Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1053035
8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 NOVEMBER 2018 NATIONALIST Party Secre- tary General Clyde Puli said yesterday that the party did not want to allow the disneyfica- tion of Malta into a society that was no longer authentic. The PN, he said, wanted Mal- tese identity to remain at the heart of society, insisting that this was currently being threat- ened by the government's eco- nomic policy. One example was the Maltese language, which he said was threatened both by the widespread use of the internet and the fact that fewer peo- ple were using the language to communicate. "A society without a sense of togetherness can't move for- ward," he stressed. Puli was speaking during a press conference launching the party's General Council which will kick off tomorrow where he said that the party had cho- sen the theme 'Wealth for eve- ryone in a society that cares'. He said the council will be focusing on issues to do with Malta's demography and its reputation, as well as the cur- rent economic situation and what it will mean for country's future. During the council, the PN will be launching a document on Malta's current economic situation, compiled by a group of several economists. Puli said the document would look at future challenges the country would face, how the govern- ment's demographic choices were impacting the country and the economic, social and environmental impacts of the government's policies. Puli pointed to concerns raised by the European Bank- ing Authority, the rating agen- cy Standard & Poor's and the OECD as evidence of this. General Council president Kristy Debono said that the theme had been chosen in or- der for the party to properly discuss the economic reality after five years of a Labour government. "While it is posi- tive that consumption had in- creased, this has not happened because of an increase in pro- ductivity... foreign workers should not be used as a means of keeping employees' wages down." The General Council will kick off on Monday running through the whole week until it closes on Sunday. MATTHEW VELLA AN investigation by the Tax Compliance Unit into a Swiss account held by the former transport minister Austin Gatt, ballooned into a €29,000 penalty over unpaid taxes resulting from having incorrectly claimed his full ministerial expense allow- ance. A court challenge by Gatt against the tax assessment has since been resolved. Gatt had been investigated in June 2013 by the Tax Compli- ance Unit over a Swiss account he failed to include in his min- isterial declaration of assets. Additionally, the TCU said Gatt had to reduce his claims for non-taxable income after he included personal constituency expenses in his tax deduction for his ministerial allowance. Originally the TCU investiga- tion was prompted by newspa- per reports after the account became public knowledge dur- ing the 2013 election campaign when Labour Party reporters asked Gatt whether he held a Swiss account. Gatt had admit- ted to inheriting the account af- ter his parents passed away but said there had been no transac- tions for over 40 years. Gatt later informed the TCU in writing that the reason he did not declare any income from the UBS account was that he never received any interest or other income. He adopted the Inland Rev- enue Department's interpreta- tion on the tax treatment of the Swiss account, since the interest was also subject to Swiss tax at source at 35%: which means that even if they were declared, any Maltese tax would have been set off by double taxation relief. In October 2013, Gatt filed ad- justments to his tax returns to pay the tax due on a paltry UBS account interest of just over €1,000 a year. Gatt was also told by the TCU that he had claimed a tax deduc- tion on the entire ministerial ex- pense budget despite not having exhausted the entire allowance. Gatt protested that he used his ministerial expense allowance for "unavoidable out-of-pocket expenses" such as gifts for wed- dings and baptisms, and hospi- tality costs, telling the TCU that it was unreasonable to expect that all expenses be supported by documentary evidence. In turns out that in 2009 the expense allowance paid to min- isters had been increased, and despite not claiming the full amount in expenses, Gatt still claimed a full deduction of the allowance in his tax returns, "on the understanding that once the allowance was a non-taxable re- ceipt, and once it was never cal- culated to be exactly equal to the actual costs... the increase in the allowance was meant as a non- taxable increase." In 2014, Gatt agreed to make payments of tax of over €33,000 to cover the adjusted amount of tax due. But a year later, the In- land Revenue requested another €29,000, which included the ex- tortionate amount of €8,800 in interest and €14,000 in penal- ties, over an unpaid portion of his tax bill amounting to €6,745. Gatt protested the bill, say- ing he had already paid his tax due in 2014, and that he should not suffer the delays of the IRD, which resulted in the 9% interest on unpaid taxes. Gatt later filed a court case contesting the IRD's tax bill, which earlier this year was ced- ed by both parties after a resolu- tion on the payment of the tax bill was reached. NEWS INCREASE LIFE! LIFE is the EU's financial instrument suppor�ng environmental, nature conserva�on and climate ac�on projects throughout the EU. LIFE has two sub-programmes: Environment and Climate Ac�on. Project proposals are welcome from public bodies, private commercial organisa�ons and private non-commercial organisa�ons (NGOs). To receive updates on the LIFE Programme email us at life.mesdc@gov.mt or find us on Facebook, Twi er and LinkedIn. Interested applicants are encouraged to check our LIFE website at h ps://msdec.gov.mt/en/life/Pages/home.aspx KAI Marine Services, LIFE+ MIGRATE Project. Photo Credits: OCEANA / Carlos Minguell ©LIFE BaĦAR for N2K OCEANA © LIFE BaĦAR for N2K St Vincent De Paul is Malta's largest and most specialised long-term care facility. We support the right of our service users for timely and efficient access to integrated service of care, in order to maintain and develop their maximal independence, dignity and choice, through evidence-based collaborative best practice and dissemination of relevant knowledge. Reference Number: CT3196/2018 Tender for the provision and installation of HVAC and lighting system at St Vincent de Paul Long- Term Care Facility, ERDF PA4.0069 The aim of the tender is to design, supply, install and commission new air-conditioning, ventilation, electrical systems; including the dismantling, roof remedial works and infrastructure and cable containment of various wards. Deadline for Submission: 04/12/18 at 09:30am CET For further information: www.etenders.gov.mt Former minister settles 'Swiss' tax investigation TCU probe on Austin Gatt's UBS account in 2013 extended to cover ministerial expense account A court challenge by Austin Gatt against the tax assessment has since been resolved PN General Council Puli warns of 'threat to Maltese culture'