COVID-19 is exposing the weaknesses of Labour-style administration. The sectors that were largely paid lip service without any vision or thought on their sustenance (do they mean sustainability?) are exactly those sectors which have once again been shoved to the corner by the financial packages announced by Robert Abela.
Culture is one of the sectors often not only largely ignored by a Labour administration (except when they need some bread and circuses) but at times actively pushed aside.
Let’s be clear from the start, money has been thrown at cultural events but this was not spent as part of a plan which sees the participation of everyone involved in the cultural sector or designed to promote projects that are sustainable. This sector is made up of very different stakeholders but they are all involved in promoting Maltese culture and in contributing to the artistic and cultural development of our society.
Yet, not all had money thrown at them when the times were good, and now in a crisis situation the government chooses to distinguish between groups within the culture sector and to provide some with better financial aid than others.
Take for example, the film producers; COVID-19 brought their income to an abrupt halt, but the Film Commission had already severely dented the income of most film producers when its commissioner initiated a practice of referring work to only a select few.
Maybe I should say ‘the’ select few!
Take book publishers; they have repeatedly cried out that their sector is not considered to be an essential link in the culture sector. The government has simply not considered them important enough to be assisted in promoting their publications and extending their outreach to customers, even if most reinvest the money they make from a good run with a niche publication.
The publishing industry risks being decimated if it does not receive immediate assistance
A good run generally won’t mean bringing them some fashionable income capable of allowing them to buy a passport, but would be merely one that could allow them to indulge (on behalf of Maltese culture) in the publication of a book that further develops Maltese culture or records it.
These two sectors need very specific assistance during this COVID-19 crisis. They need this assistance not only because they were pushed aside during the good times but also because their industry will die out should the crisis take longer than a couple of months.
The film industry is at a standstill. The measures they need are required now. Persons known to be avid stakeholders have had to take on other jobs because their industry has been suspended.
The publishing industry risks being decimated if it does not receive immediate assistance.
Both these industries will have to reinvent themselves and even re-establish themselves after the crisis. But will they want to or be able to if the government has not supported them in a way that would at least allow them some support during the crisis?
The minimum that these two industries deserve right now is that they are at least put on Annex A of the Covid Wage Supplement Measure.
This will be only a start. Other measures will also need to be considered. The film industry may be persuaded not to close shop entirely if the Film Commission under new direction comes up with a plan of attracting work as soon as COVID-19 allows it.
The textbook publishing industry needs an aligned digital platform that could at least give them hope that their work can be turned into ebooks.
The publishing industry needs help to cover the cost of postage where this is the only possible way of selling their publications. But most of the publishing industry needs measures of hope to indicate to publishers and authors that this crisis will not bring to ashes what they have striven to attain.
Therese Comodini Cachia, Nationalist MP