'Tax measures throughout the year'

Labour MP George Vella said the last few years had shown that the government was not bound by the Budget because it introduced tax measures and increases throughout the year.

Speaking during the debate in second reading on the Budgetary Measures Implementation Bill, Dr Vella said it was Parliament's duty to scrutinise the government's expenditure. But certain answers to parliamentary questions left much to be desired.

There was also the case where, in the Public Accounts Committee, a leading minister had defended the Radio Mediterranean station manager who was being investigated instead of defending taxpayers' money. The minister had tried to throw mud at the then Auditor General.

Dr Vella accused the government that it did not want to explain how it arrived at the new utility rates and had failed to control increases in the price of medicines when it had promised to be an open government. The same would happen in public transport with citizens having to pay more in future.

The quality of life had declined, but the government tried to give the impression that the situation was buoyant. Dr Vella accused the government of insensitivity towards people's sufferings, the unemployed, the minimum wage earners, those who lost their property because they could not pay their bank loans, and those suffering long-term illnesses.

The government was also insensitive to exploited workers and people, especially elderly, who had to wait for hours at Mater Dei to get a service.

It was true that some were living in luxury and many others were living comfortably, but it was the government's duty to alleviate the sufferings of those who were downtrodden and take necessary action.

Dr Vella warned that the rich-poor divide had widened.

The government was also insensitive to the environment. It failed to safeguard the quality of air, the conservation of water and heritage sites. Action had never been taken on reports received on exhaust emissions and the system was scrapped while VRT tests were often tainted by corruption. Power stations were left without precipitators and no monitoring had been done. This was clear evidence that taxpayers' money were going down the drain.

The opposition was still waiting for a reply on the incidence of cancer and other diseases in the south of Malta where a new power station which would cause more contamination was to be built. This was adversely affecting the quality of life. On the issue of black dust the government had been deceiving the people for the last 10 years, claiming that proper analysis could not be made.

The government had built the Delimara power station which had destroyed part of the coast near Il-Ħofra ż-Żgħira and all marine life. Fish farms contaminated the environment and Dr Vella asked whether those who profit from this venture were paying for the irreparable damage they were causing. The environment in the Birżebbuġa area was also affected by the Freeport extension.

The rest of the speech will be carried tomorrow.

Dr Vella asked what action had the government taken regarding allegations mentioned by Dr Frank Portelli and also on allegations that a person had received hundreds of liri to arrange for people to be boarded out on medical grounds.

The auditor's report for 2008 had shown that there was a laissez-faire situation, no proper supervision on government spending, no checking on overtime, waste and corruption in different ministries. He appealed to the government to wake up from its slumber and save the country millions of euro.

Dr Vella said that in its Budget speech, the government had ridiculed Parliament. It had said that Mepa's subvention would be stopped but it failed to say that this meant that Mepa would raise tariffs and permits. The government was now speaking of Mepa reform where there was political interference in decisions taken, there were people with invest interests and others who had a conflict of interest.

The Budget, said Dr Vella had said that utility tariffs would be adjusted. It did not say that its intention was to raise these tariffs sky high. The government was so arrogant as to publish the new tariffs while discussions with the social partners were still going on. It also failed make a study on the social and economic impact of the revised rates.

The government failed to keep its electoral promise to decrease taxation citing the economic situation as an excuse. The government did not even adjust the tax bands so the cost of living increases would not be taxable.

He agreed with the measure to help small enterprises and the self-employed, but this was to come to waste with the government-induced costs they had to pay.

Dr Vella referred to the government's promise on the medicines' provision mechanism. Records showed that the government was impotent in front of the major importers.