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maltatoday SUNDAY 12 NOVEMBER 2017 News 5 MATTHEW VELLA LABOUR MEPs yesterday hit out at the Nationalist Party, accusing it of not supporting a European Parliament delegation mission to investigate the rule of law in Hun- gary. While Labour MEP Alfred Sant cited the European People's Party lack of support for missions inves- tigating breaches of law by centre- right governments in Poland and Hungary, Miriam Dalli accused Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola of voting against sending an MEPs' mission to Hungary. Dalli has accused the PN of, only this week, having voted against sending a mission to investigate the rule of law and other failings in Hungary, which have been reported about several times. "The vote was taken this week, at the same time that the PN MEPs are working tirelessly against Malta," Dalli said. The MEP said that in the 6 No- vember vote, the PN's MEP in the European Parliament's civil liberties committee (LIBE), Roberta Met- sola, voted not to send a delega- tion to Hungary the investigate the situation. Hungarian Prime Minis- ter Viktor Orban's Fidesz party is a member of the European People's Party, the PN's political family. Dalli, also a LIBE member, voted in favour of sending the delegation to Hun- gary. "Likewise, I am in favour of a delegation coming to Malta so that MEPs can see that the rule of law in Malta is strong." But Dalli said that Metsola's vote had "obliterated any doubts as to whether the campaign of Adrian Delia's PN was working against Mal- ta or not." "The vote to send a delegation to Hungary was taken after the Europe- an Parliament agreed to a resolution accusing Hungary of going against the rule of law, the rights of civil so- ciety rights, civil liberties including LGBTIQ, irregular migrants' rights, pluralism in Universities and edu- cation, amongst others. "While the PN is supporting Hungary against sending a delega- tion of the European Parliament to investigate grievous accusations, it is supporting a resolution against Malta. This resolution is replete with points that have nothing to do with the debate on the rule of law, and instead includes issues which certain political groups and MEPs always used to attack the economic services Malta has to offer." Dalli, echoing Sant's previous accusations, said the PN was sim- ply working against Malta for its partisan matters. "The National- ist Party and its representatives in the European Parliament are defending other countries, but not Malta." MEP Roberta Metsola said in a reaction that Dalli was resorting to "half-truths and obfuscation" after Sant's statements earlier in the day. A spokesperson said that the en- tire PN delegation stood for the respect for the rule of law every- where. "As regards Dalli's pathetic attempt to compare Dr Metsola's position on Hungary and Malta, the speech Dr Metsola gave to Hungarian Prime Minister Orban speaks for itself." There was no denial on the vote taken in the LIBE committee. "The reason there was a decision to not send a mission to Hungary is because it is abundantly clear what the situation with the rule of law is there," the spokesperson told Mal- taToday. "The real question is why Labour is going through so much trouble to deflect attention. They sound desperate." Approved and issued by HSBC Bank Malta p.l.c., 116, Archbishop Street, Valletta VLT1444. HSBC Bank Malta p.l.c. is licensed by the MFSA to conduct investment service business and is enrolled as a tied insurance intermediary of HSBC Life Assurance (Malta) Ltd. Subject to account opening criteria. 98923-10/2017 REQ NO: 98923 The HSBC Premier Mastercard is not only about new looks. It now includes contactless technology which lets you pay for everyday small items without the need for cash or the need to enter your PIN every time. The HSBC Premier Mastercard also gives you access to Mastercard's World programme which offers exceptional benefits related to travel, dining, shopping and other services you've come to expect from your Mastercard. Find out more at hsbc.com.mt/premier Goodbye cash, Goodbye cash, Goodbye cash, hello contactless hello contactless hello contactless payments with payments with payments with the HSBC Premier the HSBC Premier the HSBC Premier Mastercard Mastercard Mastercard at their tax regimes, particularly if we want to move forward with European integration. We can't have a situation in which some EU member states enrich them- selves at the expense of their partners." Malta offers an effective tax rate of 5% for foreign shareholders in companies whose business prof- its are generated outside Malta. Similarly, the Netherlands charg- es minimal taxes on licensing fees that a German company sends to its Netherlands-based holding company. In Germany, though, such licensing fees can be written off as a business expense. However, EU efforts to reform tax rules are hamstrung by the need for unanimous support from member states, and propos- als for common corporation tax by the European Commission re- main opposed by several member states, Malta included. Kubicki says Germany's solu- tion should be to create dis-in- centives for its own businesses seeking tax loopholes elsewhere. "Nobody, not even the EU, can tell us how to design our tax law. We can solve the problem with licence boxes in the Netherlands unilaterally. We can simply insert regulations into German tax law. In all cases in which we know that revenues are being collected tax-free, we can refuse to accept the deduction as a business ex- pense. That would allow the Ger- man treasury to recoup at least part of its losses. "To do so, we don't need any bilateral agreements and we also don't have to ask the EU." take unilateral tax havens' Dalli takes Metsola to task over Hungary 'rule of law' vote Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola (left) and Labour MEP Miriam Dalli