Money no problem

The Malta Tourism Authority overshot its budget for 2021 by more than €19 million and, as expected, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo defended the overspending, claiming it was an investment.

Does the minister think that all Maltese are gullible? Where is the prime minister in all this? Why is he not checking on his ministers’ overspending?

Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo has defended the MTA’s overspending. File photo: Times of Malta

Why is Finance Minister Clyde Caruana approving such heavy expenditure on lavish events such as accommodation in five-star hotels, just to mention one, and then deducting more than €1 million from the university’s budget and from the Richmond Foundation, besides others?

It’s incredible how the government can overspend when it comes to taxpayers’ money.

Emily Barbaro-Sant – Mosta

More concerned with profits

Sadly, situations similar to the one Jean Gardner (October 31) found herself in are frequent these days and a lot of carriers invariably demonstrate that they’re more concerned with their profits than the customer who is paying for the service they are committed to provide.

My job entailed frequent worldwide flying and, on occasions, I found myself in similar situations. It’s deplorable because, sometimes, it interferes with business appointments and proves embarrassing. She has my sincere sympathies.

I got the impression from her letter that she was looking specifically for a Gatwick flight. In her situation, rather than try to stay in hotels for six or however many days, I would have flown to another UK destination airport and then made my way home from there.

There are at least four more airports in London to choose from (and others close by), plus trains, taxis or being picked up by her husband. Connection between airports in UK is very good and not overly expensive, certainly cheaper and less inconvenient than delaying getting home by six days or however many days the delay entailed.

Needless to say, her treatment was deplorable, by both the airline and the ground staff at the airport.

Once home, you should then read your rights and see what compensation you are entitled to claim from those concerned.

Paul Brincau – Uxbridge, UK

Quotations

A good quotation is worth remembering. A quotation is wisdom in a nutshell.

Some of the best quotations originate from ancient, classical Greece and even more so from the bible.

Recently, I came across a proverb from Tibet: “The secret of living well and longer is eat half, walk double, laugh triple and love without measure.”

Frans Said – St Paul’s Bay