Vulnerable persons have been ignored
On March 29, 2020, Legal Notice 111 of 2020 ordered that “vulnerable persons”, including “persons of sixty-five (65) years of age or over are to remain segregated in their residence”.
As a result, these vulnerable persons could not use their private cars.
This means that such vulnerable persons could not take full benefit of the annual circulation licence fee (tax) which they were paying.
The government offered refunds of part of the electricity bill and part of the rent to businesses.
But it offered no refunds to vulnerable persons on their annual circulation licence tax. Is this how the government measures its social consideration for vulnerable persons?
In foreign countries, motor insurance companies have offered credit or refunds to their policyholders for a number of months.
Why is it that motor insurance companies in Malta did not offer such credit or refund to local policyholders?
One of the largest motor insurance companies in the US, State Farm Insurance, has offered about 25 per cent credit on premiums for the period of March 20 through May 31.
Other reductions were offered after May, resulting in about $4.2 billion in savings for motor insurance customers.
Alfred Farrugia – Attard
More humane solution sought
The ARMS office in Victoria lies as you go down Capuchins Street to Marsalforn. A busy street indeed.
Before the pandemic struck, all clients used to be accommodated in the modest waiting room inside the building.
However, because of the regulations by the health department because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this can no longer be done because social distancing cannot be met.
At present, people waiting to pay their bills have to stay outside the office, rain or shine.
Could a more humanely solution be found to minimise this inconvenience?
Saviour Attard – Victoria
The Palazzo Carafa saga
It is with dismay that I read the article on Palazzo Carafa by Michael Pace Ross on October 23.
This splendid 17th-century historical building is one of the jewels inherited by the Maltese thanks to the heritage bequeathed to us by the Order of St John.
It is most gratifying to see that our archbishop, aided by his competent and resourceful administrative secretary, have decided to restore this majestic building to its original state and, thus, respect the highest standards of management of one of our architectural historical gems.
One would have expected that such a laudable endeavour of professional restoration would have been applauded and immediately endorsed.
But, we are in Malta.
In Ghent, Belgium, my daughter’s father-in-law procured an old building on the periphery of the historic city centre. Not only was he obliged to respect the exterior but any indoor structural alterations done by previous owners had to be removed and the building returned to its original condition.
Please note, this is not a historic palazzo but an ordinary town dwelling.
Yet, in Malta, the attempt to rehabilitate the long-neglected palazzo is met with red tape and unbelievable nonsense defending hideous structural changes done in the 20th century for social purposes that have long since been abandoned.
As Pace Ross pleads, one hopes common sense and, may I add, common decency will prevail.
Klaus Vella Bardon – Balzan
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