Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/208710
8 News maltatoday, SUNDAY, 10 NOVEMBER 2013 AD: Golden passport 'reputational threat' Busuttil to force transparency by divulging IIP citizens' names MIRIAM DALLI SATURDAY was an uncommon day Carmel Cacopardo GREEN Party Alternattiva Demokra- tika said yesterday's debate had shown the Labour government was putting up for sale passports, in law that it said was "objectionable". "The commitment to invest in Malta on the part of those applying for economic citizenship is nominal, and there is a lack of transparency," deputy chairman Carmel Cacopardo said. "AD recognises the improvements to the original proposal, namely on due diligence and the creation of regulator. But the economic citizenship offered by government is a threat to Malta's reputation, acquired throughout the years and which has resulted in jobs associated with financial services. These may now be under threat." Cacopardo also said that the Opposition's threat to withdraw IIP citizenships, if elected, had not been backed up by a publicised legal opinion that could be scrutinized. "Not enough of an effort has been made to find a solution beneficial to Malta." for a House meeting to debate the Individual Investor Programme in committee stage. But MPs wrangled over the course of three hours in a debate that seemed to go nowhere: the government refused all bar one of the Opposition's amendments to the golden passport law, which will sell Maltese citizenship at €650,000. In the end, the nine-seat majority carried the controversial law. The draft bill amending the Maltese Citizenship Act failed to attract any form of consensus, with such amendments as transparency on the names of applicants – a red line for the PN – refused. Only one amendment, a minor linguistic amendment demanding that the oath of allegiance should be held in Malta, was carried. Of the government's own volition, as announced by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat on Friday, the draft bill presented to the House had a clause granting the Home Affairs Minister the faculty of awarding citizenship to IIP applicants facing "politically motivated charges", removed. Among the several bones of contention between the two sides, the government's refusal to publish the names of IIP applicants led the Opposition to announce it would publish all names of IIP citizens once elected to power. Already inured to the fact that Muscat had attempted to destabilise the opposition by proposing the trusted former Cabinet chief Godwin Grima as the regulator of the IIP and Identity Malta, the opposition was also unimpressed by the creation of a 'security committee' that would include Simon Busuttil, to oversee the IIP. The PN pointed out the contradic- Opposition leader Simon Busuttil tions on the lack of transparency. The law proposed that the regulator presents an annual report on the discharge of his functions to the home affairs minister, but without including personal data relating to the IIP citizens. "Why all this secrecy? It's absurd. Why should government encourage someone to have his identity hidden?" Nationalist MP Francis Zammit Dimech said, pointing out that it was Maltese citizens who were being denied a basic right to "know who is Maltese". In a press conference after the 12pm vote, opposition leader Simon Busuttil accused the Labour government of steamrolling over the wishes of the Maltese people in its efforts at passing the law, that will now precede a 'pilot phase' for the granting of the new citizenships. But Busuttil was steadfast that if reelected, a PN government would either repeal the law, or completely change the Citizenship Act and not just "tweak it". "It stinks," Busuttil said of the IIP. "We tabled amendments to turn the scheme from a terrible one to a better one that is based on investment, instead of a one-time donation, and which would require residence of at least five years." The opposition wanted to have citizenship granted on condition of a minimum five-year residence and a minimum €5 million investment in the the Maltese economy. Additionally, at least 30 days' residence in Malta would have to take place annually. Like the majority of these amendments, the government would not waiver. "This is what we are putting forward and we nothing else to add," home affairs minister Manuel Mallia told the House. On his part, Busuttil asked that at the very least all names of successful IIP applicants were made public. "I am greatly disappointed because the government did not budge an inch, showing how much it values the politics of consensus," he later said. The opposition voted against all nine clauses included in the draft law, with Busuttil saying that it was against the law "in principle". "When the final vote is taken on Tuesday, we will once again vote against the law and if it does go through we will renew our commitment to stop the scheme and revoke the citizenships granted by this government through the scheme once we are in government." His suggestion at revoking IIP citizenships has already been declared "unconstitutional" by the Attorney General. The opposition also voted against the appointment of a regulator and a monitoring committee comprising of the Prime Minister, the home affairs minister and the opposition leader. But Muscat's proposal to have Godwin Grima – the former head of civil service served under the Gonzi administration – as the regulator failed to reach its desired effect. Rather than appease, it strengthened the PN's resolve: "The regulator is just a puppet in government's hands who cannot even publish individuals' names. His hands are tied by the law." Busuttil even said his inclusion in a monitoring committee was "insulting". "How can we monitor a scheme if we disagree with in principle?" Busuttil said. But the opposition leader said he would participate in the committee once the Bill is approved, and even divulge the names of the IIP citizens without waiting for the next general election. "Mallia compared the secrecy of these names to the secrecy inside the Security Services – can you imagine to what lengths they're going?" Busuttil said. PM: 'Destructive Opposition against IIP success' JOSEPH Muscat may have car- ried the IIP in the House but in his address to the Labour Party's Gozo AGM, he was still selling the golden passport scheme as "an innovative idea" set to attract "the best talent to Malta and create wealth". He used words such as "unprecedented calibre" to describe the law that will sell passports for €650,000, which he has estimated can bring in €30 million for the public coffers and create new jobs. he hief He used the occasion to direct a good dose of criticism at the Opposition. "It's clear from its destructive attitude that the opposition doesn't want it to be a success. But nobody is taking it seriously when it threatens to repeal citizenship… only totalitarian regimes behave in that manner." He argued against the opposition's demand to cap economic citizenships, saying that the same reasoning would apply to foreigners marrying Maltese. "Foreigners who marry Maltese, become Mal- tese citizens themselves, benefit from social benefits, receive free healthcare and their children receive free education. And that is how it should be. And just the same, I want to welcome the rich who are able to pay and invest in our country," he said. He also poured scorn over the fact that the PN voted against appointing a regulator, proposed as former Cabinet secretary Godwin Grima. "They definitely cannot say that Grima is close to Labour," he said. ecuti e fficer of the Foundation for ducationa er ices notifies that: ea ed tenders wi be recei ed at F t icho as o ege o s econdar u to noon of ednesda th o ember from interested arties for choo tarfa F Provision of Training for Numeracy Programme Tutors and Supply of Resources for ESF Project 1.229 Skills Acquisition For Children And Adolescents Further Information can be obtained from the Foundation's website: www.fes.org.mt or bernard. arb go .mt – Investing in your Future Prime Minister Joseph Muscat