|
Sales of miniature bottles of whisky and other alcoholic spirits have been delivered a big blow due to the indiscriminate application of the so-called eco-tax, MaltaToday is informed.
The eco-tax rate levied on miniature whisky bottles is the same as that for large bottles of alcohol or champagne. However, the 5c increase on the small bottles has increased the selling price of a box of miniature whisky bottles by Lm11.42. The increase has been so drastic that some airlines have now stopped buying the miniatures, importers told this newspaper.
The eco-tax has been widely lambasted for not living up to its name – that of enforcing the polluter-pays principle by levying environmentally harmful products with a tax. Instead, the eco-tax is levied on all products without discrimination in favour of efficient or environmentally sound technology.
The 5c eco-tax on all containers of wine, spirits and beer has now revealed the negative effect of its indiscriminate application, which does not take into consideration the pollution and waste created by differently-sized containers of alcohol.
|
