Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1455666
14 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 FEBRUARY 2022 NEWS ELECTION 2022 Finance minister insists tax cuts lead to growth, finance social measures LUKE VELLA FINANCE minister Clyde Caru- ana has insisted Labour's tax cut pledges for workers and self-em- ployed would leave more money in people's pockets, generating more revenue in the long run, to finance social measures. Caruana and energy minis- ter Miriam Dalli addressed a press conference on Saturday morning at the PL headquar- ters in Ħamrun, where they ran through the party's already an- nounced electoral promises. Labour's financial pledges in this election include tax cuts for all employed and self-employed workers, by raising tax ceilings by €1,700 to reduce tax burdens. The government estimates this will leave between €255 to €300 in people's pockets. "As the na- tional 'cake' grows, more reve- nue can be used on social meas- ures," Caruana said. Pensioners in the next five years will also get a €15 weekly increase apart from the weekly COLA (Cost Of Living Allow- ance). "The country's finances are in a strong state, the econ- omy is growing, and I am confi- dent we can do this." Caruana said a corporate tax reduction from 35% to 25% would be providing more liquid- ity to businesses, and opportu- nities to invest in the economy. He said the new cost-of-liv- ing mechanism would provide additional supplements when- ever needed. "This new mech- anism has to be introduced so that an additional supplement is provided whenever it is re- quired. We will be continuously increasing pensions," Caruana said. Dalli on the other hand said the €700 million investment in the road infrastructure through- out this legislature, helped at- tract new foreign investment to Malta. "The infrastructure of the country was not adequate to attract foreign investment. The €700 million injection into Mal- ta's infrastructure helped attract new investment to Malta, but we must now shift priorities on- to the environment," Dalli said. She said a €700 million envi- ronmental investment pledged by Labour, would lead to a bet- ter quality of life in the densest parts of the urban areas of Mal- ta. Dalli said this investment will help Malta reach its decarboni- sation targets. Dalli referred to another pledge, which promises to give a yearly €1,000 for the first 10 years to those purchasing their first property. "We are offer- ing youths the opportunity to achieve their dreams. Apart from the loan repayment we are also increasing the stipends by 15%" Dalli said. LUKE VELLA ADPD – The Green Party has called for a Constitutional amendment so that declarations on environmental principles grant citizens the right to sue Government, for inaction over issues of environmental concern. This was stated by ADPD Chair- person Carmel Cacopardo during a press conference in Birzebbugia on Saturday. He said the environmen- tal policies were inspired by the fact that human beings form part of an ecosystem. "Environmental policies should be focusing on the benefits of our ecosystem and not just on fixes to previous damages," Cacopardo said. "More so, it should serve as a means to ensure that the activity we car- ry out today does not lead to more harm." He said Maltese governments have only sought to satisfy present de- mands, without giving much atten- tion to the future. "In local popular culture the envi- ronment tends to be associated with construction and with hunting and trapping. Although these have as- sumed disproportionate importance in local environmental policy, in ac- tual fact this should be more encom- passing," Cacopardo said. "It should be possible where nec- essary that individual citizens seek Court protection in areas where the government is procrastinating, or failing to take action, or not doing enough." According to Cacopardo such measures would strengthen the sta- tus of environmental NGOs and civil society, which he said have a right to bring action in Maltese and Europe- an courts. "eNGOs should also re- ceive state aid to be able to carry out better their obligations," Cacopardo concluded . ADPD Deputy General Secretary and candidate Melissa Bagley insist- ed that the proposed site for a mod- el aircraft airstrip in Ħal Far would lead to the destruction of agricultur- al land. "A proposed site for an airstrip for model aircraft on the periphery of Ħal Far – the size of five football grounds – stretching along a des- ignated Natura 2000 site in Wied Żnuber will mean the destruction of agricultural land as well as the spoil- ing of ecologically important zones", insisted . She explained that according to EU environmental rules, a Natura 2000 site should be largely centred on people working with nature rather than against it. Bagley emphasised that paving agricultural land and landfilling of garigue for and airstrip and a clubhouse, were "destructive" to the environment. "The land earmarked for the de- velopment has been described as 'disturbed' due to the agricultur- al activity on site. However, the . Birżebbuġa and neighbouring villag- es have already received their more- than-fair share of industrialization activity impacting on the quality of life of the residents and this pro- posed project would be another nail in the coffin for our natural herit- age," Bagley said. "Stop playing games, stop the emp- ty promises made on the eve of an election." ADPD: Constitutional right to sue over environmental inaction MATTHEW VELLA THE independent candi- date Arnold Cassola has re- quested the Commissioner for Revenue to make avail- able his tax returns going back as much as 30 years, if requested. The former Alternattiva Demokratika chairman, who is contesting on the 10th and 11th districts, said in a press conference outside the Inland Revenue Department that he was formally consenting in a letter to the taxman to re- lease his tax returns should they be requested. "The past legislature has been characterised by a considerable number of politicians and PEPs who avoided or evaded taxes or had a dubious relationship with their duties as respon- sible citizens," Cassola said. "We all remember how Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri set up secret companies in Panama, with the specific aim of hiding their undeclared wealth and of receiving kickbacks from Yorgen Fenech's 17Black and Chen Ching's Macbridge. "We then had Labour MP Ian Castaldi Paris who amassed over one mil- lion euros in unexplained wealth, which had not been declared to the taxman. "PN leader Bernard Grech, in 2006, was asked to settle a hefty bill for unpaid tax- es between 1990 and 1996, then again in 2012 for the years 1999-2011 and again he was asked to settle VAT assessments for 2014 to 2019. "PN MP David Thake was also outed for not having paid €270,000 due to the VAT office. He attributed this to cash flow problems." Cassola said much more serious were the stories concerning Labour MP Ro- sianne Cutajar and Prime Minister Robert Abela. "The first one accepted payments from the busi- nessman, whom she knew to be a briber of politicians, and did not declare these earnings to the taxman. The Prime Minister, in- stead, has millions in unex- plained wealth, and he per- sists in not revealing his tax returns. The situation in his case is seriously complicat- ed by the fact that we now know he dealt in business with callous criminals, in- cluding Christian Borg and, maybe, even others." Cassola said that Malta needs to have honest politi- cians who are open to pub- lic scrutiny. "Already as a candidate I am authorising the Com- missioner of Revenue to make accessible to jour- nalists my tax returns, if requested. I now expect Prime Minister Abela and other politicians to follow suit. "Unexplained wealth can no longer be the hallmark of Maltese parliamentari- ans," Cassola said. Tax returns of all MPs are made available by the Speaker of the House upon request by registered news- paper editors, as laid down in Maltese law. Transparency pledge: Cassola says MPs, candidates must show tax returns Arnold Cassola said that as a candidate, he was authorising the Commissioner for Revenue to make available his tax returns to anyone who enquires about his wealth