Malta's quality product

Quality is the magic word that every European country should be striving for. Understanding that quality products attract quality clients and that poor products don't have the same results is not rocket science! We all know that if we throw peanuts we will get monkeys. If we want lions, we have to use meat!

Azzjoni Nazzjonali invites everybody to evaluate our country's product and judge our general quality standard. Are we happy with our product? I definitely am not and, most probably, many of the readers concur with my view. But the issue is what action are we taking in order to have a better product? Are we giving the necessary attention to detail or are we taking the easy way out and reasoning that it is OK, we can live with it?

I am of the view that if something is not up to the required standard, we must not accept it. We need to adopt a different culture and strive towards reaching the highest quality standards possible across the board, enforcing this culture through action and not with frivolous talk. We are fed up of empty promises, red, blue or green and political campaign talk. We as a nation want action. We have to face the challenge of change with a sincere determination to succeed.

I like a particular quote by Winston Churchill who said: "Kites fly highest against the wind not with it". This means that the reward and satisfaction of achieving is overcoming the various challenges and obstacles that come our way.

Malta is a gem that has been tarnished and not appreciated and which has, throughout the years, been left to accumulate dust. AN is convinced that if we, as a nation, have common goals and the will to succeed in achieving them, we shall clean up and polish this gem, restoring its beauty and making all of us Maltese and Gozitan citizens proud to be Maltese!

It is a tradition that in anyone's home the entrance hall is the best kept part of the house. Then we should ask ourselves why consecutive governments have failed to make the entrance to our capital city attractive! It is shambolic! This is the first wrong impression given to any tourist who visits Valletta!

Do we need a super minister to order a clean-up of Valletta City Gate? Do we need a super minister to create pleasant and landscaped open spaces rather than the unsightly open car parks in the main entrance to our capital city (Freedom Square) and another car park right in front of the President's Palace? Do we require millions of euros in grants to erect some decent bus shelters and adequate public conveniences at the main bus terminus at the entrance of our world heritage city? The answer is no, we don't! It only takes a couple of thousand euros and self respect to do this!

This is just one example where we have ignored the quality message; the rest are just as shocking. We are not talking about millions of euros in grants but we are seeing lack of vision and the absence of management!

Our beautiful country and our proud people deserve better! If we want to succeed, we need to adopt a culture and indeed an attitude of quality and, with good leadership, we will succeed!

AN believes that we just cannot take our nation for granted and try to impress with frivolous talk and plans just a few months, possibly weeks or days, before a general election. A good leader is judged by his performance. A bad one by his broken promises!

Our country is unique! It has a colourful and impressive history, a great strategic position and warm, hospitable and hard-working people. It is a safe country and an English-speaking nation, blessed with all the other Mediterranean natural attractions.

Here are just some of my ideas.

To upgrade our quality produce we must work towards making our country a hub for super yachts and cruise liners; create a haven for foreign residents; a Valletta renaissance; well-organised yacht marinas; more golf courses, at least one more!; a complete reform of our public transportation systems; a revamp of our Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Harbour; the establishment of Gozo as an island of tranquillity and "a get-away spot" for EU citizens;

A professional taxi service; improvement of our tourist attractions; a better service with a smile for our visitors; better quality roads; better pavements; beaches that all qualify for Blue Flag status; an embellished rocky coast with easy access for bathers; a general and continuous clean-up of our country; diversifying and promoting niche tourism like agro-tourism, scuba diving, sports tourism, health tourism, etc; promoting our country effectively; educating all of our people to instil the much-needed culture of quality; and branding: If we are all quality managers, only then can we become brand managers for our country.

Our common objective must always be to improve our quality of life. AN believes that with strong leadership, good vision and sheer determination we should establish our country as "the jewel of the Mediterranean".

Mr Xuereb is deputy leader of Azzjoni Nazzjonali.