Business needs government, but flourishes best without politics

The controversies we have been having in this country these past days, now moved from the main topics of conversation by the sad collapse of the Dwejra Window, make very sad reading.

This is a small country with too close and almost incestuous relationships. Everybody is related to everybody else and everybody knows everybody else.

Furthermore, this is a country where the government occupies a higher profile than governments elsewhere. The government, either directly or through its agencies or authorities, employs quite a high percentage of workers. The government too issues quite a number of tenders which make up the bread and butter of many companies. Other companies, however, steer clear of them.

It has become obvious, especially these last few days, of close contacts between private enterprise and political parties, in or out of government. Unfortunately, the party financing law seems to be more observed in its breach than in its observance. It also seems clear that political parties in Malta, especially when out of office, require huge sums to be able to just float.

They have taken on quite a number of burdens, especially very costly to run television stations. This happens only in Malta as in other countries political parties do not even envision owning and running a television station.

Hence the tendency of the political parties to rely on hefty contributions by private individuals and/or businesses. It is clear that the contributions by the party faithful on one of the innumerable fund-raising marathons cannot make up for the needs of either party.

It is clear that the party financing law has not worked, either by design or by force of inertia. The most shocking revelation of the past days has been the reliance of one party on hefty contributions by the private sector. This seems to have been going on for ages and, with the two main parties being like carbon copies of each other, all the denials expressed will not remove the suspicion in the minds of many that this is how the two parties act.

We note the commitments that have been expressed by the two parties of their determination to abide by the law of party financing.

But our insistence goes in the direction of business, of the private sector. Getting so involved with political parties does not pay. It is far better for the private sector to stand on its own two feet and to expect no favoured treatment by either party.

This country needs, really needs, a clear delineation between the government and the private sector, and between political parties and the private sector. Such clarity is for the benefit of all, government and political parties included.