Letters | Sunday, 22 March 2009

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Justice on registration tax

The ongoing saga about the VAT imposed by the government on the registration tax of motor vehicles is once again showing the arrogance of our present administration. No matter the fanfare and continuous effort by Dr Gonzi to remind us that we are members of the EU thanks to the Nationalist Party, whoever is up to date with current affairs and customs in the other EU countries knows well that we are part-time Europeans.
Since October 2007, when Joseph Muscat and Louis Grech pushed forward this cause in the European Parliament, and especially since the former became leader of the opposition, the government has always insisted that there was absolutely no illegality in this regard. On the 19th of February 2009, the European Commission published a statement saying that all those who paid VAT on the registration tax have the right to take the government to court for having breached the European Commission laws. Following this news, Tonio Fenech still held on to his initial claim. With the arrogance of PN maverick Austin Gatt, he invited the taxpayers to take the government to court, being well aware how expensive and arduous the task would be for the man in the street. He definitely was not ready for Dr Muscat’s counter-attack and gesture of goodwill that was to be announced the following day. He had the cheek to lambaste the leader of the opposition for this positive initiative and put forward an infantile argument to defend himself, saying that this tax was used to finance the health and education sectors. Where else should public money go?
He also accused the opposition of using this issue with the sole aim of gaining a political advantage. The phrase “l-oppozizzjoni qed taghmel min din il-haga ballun politiku” is now a cliché. For convenience, every time the Labour Party comes up with something which puts the government in an uncomfortable situation, the aforementioned phrase is promptly used by the government and also by the so-called independent columnists. From my point of view, illegal or not, I think it’s insane to charge tax on tax.
The initiative put forward by the Labour Party was compounded by Alternattiva Demokratika, the statements by Joanna Drake and Roberta Tedesco Metsola Triccas and by the large number of Nationalist supporters who responded to Dr Muscat’s cause last Saturday in Hamrun. On Sunday morning the prime minister promised that the government would pay back the taxpayers to the last cent if it were to be found guilty in court for breaching the European Commission laws. To put our mind at rest he reminded us that it was this government that reimbursed those involved in the satellite dishes controversy. What he forgot to say is that back then, justice was made solely thanks to the effort by Dr Joseph Muscat, then an MEP under the ticket of the Labour Party.

Michael Portelli
Attard

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