Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1297549
3 LETTERS & EDITORIAL maltatoday | SUNDAY • 11 OCTOBER 2020 Mikiel Galea Letters & Clarifications A moral evil IN Prof. Isabel Stabile's letter 'The right to choose' (MaltaToday, 4 Octo- ber), by her own admission, the foetus is completely dependent on the body of the woman for the first 24 weeks. Similarly, if a sapling is deprived of the soil or peat around it, the inten- tion is to get rid of the plant. In the case of abortion: an abominable mur- der. For man the right to life is a funda- mental right. That means that he has the right to be born and then continue to live until one's natural death. It is difficult to imagine a more unjust and cruel situation than to take the lives of children yet unborn and thus incapable of defending them- selves, with the approval of an abor- tion law. Here we are dealing with a fundamental imperative of every decent conscience – the defence of the right to life of an innocent and defenceless human being. A clear moral evil is involved here, when what is at stake is the com- mandment "Do not kill"! To persist in her stance is diabolical and shows that she is unable to shed off her impenetrable casing of a badly informed conscience, folly and prej- udice. John Azzopardi Zabbar COVID and car insurance SENIOR citizens, particularly pen- sioners who have retired, do not drive their private cars every day. Since 28 March of this year, vulnerable people, including people over 65 years of age, have been requested to stay at home as a result of L.N. 111. Moreover, several workers had the opportunity to work from home because of COV- ID-19. In foreign countries, motor insur- ance companies have offered a 15% credit on motor insurance premiums because of COVID-19. In the case of GEICO insurance company in the United States, it is estimated that it has provided approximately $2.5 bil- lion through policy credits to auto, motorcycle and RV policyholders. The Malta Automobile Club wishes to suggest that local motor insurance companies consider the possibility of offering a similar credit to their cli- ents, particularly those over 65 years of age, and workers who are working from home! The government has offered refunds to businesses on their rents and elec- tricity bills as a result of COVID-19. Is it possible for the government to offer a refund to senior citizens and other workers on the annual circulation licence fee (tax)? As a result of the pandemic, several people have not derived the benefit of the tax that they paid. Some pension- ers pay €762 and more every year for their private car. The whole system of the annual circulation licence fee (tax) is serious- ly flawed. Which private car causes more congestion and emissions: a private car with a large engine capaci- ty driven for about 2,000km a year, or a smaller car that is driven more than 20,000 or 30,000 kilometres a year? As its name implies, the tax is sup- posed to be levied on "circulation", so the tax should be based on the amount of use of the car "in circula- tion", and not on its engine capacity or rate of emissions! The current system of the annual circulation licence fee (tax) is daylight robbery, and needs to be changed, es- pecially for senior citizens. The Malta Automobile Club expects some action from the government on this issue – including a refund – in the coming Budget! Alfred A. Farrugia Malta Automobile Club