Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/585015
9 Budget 2016 maltatoday, TUESDAY, 13 OCTOBER 2015 EXCISE AND TAX New 'tax' on chewing gum, while tobacco excise doubles FOLLOWING the removal of the eco-tax earlier this year to remove market distortions, government has decided to introduce an excise tax on polluting products. These include chewing gum, plastic bags and alco- holic and non-alcoholic beverages. Chewing gum will be taxed at €9 per kilogramme more than twice the eco-tax which has been removed. The excise tax on plastic bags will be equal to the eco-tax (14c per bag). The government will take €750,000 in excise tax on chewing gum pack- aging in 2016. The removal of the eco-tax will see revenue from plastic bags excise gen- erate €550,000 in revenue, €450,000 on bottled water, and €1.2 million on non-alcoholic beverages. Cigarette packets to increase by 30c Cigarette packets will be increas- ing as of today by an average of 30c, increasing government's revenue from €4 million to almost €10 mil- lion. Meanwhile the excise duty on cement will increase by €5 per tonne. Police to enjoy 15% tax rate for extra duties EXTRA duties performed by police officers on a voluntary basis, such as manning football matches or private functions, will be taxed separately at 15%. This was one of Labour's electoral pledges, however the 2016 Budget makes no mention of the electoral promise to "adequately compensate" overtime which police officers have not been paid for years. YOUR FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY www.maltatoday.com.mt Temping agency for asylum seekers COMPANIES in need of short or long term temporary workers will be able to employ asylum seekers by signing a contract with an agency to fill jobs with appropriately skilled workers. A temporary staffing firm, also known as a 'temp agency', will retain asylum seekers to send out on short or long term assignments and the workers – described as 'illegal mi- grants' by the finance minister - will be paid directly by the agency. The agency will be set up through a public private partnership and will ensure that workers are employed legally. The wage rate is yet to be determined, however, government underlined that these should not put Maltese workers at a disadvantage. Loitering in Marsa by asylum seekers will no longer be tolerated and penalties on employers engag- ing workers illegally will increase. Fuel prices down in January WITH international oil prices down to around $45 a barrel in August, fuel prices will once again be slashed in January. With fuel prices in Malta among the lowest in the EU, the price of pet- rol will fall by 3c while that of diesel by 4c. Excise dut y on lubricant oils will increase by 2c and paraffin will increase by 3c a litre. Mean- while, the excise tax on fuel oil will increase by €3 per tonne. Gas prices will remain un- changed until at least April 2016.