Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/345566
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 13 JULY 2014 24 Letters Send your letters to: The Editor, MaltaToday, MediaToday Ltd. Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 | Fax: (356) 21 385075 E-mail: newsroom@mediatoday.com.mt. Letters to the Editor should be concise. No pen names are accepted. Abraham Lincoln stated that nothing is certain in life except for death and taxation. In fact in recent days both the Prime Minister and his Parliamentary Secretary were unwilling to give any guarantees that there will not be any further tax increases. We believe that in today's economic climate it is unwise for Minister George Pullicino to argue for the further imposition of taxes. We are experiencing an ailing econ- omy, a sense of uncertainty with fewer tourist arrivals, a fall in the manufacturing economy and fewer reported sales at the trade fair. The economy is sluggish and ailing. There is less money in circu- lation and an extremely high debt level. To impose higher taxation in this economic climate is madness. There is a lack of disposable income which is impinging the pub- lic's purchasing power. Consumer spending is down and as a con- sequence the economy carries on suffering. There is no 'good' feeling. Indeed this feeling seems to have dissipated since 1995 when VAT was introduced extremely harshly. With hindsight there should have been a much softer VAT landing at a lower rate possibly 5 percent which would have allowed both the businessman and the consumer time to adjust and to get used to the shift from direct to indirect taxa- tion. Having said this if VAT were not introduced, today's debt would have been much higher. Suddenly, in this economic background, Mr Pullicino decides to introduce a tax camouflaged as an eco contribution in order to sweeten the pill. So much for the pre-electoral campaign against eco- taxes by Pieta. This newspaper favours the introduction of an eco-tax on the clear understanding however that the measure is not intended to be introduced simply for revenue generation, but to encourage envi- ronmental awareness among the consumer based on the principle that the polluter pays. According to the budget, a number of products had to be selected for their impact on the environment. The idea of such a tax is to direct the consumer to buy environmentally friendly products by putting a charge on the non –friendly products. It appears, however, that Govern- ment is toying with the idea of introducing a blanket provision whereby all products are subjected to such a tax. This is folly as it goes against the very raison d'etre of such a tax. If Mr Pullicino is looking at such a tax simply as a way to finance his waste management strategy then the measure is misplaced. The government should turn to the EU and start complaining 'aggressively' about the need to be funded on this one too. Mr Pullicino must realise that the country can ill afford more taxa- tion. If it is intending to introduce further taxation, it will do so at its peril. The middle class is already feeling extremely sandwiched, its patience is fast running out. An ailing economy with a massive debt and a lowering of living standards has all the ingredients for popular protest. This newspaper stands four square behind the plight of the middle class which is feeling and experiencing a lower standard of living. The indiscriminate introduc- tion of a tax on all products risks being detrimental to the business community and to the economy in general. The economy is at the crossroads and Government must decide to take a stand in favour of business. It is with much regret that we notice a growing distanc- ing of this Government from the business community. The cry from the middle class is loud and clear, no more taxation. Further taxation will sound the death knell to the economy. Why is a perception growing daily that decisions are being taken in a hasty and half thought out manner? Why does this government act in a crisis management mode, fire fighting desperately and being unable to communicate the big European picture well? We always knew that Europe was not going to be a free ride or a joy ride but we were always led to believe that Europe would lead to a better quality of life. We remain certain that it will in the long run, but in the short term Government must play its part even more rigorously to ensure that it cuts its revenue wisely and fairly. How can government justify lavish spending in certain areas - the recent purchase of a property in Brussells is a case in point, and simultaneously expect the ordinary citizen to bear the brunt? Mr Pullicino must listen and moderate his taxation plans. This tax must be limited to non-environ- mentally friendly products. It is in this spirit that we would understand if the taxation were increased. The fiscal measures should be used to encourage the purchase of environ- mentally friendly goods or contain- ers that will be recycled. But the proposals as so far presented appear to target a far wider product range and are not limited to packaging. It appears just as a fiscal measure to increase Government revenue. This is unacceptable. All products will simply increase in price and this will generate less spending with all the negative results this brings for any economy. It simply does not make good commercial sense and certainly not in the prevailing economic climate. Our message is simple, no more across the board taxation, Mr Pul- licino. Government has announced that it will be setting up a commission to evaluate the affects of this tax on the economy. The likely affects are already there for all to see: the tax will increase prices and will make people spend less. The result of the so-called eco-taxes will be diametrically opposed to what the economy needs at this very moment in time: more spending and growth in order to kick-start the economy. The Prime Minister would be best advised to set up an economic think tank made up of competent and professional persons qualified in economic matters. They should guide him and show him a way out of a difficult economic situation which becomes more dangerous daily. No more taxation, Mr Pullicino Editorial • July 18 2004 No catalogue of shame in comparison In January 2013, in another paper, John Guillaumier gave vent to a similar detailed account of the crimes and cruelty committed by our Christian forbears. And it was written in the same vitriolic vein of deep opprobrium towards the Catholic Church. For reasons of space, I can only touch lightly on Guillaumier's mention of murders carried out by the Christians. In the history of warfare and persecution during a period of 1,800 years, there is no warrant for considering the crusades as a world of historical crime of any sort. And that goes for any other period of violence by the secular and clerical fanatics. Mr. Guillaumier certainly has no kind words for Christians but surely religion has not been the bane of history. By exploiting his excellent pen and fertile imagina- tion, he focused on the atheist moral critique and this critique greatly exaggerated the crimes that have been committed by religious fanatics, while neglecting or ration- alising the vastly greater crimes committed by secular and atheist fanatics. I do not for a moment deny that sometimes religion was a source of self-righteousness and that this tendency could have led to persecu- tion and violence. In the past it has indeed been so. But for Christians the tragedy of violence in the name of religion is thankfully in the an- cient past. Mention of these crimes and wars does not justify the blood- thirsty horror and violence beyond all imagining against Christians and exonerate them from utter condemnation. Let's begin with the Crusades. The horror perpetrated by the Muslim side is always notably concealed. After all the Christians struck back after more than 200 years of militant Islam's foreign conquest of a very vast territory. They were not rapacious con- querors or murderers but rather pilgrims. The horrific images of the Inqui- sition are largely a myth concocted by the political enemies of Spain and later of religion. Trials were more lenient and fairer than their secular counterparts. Frequently the only penalty given was fasting or a community service. Contem- porary historians estimate that around 2,000 were executed for heresy. These deaths are all tragic but we must remember that they occurred over a period of 350 years. Admittedly the Thirty Years' War could have been started for religious motives but eventually it was fuelled by political contests of influence, power and territory. For argument's sake, all the other crimes and massacres are accepted but the evident conclusion is that religion-inspired killing simply cannot compete with the murders perpetrated by atheist regimes. Taken together, the Crusades, the Inquisition and the witch burn- ings killed approximately 200,000 people. Adjusting for the increase in population, that's the equivalent of one million deaths today. Even so these deaths caused by Chris- tian rulers over a 500 year period amount to less than one percent of the deaths caused by Stalin, Hitler and Mao Ze Dong in the space of a few decades. One hundred million Christians have been killed throughout the years and this number is always increasing. In Pope Francis' words "I tell you today we have more martyrs than we had during the first years of the Church." In conclusion, the indisputable fact is that all the religions of the world put together have in 3,000 years not managed to kill anywhere near the number of people killed in the name of atheism in the past few decades. Deduct the killings of the current ethnic fanatic Muslims and communists and you will have a very insignificant number of crimes committed by Christians to show, and this in the ancient bygone past. It is time to abandon the mind- lessly repeated mantra that religious belief has been the main source of human conflict and vio- lence. Atheism was, and still is. Despite all this, the Church still preaches pardon and love, ashamed but undeterred by the criminal fail- ings of any of its own. In the meantime Mr Guillaumier keeps us guessing how and why all this hatred towards the Church has accumulated throughout the years. He certainly tries hard to impose on readers his uncanny knack for placing his manicured fingers on records of murders by Christians and conveniently leaves untouched the tsunami of mass murders committed by others. His ultimate aim is to vilify the Church at every opportunity with grit and deter- mination. This is also done with calculated gusto to the extent that he is also an entertainer. John Azzopardi Zabbar Reference is made to the report published on the MaltaToday news portal, titled 'Construction magnate Nazzareno Vassallo accused of perjury'. I would like to give a wider picture to the case to eliminate certain negative impressions that could have arisen from this report. A civil court case is currently pending between Joseph Vella of Avantegarde and Vassallo Builders Ltd. The case relates to works com- missioned to Joe Vella by my com- pany at Prince of Wales Residence in Sliema. Bad workmanship, delay in delivery and the use of poor quality materials resulted in Vassallo Build- ers Ltd terminating the contract of works between the parties. With court proceedings having already reached an advanced stage and with the report by the court's appointed experts already presented and published, Mr Vella instigated a separate legal case trying to dis- credit my evidence and the validity of the documents I exhibited. One wonders why Mr Vella opted for a separate criminal court case against me rather than presenting the same concerns and complaints in the civil court case. Mr Vella's al- legations in my regard are unfound- ed, frivolous and vexatious. Nazzareno Vassallo Chairman, Vassallo Group This sudden coziness our Prime Minister is displaying with regard to the Chinese government surely begs the question – why? What could a world power, thou- sands of geographic and cultural miles away from us, possibly gain from throwing money at our prob- lems? This 'Memorandum of Understand- ing' sounds like a way to make an Asian outpost of our little nation. I would not want to sound racist but this sudden interest in Malta must surely raise some eyebrows other than mine. A move towards greener energy is a good thing. As are strong interna- tional relations, in a world where the internet has already brought us closer together. However the motivations behind both of these moves, so happily bro- kered away from the scrutiny of the general public, should be made clear. Vincent Falzon Mqabba The bigger picture The China connection