Inland Revenue’s inefficiency

On August 27, I received three envelopes from the Inland Revenue Department, all with the previous day’s postmark.

Incredibly, two of these contained an exactly similarly worded acknowledgment, though dated differently (27/04 and 09/05), of a Reduction in PT Form that I submitted early in April, nearly five months ago!

The third acknowledgment, dated 16/06, was of my 2021 income tax return which was submitted on June 10. I wonder if, eventually, the IRD will be deemed to qualify for the government’s Principal Secretary’s 2022 accolade for inefficiency!

Anthony Curmi – St Julian’s

New cardinals are also advisers

Pope Francis (right) and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI meet with the new cardinals. PhotoL Vatican Media/AFP

I was pleased to read in the Times of Malta about Pope Francis elevating more cardinals in the recent consistory (August 27).

The word consistory literally means a ‘gathering’ or a ‘meeting of a council’ to assist in administrative affairs.

Granted, the College of Cardinals has electors who vote for a papal successor at a time of a vacancy in the papal chair. However, the recent consistory elevates new members to the College of Cardinals who also have the capability to serve as advisers to the pope.

I think it is overblown to examine them as only being useful upon a papal death or resignation. What should be emphasised is their role during a given pope’s lifetime. To serve. To advise. And, since the pope is also Bishop of Rome, Francis is a ‘brother bishop’ to them.

James Marples – Texas, USA

Highway code update

With regard to the updating of the highway code, we need to adopt a hierarchical approach like the latest UK revision, written with the EU in mind. Most of our visitors will be used to a modern highway code where pedestrians come first and foremost. These concepts are quite alien to us, and our highway code is some 20 years behind the times.

If all of Europe and the UK are now following certain concepts, why shouldn’t we? And if we don’t, how do we tell visitors we are different?

Look at e-scooters: elsewhere in Europe there are contraflows, but not here. How do we tell visitors that, with a no-entry sign and no obvious alternative route – even Google and TM’s own GIS don’t work for two-wheelers.

Think about that. Are we are expecting visitors to access an obscure (at best) 20-year-out-of-date booklet only available in English or Maltese?

Are we setting up visitors to this country for success or failure? Our new highway code needs to do the former, even for young, foreign-language students.

Otherwise the current anarchy will just carry on.

Jim Wightman – St Julian’s