The government is to
be congratulated for the excellent restoration of Portes
des Bombes. It is a pleasure to behold.
The most heartening aspect of this restoration -
which we understand cost in the region of Lm50,000
- is that
perhaps at last it has dawned on ministers that concentrating
on a number of relatively small- or medium-sized restoration
projects could be so much more cost-effective than
the grand projects of which they are so fond.
Think what could have been achieved in Valletta if
- notwithstanding the utility of St James Cavalier
- the
Lm4.5 million spent on that project had been invested
instead in 100 other restoration projects in Valletta
of equivalent cost to that of Portes des Bombes.
Our capital city would today stand transformed.
Moreover, the knock-on effects of having the capital
city rehabilitated to its former glory would be
two-fold: first, in restoring national pride in the
most beautiful
baroque fortified city in Europe, and a World Heritage
Site. Secondly, in terms of the jobs and economic
activity which would be generated both in undertaking
such restoration
projects as well as through having an attractive
vibrant capital where people would wish to visit,
work and
live again.
To invest in cultural heritage is to invest in
our economic well-being. It is in our self-interest
to
do so.
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