The conversion with the euro seems to have struck a chord with the Maltese sense of pride, as those with enthusiasm are enjoying starting to use their new currency. The euro conversion committee deserves much praise for the professional way the whole campaign has been handled, with close to very few hitches at all. The advertising campaign, the helpline, and the good use of the media, have all helped to make this conversion period even far more smoother than the previous changes in currency that our country has experienced.
As the euro becomes more and more a part of our popular psyche and not juts a currency, it is also hoped that somehow, with the daily use of the euro, the European mentality also starts creeping into Malta at a far stronger pace. This, one of the last barriers of our full integration into Europe, should be taken as a signal of the need for change.
In the meantime there are a number of measures that need to be taken in earnest. Firstly, it bears repeating that the euro per se should not be a reason for prices to increase. The official rate has been set and all prices should be converted at the agreed price. There is no reason at all why prices should be rounded up simply because of the conversion. Fairness dictates that prices should be rounded down so as to avert any popular perception that the consumer is being short-changed. Accordingly, measures taken by the authorities to nip in the bud any abuses that have already surfaced, are right and proper. The watchdog against all abuses in the final analysis should be the consumer himself who should alert the NECC helpline. Equal vigilance should be exercised to ensure that change is in fact given in euros and not in Maltese liri. The consumers should also not use the retail outlets as banks to convert their Maltese currency as this creates an unnecessary burden on the retail outlets.
With the passage of time we will all realise that the introduction of the euro gives the average consumer a golden opportunity to compare like with like, since the price of any service or consumable provided in Malta can now be compared with similar services offered abroad. Italian television adverts will immediately bring into Maltese homes the reality of prices overseas some of which indeed may be far lower which could serve as an incentive to Maltese businesses to make their prices far more competitive since they are now competing in a European market place. The price of a coffee in Valletta will be compared with the price of a similar coffee in a European capital. Similar comparisons could take place on a range of service and purchases including the cost of cars, mobile services, televisions and other consumables that are high in the list of priorities for the Maltese people.
This is all apart from the obvious advantages which immediately arise as a result of our entering Euroland. Firstly the euro should attract more investment to our shores since by being a part of the eurozone Malta has immediately acquired added financial credibility and status. Secondly, our exporting companies have acquired a bigger and immediate market in the European mainland. Businesses are also helped by the lack of conversion costs and the bureaucracy involved. Equally favourable to the travelling public is the euro that can be freely used on mainland Europe.
Our aspiration is that the use of the euro will also start the process of integrating a European mentality in Malta too. This involves the inculcating of European values which have survived the course of history ever since the French Revolution 300 years ago. We need to think less as islanders, adopt a greater sense of community, aspire to further integrate the full gamut of human rights which the European Union champions, and strike a fair balance between market liberalism and social welfare.
Most especially, we need to cultivate the value of tolerance towards each other by accepting different opinions and not branding any person with a different opinion as an adversary; by accepting newcomers to our labour market in the spirit of free movement; by welcoming foreigners who are actively seeking our help; and by truly believing in our human rights obligations towards others. Tolerance is a value which has truly rendered European a colourful political reality. And Malta should be an equally colourful part of this union of nations. Tolerance will enrich us politically, culturally, socially, and also economically.