu l-miljuni kuljum u qiesu ma gara xejn. Ghaliex sew il-Ministri li tahthom jaqghu dawn l-istrutturi mhux qed jigu ppressati jispjegaw dawn in-nuqqasijiet u l-indhil taghhom. Ghaliex il-Parlament mhux qed jezamina dawn l-entitajiet u jagixxi fuq dak li jsib. Jew, bhal ma kien qalilna Ministru, anki l-Parlament sar ‘rubber stamp’ tal-Gvern?

Fl-ahharnett x’qed taghmel l-Istampa biex nohorgu dan kollu fil-pubbliku? Niehu r-ruh meta nara artiklu, bhal ‘Tbazwira kontra l-ligi ghad-dawl u l-ilma’ li qed jinvestiga dawn l-affarijiet.

Hu minhabba dan kollu li, mhux awtoritajiet bla sinsla biss ghandna, izda sistema ta’ ‘checks and balances’ bazwija li qed tnawwar id-demokrazija. U povru konsumatur li jkollu jhallas ghal dan kollu.

Published Torca 23rd November 2008