A lack of meritocracy

One of the major stories in the news this past week was the appointment of a 19-year-old local councillor who represents the Labour Party to the Board of Governors on Finance Malta.

Carlos Zarb is a local councillor representing the Labour Party on the St Paul’s Bay local council and is a member of the current executive leadership of the party’s youth-wing Forum Żgħażagħ Laburisti.

As of last June, he was also a Governor at Finance Malta – one of four appointed by the government to the entity, which is a non-profit public-private initiative set up to promote Malta as an international business and financial hub.

The appointment was only uncovered on Thursday by PN MP David Thake, who lamented at how someone who is 19 years old, is a member of Labour’s youth wing, and has only gotten as far as his A-Levels, has been made a director on Finance Malta’s board.

The Labour party reacted to that by saying that it was clear from the post that Thake, the PN, and the usual “PN establishment” boogeyman did not believe in youths and that they believed that a person cannot serve in a public institution because they are 19 years old.

Unfortunately, in this regard, the Labour party has missed the woods for the trees, perhaps purposely, in order to deflect from the actual issue at hand.

The true issue here is the lack of meritocracy in this appointment.

There is absolutely nothing wrong in giving a chance to youths, in giving them a chance to prove themselves in certain positions where they can contribute to the country – but this should be done correctly, with youths who are qualified in whatever field they are being involved in.

Irrelevant of how enthusiastic and how hardworking Carlos Zarb may be, the fact remains that he is not qualified in the finance sector – he isn’t even reading for a degree in a subject related to the financial sector either. One must wonder then why, given such a lack of qualifications, Zarb was appointed to this board.

The Labour Party implied in its statement that they were simply giving a chance to youths to thrive. However, what message does this appointment of somebody unqualified for the role he is appointed for send to other youths who may in fact be qualified and who have not been afforded the same opportunity?

This isn’t an unprecedented situation. In 2015, then Economy Minister Chris Cardona became the subject of similar controversy after he appointed an 18-year-old – Karl Cutajar – who just so happened to be an ardent PL supporter and the nephew of his chief of staff to be the director of a new government security company. Cutajar had eventually resigned due to the controversy.

This is not to mention all the other controversial government appointments in the past: be it as members of boards, where it isn’t unheard of for a party loyalist, former MP or even sitting MP to crop up, or as consultants, for instance.

The crux of all this is how the system for these government appointments has been used and abused over the years.

Robert Abela’s predecessor Joseph Muscat had promised, amongst other things, meritocracy in government. He failed to walk the talk: but maybe it’s time for Abela and his administration to make good for that promise instead.