Some 'environment-friendly' budget measures are socially unjust (2)

About 11 years ago my wife and I decided that it was time to change my old petrol thirsty car and opt for a new one which can cater for our family's needs. We were looking for an economical mid-sized car, as a small car was not able to hold pushchairs or prams or both in the trunk.

It was a big step to take, and with all the financial burdens associated with early life in marriage, it was a big investment too. According to many studies that were commissioned around Europe at the time, and contrary to what many believed and unfortunately still believe, diesel engines pollute less than their petrol counterparts, especially when fitted with particulate filters and when run on low-sulphur fuel. Even better than that, they are less harmful to the human lungs. Moreover, the diesel engine is more efficient. So for us, diesel was the way to go. However, at the time it was very rare to have diesel engines smaller than 1900cc fitted on cars the size we were looking for. For those who might ask, it was definitely not the most luxurious car and absolutely not the biggest.

However, we still had to fork more than €7,000 in excess to what our European counterparts were paying for the same car, not to mention the annual vehicle licenses.

Now, 11 years on, our socially minded and eco-friendly minister decided that the Maltese citizens are holding tight to their valuable cars, and the government should encourage them to buy newer and less polluting cars. So after I forked out more than €7000 I still have to keep paying more money to keep my car, and whatever I have done to make sure that it does not pollute more than it should was all money down the drain, as our young minister believes that old cars all pollute in the same way.

For all those who cannot afford a new car, or even worse, are finding it difficult to keep the current car, the government is offering us tax reductions on bicycles. Well, dear minister, if you want to take the ride from Naxxar to Ħal Far on a daily basis, I would be happy to join you.

Then I thought, I must be wrong here. It cannot be this way. After all, it is not the first time that I misunderstood what the government was actually offering in his budget speech. We are told that this budget was planned with enough incentives to keep creating jobs while keeping our economy growing. So I went back to my mathematics lessons and here is what I came up with [see table 1].

Thus without considering any other expenses which I am sure I will have to face as the year goes by, and assuming the lower range of increase in the utility bills, I shall be forking out a total of €477.45. But, as I was saying, the government proposed incentives to keep the economy growing. So, let me take a look into the mathematics from that side too [see table 2].

Thus, if I happened to live on the bright side of the moon, and I am lucky enough to get the maximum out of this budget, while making sure I keep my water and electricity consumption to the minimum, next year I shall have a whopping €103.33 less to spend on my children's education and my family's lifestyle.

Well done to this government, my government, the one I voted for. Unfortunately, this is the first time I am ashamed of uttering that last statement in the past 18 years. After all, it might be that my brain is similar to a diesel engine, with a very slow acceleration. But like my car's engine, it always took me to where I asked it to go.