Eco-tax 'not the solution'

The government was yesterday accused by Labour Party's environment spokesman Joe Brincat of being too weak when facing environmental problems.

Dr Brincat said the proposed eco-tax would not solve the country's waste problems.

The new tax, he said, was not offering any incentives for the efficient operation of a waste management system needed by the country.

"The eco-tax is nothing more than another tax, which will be detrimental to many families," he said.

Dr Brincat said the government had chosen the wrong way of taxing consumption and was ignoring serious environmental problems that had been worrying people for a long time, adding that these were caused because of the "incompetence" of Nationalist governments that did not take action.