Double taxation agreement with US to be ratified this year

The double taxation agreement between Malta and the US is expected to be ratified by the US Senate by the end of the year, Foreign Minister Tonio Borg told Parliament this morning.

Speaking during the winding-up of the debate on his ministry’s estimates for 2010, Dr Borg said the visa waiver programme came into effect and for the first time since independence, Maltese can visit the US without the need of a visa.

He said that the relations between the two countries, further reflected in the conclusion of the ship boarding and extradition agreements, led to the US to launch a relocation programme of refugees from Malta, which had now totalled some 400. The programme would continue next year.

Dr Borg said that during the state visit of the Spanish royal couple, six bi-lateral agreements would be signed, including one on the formation of a joint committee on mercantile treaties between Malta and Spain.

On illegal immigrants, he said that Malta was the only member during the June council meeting to have a paragraph inserted whereby for the first time in the EU’s history, a pilot project was launched on the resettlement of people protected by another member state.

Dr Borg said everybody acknowledged that Malta was active and effective in the immigration issue. He said it was unjust and unfair in criticizing the government for there not being a mandatory burden sharing policy.

He warned that such a policy could boomerang. Instead, he said, we should work to entice more member states to accept the voluntary burden sharing pact. Success had already been registered in this regard.

He said that efforts for Malta to host the European Asylum Support Office would continue. The indications were positive but Malta could not be complacent since it was facing competition from Cyprus and Bulgaria.

Dr Borg said that during this legislature, Malta signed 41 agreements, including 14 on double taxaiton, four relating to health and seven on investment protection.

The ministry, together with Malta Enterprise, organised business delegations that acccompanied the President on state visits to Ukraine, Poland, Portugal and Qatar and a total of 6,500 Maltese made contact with Maltese embassies this year, the Foreign Minister said.