Home Affairs and Security Minister Glenn Bedingfield has appointed a committee chaired by former minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi to review Malta’s laws regulating pyrotechnics. The Minister said the committee would examine the existing legal framework, consult producers, workers, enthusiasts, volunteers, communities and the wider public, and recommend possible changes. Bedingfield stressed that the review was not intended to undermine Malta’s fireworks tradition, which he described as an important part of local festas and communities. Instead, he said the aim was to ensure fireworks could continue to be enjoyed safely under a regulatory framework that was “clear, modern, and fit for purpose”. The review forms part of a broader focus by the ministry on prevention, security structures, coordination between authorities and the updating of laws and procedures. (The Malta Independent)
Borg calls for stronger institutional accountability
Opposition leader Alex Borg used an Independence Day mass meeting to focus on questions of institutional accountability, transparency and public trust, accusing the government of giving conflicting messages on the state of Malta’s public finances. Borg referred to comments by the Chamber of Commerce president about the government’s public and private positions on spending, while also criticising what he described as inconsistencies in government statements on other matters. He said politics should be based on truth and argued that those in public office must be prepared to answer difficult questions. Borg also defended the role of journalists, saying criticism and uncomfortable questions were essential to democracy and public accountability. Nine years after the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, he said Malta was still waiting for justice and truth. He also raised concerns about compensation following the summer’s power blackouts. (Maltatoday)
Archbishop warns of pressure on Malta’s institutions
Archbishop Charles Scicluna has warned that informal networks becoming more powerful than Malta’s institutions could pose a threat to the country’s integrity and independence. Delivering his Independence Day homily at St John’s Co-Cathedral, Scicluna said transparency, foresight and accountability should underpin governance in both the State and the Church. He also linked Malta’s rapid economic and population growth to growing pressure on infrastructure and public services, including roads, housing, electricity, drainage, waste management, healthcare and the environment. While recognising the contribution of economic expansion and workers from abroad, he argued that growth also required careful planning and consideration of its longer-term consequences. Independence, he said, was not simply an achievement from the past but a responsibility passed from one generation to the next. His message stressed the need for sustainable population growth, economic foresight and institutions capable of serving the country effectively. (Times of Malta)
