Departure tax

I refer to the letter by Brenda Murphy (April 19). The person in question was complaining of the excessive government departure tax that the Maltese have to pay. I might add, quite rightly so. She did, however, say that she thought incoming European...

I refer to the letter by Brenda Murphy (April 19). The person in question was complaining of the excessive government departure tax that the Maltese have to pay. I might add, quite rightly so.

She did, however, say that she thought incoming European tourists should contribute to the Malta government departure tax. I would like to point out that we in the UK pay airport charges in excess of £50, a part of which is a portion levied for charges in Malta.

To ask a tourist to pay a contribution to a Malta government imposed tax is nonsense. It is like asking a Maltese tourist entering the UK to contribute to our government taxes such as council tax.

I fly to Malta at least six times a year and pay an average of £300 a year in air taxes. Unfortunately there is not a lot a traveller can do about it. It is part of the cost of travelling. Landing fees and security charges are necessary for our safety.

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