Labour deputy leader and shadow finance minister Charles Mangion has rebutted claims by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi that Labour’s proposal to remove income tax on overtime would effectively result into a reduction of the overtime rate.
“Our proposals simply put more money in families’ pockets. It’s an incentive for work and to improve competitiveness. Under Dr Gonzi’s leadership, our country’s competitiveness and standard of living have gone backwards, while the cost of living is always increasing,” Mangion said.
Mangion said the prime minister had to explain how VAT had increased from 15% to 18% despite promises not to increase the tax; why polyclinics had been closed down, waitings lists increases, and less medicines were available in hospitals; and why taxes had increased by an average of €116 million a year.
“Political manipulation and lies are not going to convince the Maltese and Gozitan people. They want the change that Labour will bring, a change based on concrete proposals which address the serious difficulties families find themselves in, and not promises that cannot be kept.”