Fair deal for band clubs
The item ‘Talks with owners to buy 10 band clubs as government tries to avoid evictions’ (June 26) indicates the government is considering using state funds to buy properties rented out to band clubs by third parties.
To do this, the government should consult and have the required go ahead from state entities. Is such action permissible? What is the opinion of parliamentarians, of the legal profession and entities entrusted with the financial interests of the wider community?
There may, indeed, be an urgent need for this issue to be dealt with, however, the government should not steamroll ahead without paying due attention to doing it in the right, constitutionally acceptable manner.
Facts show that most taxpayers have little, if any, connection with the local band clubs. This is unfortunate.
Come the village feast, there are the band marches and any other social activities put up by the club for the specific occasion in which locals may or may not participate. The bigger clubs may organise social and cultural events but these are rather restricted in number and usually require payment for participation. Which is only fair, of course.
Because of these reasons, most taxpayers will feel, perhaps quite rightly, that they will be getting a bad deal if the government uses state funds to buy out third-party properties to simply hand these over to the clubs.
A very negative state of affairs may result if no sound, professionally-secure legal contracts and preconditions are not included to ensure that the properties are used for the well-being not just of the club members and the wider community but also the government .
Important pre-conditions might include:
• that state officials work out the amount of rent payable by the club for the use of the specific properties and failure to pay the rent would entail the discontinuation of the contract;
• a band club without a democratically appointed and capable administration would not qualify for the government scheme;
• all band clubs would be required (and assisted by the government, if need be) to hold activities that help encourage more participation by locals while providing any required service to the community (If the government ever needs to use part of the property to provide medical or ancillary services to the community, such section of the club is provided immediately.); and
• band clubs have to function with all due respect to the interests and well-being of the neighbours.
Joseph Grech – Ħamrun
A bus stop for Tarzan
Bus stop 2540Bus stop 2540, Technopark 5 at the Technopark, Mosta is a sight to see, or not to see, as all the information it is supposed to convey is hidden by branches and an excessive amount of leaves from a nearby tree.
Even the name of the bus stop is hidden.
Will someone responsible take action and cut off those offensive branches and leaves? Or, instead, put the bus stop somewhere else so as not to shear the tree?
As the situation now stands, only Tarzan can shin up the pole to know what’s hidden under that canopy of jungle leaves.
Joseph Cachia – St Paul’s Bay
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