Robert Caruana, Valletta
Some 'environment-friendly' budget measures are socially unjust (3)
One of the measures announced in the budget is an increase in annual registration of "yachts". The use of the term "yacht licences" can be somewhat misleading. The word "yacht" often brings to mind luxury power boats and sailing boats. Yet the budget document seems to be using the word yacht in the wider sense to include all sorts of recreational craft. I can only assume that the budget speech is referring to the annual renewal of registration of what the small ship section of the Malta Maritime Authority refers to by the term "boat or ship, including pleasure boats". That includes all sorts of recreational boats that require registration including small dinghies, frejgatini and others.
In the case of the smallest boats, that is those above 3.64 metres without any engine and those boats with small engines up to 9.9hp, the increases in annual registration are definitely excessive.
These boat categories include mainly low value boats (frejgatini, small caiques and runabouts) owned by low salaried workers and pensioners. Up to now the registration renewal for the above categories was €34.94 for a 5-year period, working out at €7 per year.
This reflected the low market value of many boats in this category. Now, at a stroke of the pen, the annual registration renewal has gone up to €90 for boats without engines (an increase of almost 1200 per cent) and €120 for boats with small engines (an increase of over 1600 per cent).
The increases for other categories of boats with larger engines are much less steep and more reasonable.
To continue using his old wooden frejgatina that he might have owned for decades, and that can be worth very little on the market (assuming that it can be sold since there is hardly any market for these boats), a pensioner will now have to fork out €120 every year.
As to whether these increases are socially just or not, I will leave this to the readers to decide.
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M.Paris
Nov 7th 2008, 17:39
It's true mr.R.Caruana about seacraft registration ,30hp seacraft increased from 25.23 euro (lM25) to 165euro(Lm70.83) ,but a seacraft with 150hp or over registration is 200euro (Lm85.86)
Chris Gatt
Nov 7th 2008, 17:28
I quite agree to what Josper Blinker stated in another comment on the budget 2008/9 he said "What happened to persons on social security pension. What gains are they saving from income tax, don't you know that they cannot afford to sell their old car to buy a new one that cost them more than Lm6,000 (Euro 139,76.24) With a small pension and higher Electricity/water bills, how on earth do you expect him to go into changing his only vehicle. I don't blame him if he would now say, because of TONIO FENECH we will vote for CHANGE as happened in the USA." Yes if the poor pensioners are not taken care of, they are ready and willing to hit back, and the reply would be coming in on these blobbs....
So P.N. the people are angry and will revenge in JUNE Election for European members of Parliament. I am seeing five or six for Labour or an indipendent to be in EMP.
joe azzopardi
Nov 7th 2008, 11:48
some of the low salaried workers have boat houses in armier ,gnejna, and where ever they parked them, plus moorings in the best spots of the island and dare go there with your boat, because u are made to feel that you are trespassing
T Mifsud
Nov 7th 2008, 10:44
Thks. Lapsus! ;)
Mark Thorogood
Nov 7th 2008, 10:43
the fee for a seawater pool is per pool, the fee for fresh water is per m3 of capacity
Mark Thorogood
Nov 7th 2008, 10:36
Also how come the licence for sea water swimming pool owners is way higher than fresh water ones?
it isn't - the fee for a seawater pool is per pool, the fee for fresh water is per m3
T Mifsud
Nov 7th 2008, 10:32
Also how come the licence for sea water swimming pool owners is way higher than fresh water ones? What is the environmental concern here, depleting the sea and stealing it from a Reverse Osmosis plant?