Alternative to car registration tax 'should be introduced immediately'
The government’s lethargy to remove the car registration tax is destroying the car sale business due to lack of orders, the Labour Party’s spokesman for economy and the self-employed, Gavin Gulia, said.
He said that this was because consumers were waiting for the current system to be changed. This, Dr Gulia said, was confirmed by the Association of Car Importer Malta.
He said that the government had announced it would change the current system in the coming budget but businesses could not take any more delays and expected to be given detailed information on the new system immediately.
While the government said that studies had to be held before a new system was introduced, it did not hold any studies before increasing the surcharge to 95 per cent on small businesses, most of them family run, Dr Gulia pointed out.
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S.Borg
Aug 9th 2008, 21:32
When can Maltese citizens go to other EU countries, buy a car, even second-hand, pay VAT and relevant fees, arrive in Malta and simply drive off home with paying an additional Euro cent? EU borders include Malta in their territories, so why the red-tape?
Where are our rights as EU citizens?
Joseph E Briffa
Aug 9th 2008, 19:07
It makes sense to (1) cut the registration tax by half thereby reducing the outlay on cars and boosting sales (2) increase the road tax by restructuring the tariff for both private and commercial cars (i) Private cars:
V Farrugia
Aug 9th 2008, 17:28
Mr G Dingli, the car user who has a small fuel efficient car, and drives it for 50.000km annually, is the typical driver, who depends on his car to go to work, shop for groceries and see to his daily errands. The other person who has a sports car and tallies up a total of 500km annually, would usually have another car, with a higher fuel efficiency to see to his daily needs. We shouldn't penalise the former, we should tax heavily the latter. Transportation is a necessity, we shouldn't have to pay through our noses for what is an essential need.
And please don't harp about public transport, it doesn't exist where I work. Anyone who needs to go anywhere, within a reasoble time-frame can't depend on public transport.
L Galea
Aug 9th 2008, 17:16
The Government is only examining how to change one type of tax with another, so don't expect and savings.
G Caruana Dingli
Aug 9th 2008, 16:51
G Falzon is absolutely right!
The Government should tax the use of cars not the car itself!. Someone with a fuel efficient car who travels 50 000km a year should pay more tax than someone who has a large sportscar and just travels a 500 km a year on Sunday drives. (NO! I don't have one!)
The answer is to tax the use of fuel.
R Borg
Aug 9th 2008, 16:04
The more that this government continue to drag his feet on this issue the more harm he is doing to us workers who work in this private sector. Please make up your mind and leave our minds at rest regarding our work. Car importers are right to complain considering the Hugh investments they did in the past years.
ken spiteri
Aug 9th 2008, 16:00
These people are working within the Transport Authority a decade now and the transport is still the same as the mintoff era....but these people are getting richer and richer , pay taxpayer pay!!!!!
ken Spiteri
Aug 9th 2008, 15:47
The problem lies only in consultation, we are paying millions to foregneirs as consultants, we are hiring them at top management positions and we are getting bullshit.
Maltese authorities please wake up, we Maltese citizens are more capable in these positions then the rubbish we are getting from abroad !!!
Proud to be Maltese.
J Micallef
Aug 9th 2008, 15:35
Dream on....
I dont think that the good old Govt is going to reduce this unfiar tax without making good form elsewhere.
All those that are so quick to compare prices with the UK (and other EU countries) should check what these people pay as annual road licences, and they'll be shocked.
Is that what they want in Malta?
for example:
UK:
For a car up to 1549cc, 'tax disc' is GBP 120 a year (Eur 153).
Plus:
For cars registered after 1 March 2001, a tax based on the CO2 emission, which ranges from GBP 35 (101-120g/km) to GBP 400 (over 225g/km).
Light goods vehicles pay GBP 180 (we used to pay Lm 40/Eur 93)
For alternative fuel cars, rates area a bit cheaper.
You have to take the difference over a number of years.
(check:http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/HowToTaxYourVehicle/DG_10012524)
George Falzon
Aug 9th 2008, 15:23
Cars don't pollute, it's the use of cars that pollute. If the government has a green agenda, it should be taxing the use of cars rather than the cars themselves.
By increasing the tax on petrol and diesel, the government will be taxing the use of vehicles and could afford to reduce or remove registration taxes. With oil prices starting to fall the tax increase could be mostly absorbed within the current fuel prices.
Commercial, essential and public transport vehicles could have their annual Road Fund Licence reduced to compensate for the increased running costs.
It will therefore cost you more to run a car with high CO2 emissions engine, than one with a green lean engine. So larger cars will still be taxed more than smaller cars.
People who currently have no alternative than running an old banger with high CO2 emissions may be persuaded to upgrade to a more fuel efficient car, once newer cars become more affordable to buy and less expensive to run.
This tax will discourage the use of cars, and encourage car sharing, more use of public transport , not to mention cyling and walking, conducive to less congested roads and a healtier nation.
D Farrugia
Aug 9th 2008, 14:08
I cannot even sell my second hand car!! Those that came to view it are telling me the car looks good but i want to wait to hear more about new car tax to see if the price is worthed!! One of them was even convinced that with the new tax the cars will be cheap as UK! I dont know if it was a cheap negotiating trick or if he really believed it. What a joke!! Government please wake up and remove this uncertainty to all!!
Dr Gulia is right, they didnt take this long to increase the surcharge did they!!!!?
John Catania
Aug 9th 2008, 14:05
The beauty of Maltese gemgem.
No consultation = complaints
Government consults = complaints.
when do we learn?
do you really expect a new system to be developed, discussed and approved in a few weeks?
moreover - Govt has already publicly declared that if we buy a car in 2008 and we end up paying additional car reg tax...we will get a refund. So what's the big issue here?
I'm sure the car dealers wont go bankrupt with a few less cars sold. not to mention that in summer such business is always less positive than the remaining months
jimmy magro
Aug 9th 2008, 13:57
One of the main issues for the government is revenue. Similar cases exist on the airport departure tax, satellite licence, car duty and registration tax and the infamous eco-tax. The government has followed a policy of sourcing out - clerks at mater dei, security at mater dei, public registry, landscaping, road building, social services, and many more services that are costing million of euros more to the national treasury. One must read between the lines the EU reports on the economy to understand that govenment finances are not yet sustainable. I would like to know what is the theft rate in a hospital and why do we need security guards in a national hospital. Can the public view a cost-benefit analysis?
On the hand there is procrastination to initiate EU programmes such as the Leader approach where the economy can benefit with around 40 million euros of funds that could be invested into our rural areas and increase the valorisation of rural environment and rural heritage.
We are also missing on other EU funds as the engaged persons lack the required canny mind to operate into such a web of EU funding processes. 200 are words are not enough.
Alex Tanti
Aug 9th 2008, 13:16
Flimkien Kollox Possibli - biss kif u meta qisu hadd ma jaf!