Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/947253
maltatoday WEDNESDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2018 News 2 MASSIMO COSTA TRUST in the Maltese justice and legal system stands at 35%, a recent Eurobarometer has found, significantly less than the EU average of 50%. The police are trusted at a level of 53%, also less than the 72% EU average. The findings of the Euroba- rometer survey, published by the European Commission's Representation in Malta, was carried out through 503 face-to- face interviews. The survey took place in early November 2017, in the after- math of the brutal murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Trust in the media is similarly low, with 31% trusting the writ- ten press, compared to 47% in the EU, and 37% and 45% trust- ing radio and television respec- tively, less than the 59% and 51% EU figures. Only 21% trust political par- ties – but this is still higher than the 18% EU average. The Maltese Government, however, registered a 51% level of trust, comparatively higher than the 36% EU average. Trust in the EU – which stands at 41% across the continent – was re- corded at 51% in Malta. Crime main issue of concern Asked to choose the two most important issues to them from a set of issues, 'crime' emerged as the most common, with 45% mentioning it. 'Immigration' re- ceived the next highest number of mentions, at 32%. The matter the Maltese feel is third most important was 'envi- ronment, climate and energy', with 22%, followed by housing at 12%, the education system, 11%, and rising prices, 10%. 58% of respondents said they were satisfied with the way democracy works in Malta – slightly higher than the EU av- erage – whle 39% said they were dissatisfied. 'Positive' economic situation Malta's economic situation was judged to be 'very positive' by 89%, considerably higher than 60% for the whole EU. Similarly, 85% of respondents said the state of employment was 'very good' or 'rather good', compared to 42% for the EU. 29% and 33% expect the econ- omy and state of employment, respectively, to improve, while only 7% and 5% respectively ex- pected it to get worse. EU membership seen as providing better future Only 14% said Malta faced a better future outside the EU, with 77% believing that Malta's future would not be more positive if it were not an EU member. The level of Maltese respondents be- lieving Malta is better off in the EU was second highest in Europe, surpassed only by the Nether- lands. Free movement of people, goods and services was seen as the best thing about EU membership, at 49%, followed by the euro at 47%, peace amongst member states at 46% and student exchange pro- grammes such as ERASMUS at 36%. Asked on the level of attach- ment they felt to the town or vil- lage they live in, to Malta and to the EU, 95% of respondents said they felt either very attached or fairly attached to Malta, their country. Situation in Malta seen as positive Three out of four respondents, 75%, expressed a positive opin- ion on Malta's situation, while 61% said that things in general were going in the right direction on the island. 41% of respondents expected this situation to remain the same, 35% expected it to get better and 13% thought it would get worse. 11% did not express their views. A very large part of respondents in Malta, 95%, said they were generally satis- fied with the life they led. The level is one of the highest in the EU. The relative percent- age of life satisfaction in the EU stood at 83%. Maltese lack trust in justice system, political parties Institutions Maltese trust most The army 67% The police 53% Regional or local public authorities 52% The Government and public administration 51% Institutions Maltese trust least The legal system 35% The internet 35% The written press 31% Political parties 21% Online social networks 51% MATTHEW VELLA MALTA'S tax base will be halved with a new EU pro- posal on tax harmonisation agree upon by the Economic and Monetary Committee of the European Parliament (ECON) and which will be put to vote by the European Parliament at the March ple- nary session. A report by NGO Tax Jus- tice Network states that Malta could lose more than half its corporate tax base if the European Commis- sion adopts the proposed tax measures. The planned "Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base" (CCCTB) was approved by 38 votes to 11 votes, with five abstentions. A separate, complementary measure which creates the basis for the harmonised corporate tax system – the Common Corporate Tax Base – was approved by 39 votes to 12, with five abstentions. Labour MEP Alfred Sant told the S&D Group, which backed these proposals, that while agreeing with meas- ures to enhance tax trans- parency and define digi- tal presence in the EU, he strongly disagreed with the principle of a common EU taxation system. "A common EU taxation system undermines the sov- ereignty of national EU gov- ernments in the decision and implementation of taxation policies in their respective countries. For this reason I am voting against the two CCCTB reports," Sant said. Sant said this was not in Malta's interests and voted against both reports. "Other MEPs from small EU member states, includ- ing Cyprus and Ireland, also voted against. Nothwith- standing this, both reports were approved with a com- fortable majority," Sant said. The TJN report reveals that a "diverse group of small EU countries, including the Czech Republic, Portugal and Sweden might expect their corporate tax bases to shrink by around one third, with the tax base of Malta, Slovenia and Estonia declin- ing more than half in terms of their loss-consolidated tax base due to formulary apportionment in the CC- CTB scenario." ECON approved reports on the CCTV and CCCTB, which aim to create a sin- gle EU corporate tax regime across all EU member states. Malta revenues risk being cut by half under EU single tax proposal, MEP warns Labour MEP Alfred Sant votes against single EU corporate tax regime reports