So events have inevitably caught up with us. We have received a humiliating international call to order, a greylisting of Malta by the FATF, placing the island on a par with the likes of Zimbabwe! This is Labour’s version of the best in the world. Malta has been declared lacking in willingness and ability to seriously apply itself in the war against money laundering and, indirectly, international financing of terrorism.

Did we see this coming? Of course we did, way back in 2013, echoing citizen fears, the Malta Employers’ Association came out strongly against the sale of EU citizenship scheme, a typical cheap La­bour get-rich quick-fix. A perfect recipe to undermine our reputation and the integrity of our vital financial services sector.

Of course, we saw it coming when, in 2016, a majority of Maltese citizens became alarmed and called for the resig­nation of Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi in face of the Panama Papers revelations. But then prime minister Joseph Muscat told us that he saw nothing wrong in enterprising and successful international business people setting up secret companies in disreputable Panama and this despite there also being damn­ing evidence that their companies were to benefit from daily $5,000 payments originating from shady sources connected with a national power station project.

Again, it was pointed out by so many that such state-tolera­ted blatant misbeha­viour would damage our reputation and our important financial services sector. Instead of remedial action, we were offered Pilatus Bank that behaved dubiously not only in broad daylight but also in spotlighted, video recorded, night time.

Again, it was pointed out that our bank­ing system could face trouble, as international US dollar correspondent banks might begin to hesitate having dealings with Malta-based banks. This warning was ignored and damaging consequences soon followed.

On an international level, the state of Malta engaged in two high-profile business investment deals, a power station and a hospital privatisation project. From the start, these initiatives got mired in controversy and very apparent corrupt behaviour. This sent out a signal to serious investors to watch it when considering doing business with Malta. The island’s ability to attract clean foreign direct investment was handicapped. Respectable international clients, needing and looking for financial services, found reason to shy away from shady Malta.

Since 2013, an environment of impunity seems to prevail in respect of a vast army of corrupt wrongdoers and pro­fiteers, basically sending a signal to make hay while im­punity shines. This has led to malfeasance in so many business sectors, definitely in construction and, extremely worrying, in state monitoring bodies and institutions. The daily life of honest employees and operators in these sectors has become oppressive.

Malta is on a par with the likes of Zimbabwe! This is Labour’s version of the best in the world- Arthur Muscat

Events have caught up with this negative Labour behaviour and Malta is now paying the price. After all the boasting about the best of times and Malta outshining the rest of the world we find ourselves in the company of Yemen, Haiti and South Sudan. We have joined a team of pariah states.

Now we come up with this call to unite; we have been told to do our part! What unity and what part is who called to play? For a start, it appears that the opposition is not perceived as a valid participant in this effort to achieve whitelisting. Surely the opposition, with its super-cautious approach, its very contained and intermittent belligerency, cannot be accused of sabotaging anything! And effectively, what can the opposition do to free Malta from this damaging FATF greylisting? Not much, really, except more vigilance and pressure to force Labour to change tack.

Labour must be induced to stop perpetual bad governance. Corrupt political and business wrongdoers must not keep on enjoying impunity from prosecution. Protection seems to prevail for so many law and regulation enforcers who refuse to perform their duty. As they occupy vital top posts in critical state monitoring institutions many such officials are manifestly corrupt and incompetent. Protests have never ceased against this state of affairs. The free media, with its courageous journalists, and prominent civil society NGOs are relentless in holding Labour to account.

The ball is now in the court of Labour and we are all waiting to see the start of redemptive behaviour that should edge Malta out of a mess that is causing so much damage to a financial services sector that provides thousands of jobs. If it so desires, the government has all the power and authority to act. We have been told that insufficient enforcement is the main reason behind the greylisting. We sure can do without empty talk of best in the world, unity and traitors. The time has arrived for credi­ble and effective remedial decision taking worthy of a civilised state.

We need to see and convince others that Malta lives up to its EU commitments. We must stop prevaricating about holding on to a discredi­ted sale of EU citizenship scheme. It is so obvious that in the process we are antagonising prominent and powerful friends and allies. Labour must start to effect judicious appointments of valid and suitable diplomatic officials.

A competent nurturing of meaningful relations with the likes of the US, the UK and Germany is overdue. Friendship and collaboration with such western countries is in Malta’s interest and should help pull up Labour from its current level of serious governance incompetence so that the island may, once more,  raise its standards higher than those of Zimbabwe.

Arthur Muscat, human resources and industrial relations specialist