ARMS Ltd breaching EU law - AD
ARMS Ltd, the company which issues the country's water and electricity bills, was in breach of EU laws since it was not giving equal treatment to non-Maltese EU citizens, Alternattiva Demokratika said.
It said in a statement that it had just received a letter from the European Commission representation in Malta confirming that non-Maltese EU citizens residing in Malta had equal rights to Maltese nationals regarding eco-reduction eligibility and registration.
AD’s EU spokesman Arnold Cassola said: "The EU is re-affirming that all EU citizens are to be treated equally before the law.
“The European Commission states that for the purposes of eco-reduction registration non-Maltese EU citizens need only demonstrate to ARMS Ltd that they reside in Malta and that, like Maltese nationals, the possession of a Maltese identity card serves as sufficient proof to that effect.”
Chairman Michael Briguglio accused ARMS Ltd of flouting EU law.
He saidthat the May 2010 version of the ‘change in number of persons declaration’ (form) published on the Water Services Corporation website still stipulates additional terms and conditions for non-Maltese nationals.
These had to have an 'A' Identity Card, proof that they paid taxes locally or were in possession of a permit to reside in Malta. In the case of foreign minors, a certificate from the Expatriate Office in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had be presented. In the case of a marriage between a Maltese citizen and a foreigner, a marriage certificate from the Public Registry had to be produced.
Mr Briguglio said that as a consequence of these obstacles, the entitlement of non-Maltese EU citizens to the eco-reduction as well as the energy allowance – ‘€30 per household plus €25 for each person such that a single person household will receive €55’ - was being gravely undermined given that these schemes were based on the correct number of registered occupants on energy bills.
He said that the widespread imposition on non-Maltese EU citizens of the so-called the ‘domestic’ rate, as opposed to ‘residential’ rate, was untenable given that the ‘domestic’ rate is over 30 per cent more expensive in respect of energy consumption tariffs, constituting the costliest household electricity rate in the European Union.
He called on the Finance Ministry to comply in full with EU law with regard to institutional discrimination against non-Maltese EU citizens as a matter of urgency.
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Clive Dodd
Jan 30th, 15:41
There is no money. Go and find a youtube video called "The Money Masters" It's three and half hours long.
Dee Williams
Sep 13th 2010, 15:04
@ igalea.. What you say about the EU helping Malta and enabling better roads here etc. being a lot of crap... i think it's you who talks a load of crap!!! I did see though that you didn't comment on when i said if you need to go to another EU country for medical needs you would go if there was no alternative.... WELL??? Don't tell me you wouldn't go!!! Maybe you didn't vote to enter the EU but obviously the people who did realised it would be a better way of life....Talk about Mentality.
lgalea
Nov 9th 2010, 11:27
Dee Williams its you who is talking a load of crap Dee. DO you know that this year we are paying the eu €182,192 every day apart from the €70 million which Open Europe, a British organization, estimated that it is costing us every year to implement eu regulations? What about all the customs duties, levies and part of VAT that the eu gets Dee? We could do a lot of things with those millions, much more than what we are doing when we are giving that kind of money to the crap eu.
Dee Williams
Jul 13th 2010, 16:05
@ Igalea. I hope you never need to go to an EU country for medical treatment that is not available here in Malta.... After all you don't want to be an EU citizen...but i bet my last penny you would go if there was no alternative, and then YOU would be using the British/ EU taxpayers money .... That would be OK though i suppose!!!!!! One only has to look around and see the difference Malta joining the EU has made, the roads etc etc , and i expect you DO travel on these roads. I don't know if you remember or not but Malta once belonged to UK and without the help from this country you might have starved to death, as my Father and many others were stationed in Malta ......
lgalea
Aug 29th 2010, 10:48
Dee Williams starved to death? Pull the other one Dee. We were much better when we got our freedom from your colonialism thank God. It did not belong to the UK but the UK simply took over against the wishes of the Maltese citizens as was usually done by colonialist powers. And by the way, what you said about the eu helping us and our road is a lot of crap.
Dee Williams
Jul 13th 2010, 15:25
I would just like to say this... My family and i have lived here 6 years, we were all born in UK, my daughter works here (legally) and some person is saying we shouldnt receive the same benefits as maltese people do!!!. Well let me explain how we DO contribute. We pay nearly 5000 euros a year rent, buy food around 120 euros a week, clothing, pay electricity and water ( have just got my bill yesterday...for 760 euros( Jan- June) bought a brand new car recenly over 10,000 euros. All in all i think we do spend plenty of money. And this is without going to restaurants/bars etc. and anymore we do spend. Yes, i do get free medical treatment, but pay privately for certain things. If you go to ANY EU country it is reciprocal. Our incme comes from the UK and we don't claim a penny here. In other words.. it's ok for us to spend but not to recieve .W do have ID cards with A on and contacted the company about the reduction on electricity/water bills and were told as we don't pay tax here we can't have the reduction.
Melissa Bagley
Jul 13th 2010, 20:23
But although you may not be paying taxes, you are certaining injecting money into the local economy. Who are benefitting in the end? I won't answer the question myself...
George Bartolo Grech
Jul 13th 2010, 13:45
@Igalea - Please grow up . I personally with my wife have had our first baby in a eu country where we paid full taxes and received more benefits than malta since we where living there for 8 years and honestly we think that hopefully our second one gets the same treatment that he got there over here in mater dei. As an island we have a LOT to learn and absorb from other EU countries since our resources have been very limited for quite a while now. Obviously like in every thing you do there are the positives and negatives. It always depends on what you want. Do you think that the Eu is not helping out farmers etc .My cousin was going to sell his little farm that was in the family for decades but since the Glory EU he has received help that no government has given us and now he is even considering expanding. that is just one example. I would say grow up .... look around you and admit that you where wrong coz it looks like you where hypnotised against the EU and forgot to wake you up.
lgalea
Aug 29th 2010, 10:51
George Abela so he had to sell his farm did he? That is what the eu means. Selling the family jewels as dictated by the eu and its petty dictators. Why should we be burdened with this colonialist organization and its petty dictators just because you wanted to go to another country?
Phil Humphries
Jul 12th 2010, 13:05
Sadly, as myself and approximately 100,000 other customers already know, discrimination isn't the only thing that ARMS is getting wrong.
But I guess we will have to wait until nearer the election before someone decides to get a grip of this incompetent shower. And we all know who will end up paying for the mess they've created, don't we ?
Efficiencies ? Don't make me laugh !
David Buttigieg
Jul 12th 2010, 13:02
Laurence Galea,
The referendum is a done deal, it was won by an extremely large majority by Maltese standards!
Agreed?
Fine, so your options are:
1. Support a party that wants out of the EU! (Pity none exist!)
2. Form your own party! Hah!
3. Organise a referendum yourself
4. Continue with your fantasy about the EU ceasing to exist
or 5, stop being so xenophobic, get a life and most of all stop blowing hot air!
R. Mallia
Jul 12th 2010, 12:32
Reading the comments following this article gave me a sense of sadness and pity for the Maltese people and their closed, insular mentality. As a Maltese and an EU citizen I can reap the benefits of equal treatment in another EU Member country (been there, did it) and other EU citizens working in Malta are not taking away the job of anyone (!!!!) but they are contributing to paying taxes, renting an apartment, visiting restaurants and generally spending their money in the Maltese economy. Especially in the fields of languages, the majority of "foreigners" employed in Malta have been given the job because no Maltese was better fit for the post.
Those who do not share EU values or do not have the courage to elevate their lives to a higher level in terms of social rights, working rights, higher wages and a better standard of living are free to linger on this rock we call home, but are not free to criticise, especially if they haven't got a clue.
Joseph Micallef
Jul 12th 2010, 10:18
I beg the "Joseph Micallef" writing in these comments to start distinguishing himself from me. I am a different Joseph Micallef who regularly comments on the Times online version and I don't want people to think I am the same person - as our opinions might diverge. Joseph maybe you should start adding some initials so that readers would know its you and not me!
r ferriggi
Jul 12th 2010, 08:40
this is just more of the same.......another extortionist shark company in the fur of a lamb.
go try to reach them for a bill explanation!!
also,,, what happened to that facility that you ask for a history of payments by post?? i have been told it has been stopped. nice one. i wonder why.
colin stanley
Jul 11th 2010, 23:59
Can someone please clarify, I was told that Arms ltd, is made up of goverment employees, to get the books in order, is it true?
malcolm seychell
Jul 11th 2010, 21:38
Prosit AD, bhas soltu dejjem taraw kif se zziedu l ispiza tat tax payer f isem id drittiijet!!!
Martin Aquilina
Jul 12th 2010, 08:37
Sur Seychell,
Ghall- informazzjoni tieghek jien Malti u nhossni li kont gejt diskriminat. Kelli mara w tifel (barranin) jghixu mieghi u ghax ma kontx mizzewweg jew ghax hi ma kelliex working permit lanqas biss gejt ikkunsidrat ghall eco-reduction u registrazzjoni. Tahseb li hekk sew? Fuq dan kollu nhallas taxxa ta guvni wkoll. Mela min hu bhali mhux Malti wkoll? Minn ghandna flus biss iridu w il bqija xejn!!!!!!
J. Borg
Jul 12th 2010, 12:40
spejjes ghat-taxpayer????
Il-kickbacks (em. commissions) fuq kuntratti ta' elf ta' ewro forsi???
Sa fejn naf jien AD, ilha is-snien thambaq fuq transparent party financing.....nahseb dan il-habi minn mnej iggibu il-flus il-PLPN jissarraf fi spejjes indirretti ghat-taxpayer!
v mercieca
Jul 12th 2010, 18:02
If the EU citizens live in Malta, they also pay taxes in Malta, so they also have a right to benefit.
Andrew Farrugia
Jul 11th 2010, 21:24
@ Carmel cacopardo
The same repeated insults: middle ages, Taliban, Fundamentalists, welcome to the 21st century, conservatives, we have got usede to your and AD s lingo; do you hope to get elected some day with such insults? Dream on.
joe brincat
Jul 12th 2010, 00:40
don't shoot the messenger Mr Farrugia ....
M Theuma
Jul 11th 2010, 20:12
“The European Commission states that for the purposes of eco-reduction registration non-Maltese EU citizens need only demonstrate to ARMS Ltd that they reside in Malta and that, like Maltese nationals, the possession of a Maltese identity card serves as sufficient proof to that effect.”
If I'm not mistaken, a maltese ID Card is issued to all tom dick and harry requesting one. This does prove the person as an EU citizen so it cannot be used on its own for this purpose!
mg g hoare
Jul 11th 2010, 20:00
LOL WHAT about me and my Family i am MALTESE my children are Maltese my husband is Maltese yet since ARMS took over they will not correct their mistake ,My bill is still classed as 2persons and they tell me as my children were born in the UK it is as they dont excist , MY children been going to school in MALTA for 6 years i get children benefit and they would not change it and im stuck with a bill building up and up. Before ARMS took over my bills were being payed in time and i had no debt with anybody yet now i have a bill hanging as they dont want to change it or correct it , SO now reading this i belive i have the right to get LEGAL AID to sue the ARMS as they are making my life a missery AND GET BACK WHAT IS DUE TO ME .
joe falzon
Jul 11th 2010, 19:56
and we want tourists to come to malta! we are destroying the beaches (refer to hondoq project) and we treat non-maltese with arrogance (refer to the utilities bills and to the insistence on not linguistically catering to them at the qala meeting on hondoq)
Joseph E Briffa
Jul 11th 2010, 19:23
@ MIchael Borda You don't know what you're talking about. I suggest you educate yourself about the EU. The EU does NOT distinguish between Maltese and people from other EU states living in Malta, in much they same way that a Maltese living in Italy has the same rights as an Italian. Better do some research first my dear chap before you start writing about the EU. As for I Galea is concerned, he has an obsession with anything to do with the EU. He is completely against the EU as he is in the labour camp, which was always against the EU. He is incapable of seeing reason.
lgalea
Jul 11th 2010, 21:47
Joseph E Briffa Yes I am against the cursed eu and shall continue to be against the cursed eu because I have seen and am seeing that which I and our forefathers have worked for all our lives being destroyed by the eu petty dictators. We have health services for "free" that is not paid directly when you need them because we have paid all our life as our parents did to have them through our taxes but now every Tom Dick and Harry coming from the eu has them for free and also the thousands of illegal immigrants. This is going to be the end of these and other services because they were never meant to be used as such by foreigners. That is what you and others should be worried about unless you are so well off that it doesn't affect you. But beware for God forbid that you need them for many a wealthy person ended up bankrupt when they needed certain health services which were not available for free. That is what should be worrying you Briffa. If you think that it's only Labour supporters who are still against the eu you are grossly mistaken.
I. Camilleri
Jul 12th 2010, 08:02
Just my 2 cents worth, but… I don’t think people are against the EU, I think people are against THIS EU. The concept of EU is good, but as most things, this EU was grossly mismanaged, that with the mismanagement of our island has led to these particular comments…..foreigners just being used as a scapegoat for frustrated Maltese with not so good standards of living.
Christian Sciberras
Jul 12th 2010, 15:10
Yep, our fathers always believed in a fragmented regime.
Come on, don't be blind on purpose, just give Italy, America etc a look.
How do you suppose Malta will ever compete against America? By executing people as NL proposes? By having our own way from the EU?
Your ignorance knows no bounds.
Carmel Cacopardo
Jul 11th 2010, 18:13
From the comments below it is amply clear that not all those who voted to join the EU are aware as to what they voted for.
As a nation we may have joined the EU but in many respects some are still clinging to the Middle Ages !
This is just one small example.
Michael Borda
Jul 11th 2010, 17:24
breaching EU law or not it was made to protect us the Maltese tax payers if non maltese eu citiziens, can always go back and live where they were born .
great you are 65 you come live here and start using our hard earned invesments . free hosiptal , eco reductions etc etc we tax payers have no guarantee regards our future pension . Malta l ewwel u qabel kollox did we forget that ?
l fenech
Jul 11th 2010, 17:58
Maybe you seem to forget at the moment how many thousands of Maltese have emigrated to other countries and are receiving the same treatment as the citizens of the country they have made their home and for their children.
Dragan Donkov
Jul 11th 2010, 18:05
Do you know that we all pay same taxes as Maltese people? are you aware that if you go to our countries you have even more right than we have here? If I pay NI and social security I have the right to be treated in the hospital for free.The same with the water and electricity benefits because my taxes are paid here !!!!
lgalea
Jul 11th 2010, 18:14
Michael Borda that's what the crap eu means Mr Borda. As I always say, we have to get out for our best future and that of our children and country. And no one can say we cannot. Have a look at http://www.europarltv.europa.eu/YourParliament.aspx?action=viewVideo&packageid=f5077c6b-3b92-4a1f-8271-c7a49c3bc6e8
lgalea
Jul 11th 2010, 18:19
Dragan Donkov we have been paying taxes all our lives to have such benefits and you just came here and are benefiting from them just the same as us and putting them in danger because they cannot cope with the increased demands and the available funds.
lgalea
Jul 11th 2010, 18:22
l fenech ask the Maltese who emigrated to Australia, the USA, Canada and elsewhere how they were treated.
A Cassar
Jul 11th 2010, 18:56
@lgalea
I think you have serious problems grasping simple concepts. Let me give it a try.
1) Australia, USA and Canada are NOT in the EU
2) Maltese don't get any benefits in Australia, USA and Canada
3) Hence, Australians, Americans and Canadians do NOT get any benefits in Malta
4) Malta, CHOSE to be in the EU. We voted nobody forced us.
5) We Maltese would get benefits in ANY EU country, even though we have paid taxes in Malta
6) Therefore.....EU citizens would get benefits in Malta
Ask any Maltese working in UK, Belgium, Germany, Italy etc etc.....ask them if they get treated as a normal citizen over there. We, the majority, voted for it. I'm sorry for you if your insular, parrochial mentality doesn't go beyond our shores!!!
Dragan Donkov
Jul 11th 2010, 19:10
Igalea - thank God we will not stay here forever and will not put you in "DANGER" . look from the bright side - we pay taxes so more Maltese can abuse/benefit from the system.
Every EU country had something to fight for and you as Maltese/EU citizen can benefit from their efforts.Get used with the idea that Europe is not the same and our countries are sharing common values and problems... for good or bad
lgalea
Jul 11th 2010, 21:55
A Cassar do they get free hospital and health services? That is what you should be asking yourself. So what we have worked for all our life and was also paid for by our parents will be destroyed because we have "free" (paid before not at the time you need them) health services. So then we will have to pay for them because they will be destroyed by being given free to foreigners.
As for the USA, Australia Canada etc, the Maltese emigrants who went there because those countries needed immigrants and they still paid taxes but were they granted the services from day one and did they get them for free? Are you so blinded with the eu stars that you cannot see the danger to all our services because they will not be sustainable when all the foreigners use them also for free?
lgalea
Jul 11th 2010, 22:00
Dragan Donkov we do not share the eu's and other member countries values of war, colonialism, capitalism, illegal wars on other countries, spying on each and every citizen and giving access to citizens information to the USA, the destruction of the independent sovereign State, the enslavement of workers to the eu capitalists, the undermining of local workers by the freedom of movement of workers in competition with local workers and other disgusting values. No Dragan, we do not share such values. The eu and the other member countries who believe in them can keep them.
lgalea
Jul 11th 2010, 22:02
ps Dragan Donkov when you work in Malta you are taking the job of a Maltese citizen and his/her family.
M.Cachia
Jul 11th 2010, 23:08
Yes Mr. I Galea we do get free hospital services. I have been living and studying in the UK for over a year now. Thanks to the EU I have a scholarship that is allowing me to pay for my furthur education that otherwise I would not have been able to pay for. I get free NHS health care and am treated, in all respects, as any other UK citizen. I have as yet never paid one penny to the UK governement in Tax (apart from VAT obviously). The EU has opened up a thousand opportunities for hundreds of Maltese like me, which selfish, xenophobic and insular persons like yourself would have denied us. So what if some other EU citizens come to malta - IT'S RECIPROCAL - and the country benefits from ideas outside the box, and believe me none of them are coming for a free handout; or haven't you travelled to Europe recently.
Joe Fenech
Jul 12th 2010, 01:18
lgalea:
Let's not forget that the only reason the Maltese wanted to go into the EU was to get the funds!
Who do you think paid for those? Maltese people?! NO - OTHER EUROPEANS!!!
Lousy Maltese, insular mentality! You islanders deserve to stay in your own crowd till you rot in your own ignorance!
Joseph Micallef
Jul 12th 2010, 02:12
@iGalea - welcome to 2010, welcome to the EU concept! 'when you work in Malta you are taking the job of a Maltese citizen and his/her family' must be the most argument lacking logic written in here.
So what about the Maltese working abroad in other EU countries, are they taking the jobs of the locals? NO!! Because this is a Community, one economy, one labour force, etc. etc. Not only he is not taking the job of a Maltese but it is his right to do so and your duty to educate yourself and try keeping your middle aged insular attitude at home. Malta, following a referendum and a general election decided to join the EU. That is a fact and it is not open for discussion, the people spoke not it;s up to you to come to terms with it. End of story.
lgalea
Jul 12th 2010, 10:09
M.Cachia Studying overseas was never denied to Maltese citizens and you could have gone there when we were not in the eu. as for free health services, many people in the UK choose private care because the standard has been going down,. The crap eu now wants the UK to scrap foreign nurses tests because it says they are against the free movement of persons which means that any person can get a cheap certificate from the central and eastern eu countries and work in the UK which has already led to the death of patients. Have a look at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1293906/Tests-foreign-nurses-scrapped-EU-order-means-Britain-open-NHS-jobs-thousands-Eastern-Europe.html As for the gratuitous titles speaks highly of the education you are getting. No Cachia, we should not have lost our independence and freedom so that you can go to study overseas.
Joe Fenech the funds we get are part of those we send to the eu. Simply for membership we are paying it €182,192 EVERY day apart from all other taxes and you also have to include the loss of the Italian protocol and the loss of interests on our foreign reserves that the eu is getting because they were transferred to the ECB.
Christian Sciberras
Jul 13th 2010, 11:12
People, just ignore lgalea's comments. He obviously doesn't know he's talking about, put nicely.
Joseph Micallef
Jul 13th 2010, 17:16
@Igalea I understand your problem .... You read the Daily Mail!!
lgalea
Aug 29th 2010, 10:54
A Cassar If you think you can teach me about the eu you are greatly mistaken
lgalea
Aug 29th 2010, 10:55
Christian Sciberras I am waiting for you to teach me what the crap eu is all about.
joe muscat
Jul 11th 2010, 17:23
@Sergio
You are deeply mistaken , foreigners with working permit pay taxes in full here in Malta , so for sure they have the right for the same treatment like Maltese.
Sergio Vassallo
Jul 11th 2010, 18:11
joe muscat for how many long years Mr Muscat? So we have paid all our lives all sorts of taxes and they just come here and get all the benefits from the very beginning. Don't you think that this is unjust for us when we do not have the resources that other countries have?
Joseph Micallef
Jul 12th 2010, 02:05
@ Vassallo
1.) They pay taxes here!
2.) You can benefit from their welfare and setups if you go to another EU country! That's what the EU is all about! Community!
Sergio Vassallo
Jul 11th 2010, 16:23
Pandering foreign residents in the vain hope of electing an AD MP will get you nowhere AD. You are only showing your betrayal for Malta and Maltese citizens interests because the Maltese citizens have been living here and have been paying taxes all their lives while foreigners only came here recently, do not pay tax here or only pay a token contribution. So how can they get the same benefits when they have not contributed the same as Maltese citizens and we do not have enough resources for ourselves? That is discrimination against Maltese citizens AD and you can be certain that we shall remember it when election time comes. You can rest assured that we shall forever condemn you never to have an MP.
J. Borg
Jul 11th 2010, 17:17
@ Sergio
guess you would have Malta out of the EU if you have a chance.....
hope you read again what you have posted......and eventually open your mind to the 21st century!
A Cassar
Jul 11th 2010, 17:22
I assume you are against Malta being in the EU Sergio?? Any Maltese living in any EU country gets treated as a normal citizen would...getting all the benefits while paying all the obligations. Thank God the majority of Maltese people opted to give all benefits to EU citizens in Malta as this has opened up opportunities for all of us. If you prefer Malta to be cut off from the rest off Europe.....tough luck!!!
Sergio Vassallo
Jul 11th 2010, 17:27
J. Borg why not if it's better for the Maltese citizens? After all, as is said, sometimes progression is regression. So why not reverse the trend when what you call the 21 st century is nothing more than regression?
Joseph Micallef
Jul 11th 2010, 17:37
Betrayal for Malta and Maltese? What??
So breaking EU laws is fine when it is in our interest but then it is ok for EU taxpayers to pay for our roads, etc?
lgalea
Jul 11th 2010, 18:16
Joseph Micallef the eu is giving us nothing except some of our money back. We are paying ti more than it is giving us so much so that Gonezi doesn't want to carry out a cost-benefit analysis on our membership because he knows that we are giving it and spending much more than we are getting from it. This is besides the bad effects of foreigners and illegal immigrants invasion and the destruction of everything that we had previously built at great sacrifices. This is what eu membership means.
lgalea
Jul 11th 2010, 18:21
A Cassar tough luck cassar? Not for long cassar, not for long.
A Cassar
Jul 11th 2010, 18:45
@lgalea
You plan on taking us out?? Good luck Ha Ha Ha :D
lgalea
Jul 11th 2010, 22:08
A Cassar as they say cassar, he who laughs last laughs longer. Neither the crap eu nor its crap euro are going to last that long. And it's not me saying this, but this was said last week by the majority of European countries Central Banks Governors. The writing is on the wall Cassar. The eu is on the way out thank God. If you still think that the majority of Maltese citizens are still in favour of membership persuade Gonezi to hold another referendum, but Gonezi and the eu quislings would not do so because they are CHICKENS because they know that the majority will vote to leave the crap eu.
Robert Scullion
Jul 12th 2010, 00:48
@Igalea
Still making up that 'we pay more into the EU than we receive' nonsense. Sit down and read the budget, you maybe surprised that Malta gains more than it pays in. I've even provided the link for you. http://ec.europa.eu/budget/documents/2008_en.htm?go=t3_2#table-3_2
Also have a referendum if you want, its good for democracy. If you claim the entire country is so anti-EU then you'll win hands down. However your failure to actively campaign for another vote is probably out of fear of losing .. I mean you couldn't even get an anti-EU party to win at the EU elections last year.
Joseph Micallef
Jul 12th 2010, 02:01
IGalea ... Get your facts right!
We are net contributors according to you? Yeah of course, your maths does not add up but after all the partnership won right? And what is the 'destruction of everything that we had previously built at great sacrifices'?
Another referendum on EU membership? Come on! The EU has been the best thing that has happened to this country since independence!
lgalea
Jul 12th 2010, 12:39
Joseph Micallef the few Maltese citizens working in other eu countries are nothing compared to their working population, but the thousands of eu foreigners working in Malta are a sizable proportion of the Maltese population. You are wrong about the eu being the best thing that happened to Malta.
As for being net contributors why doesn't the Hubris Gonezi want to conduct an cost-benefit analysis of our membership? Because he is certain that the people will realize the truth and vote to get out of the cursed eu colonialist hegemony.
The cursed eu membership may be that for its obsequious servants and quislings ready to rule Malta and the Maltese citizens according to the eu petty dictators diktat, but it is the worst thing that ever happened to Malta and the true real Maltese patriotic citizens.
Scullion, have a look at my answer to Joseph Micallef. Gonezi and the eu petty dictators do not want to hold another referendum because they are CHICKENS, but by God we shall getout of the cursed eu. I have never and shall never be an eu petty dictators menial servant. As I always say, I am a Galea not a Scullion.
denis attard
Jul 12th 2010, 22:58
"Net contributors"????...lgalea...you are a joke.
Get your facts right before you blabber on.....
We've heard this before...guess from whom?
As regards legal foreign workers...they are not taking jobs from locals...it is the illegal ones which are doing so. Nevertheless, these are non-EU citizens...and therefore would still be here, perhaps in bigger nos. if we did not form part of the EU.
What a LOAD OF RUBBISH
Robert Scullion
Jul 13th 2010, 09:00
@Igalea
Its only your opinion about the Government not holding another referendum.
What is probably more likely (and this may upset you) the last referendum was only 6 years ago. Generally things of that importance only occur every 10-15 years at least.
Also at the last 2 general elections the public have gone with the PN which asked for a yes vote, so this is a public acceptance of that vote.
Perhaps the real questions is why the anti-EU parties did so poorly at any of the last elections?
Explain that Igalea!
As I've always said, I use facts .. not made up Igalea figures/stories
Joseph Micallef
Jul 13th 2010, 17:10
'but the thousands of eu foreigners working in Malta are a sizable proportion of the Maltese population' From where did you get this?? What are your sources? Who wants to come to malta when there are about 17 Member States that offer better wages and better standards of living? You still worried about the Sicilians coming to take us over?
Why Should PM Gonzi waste my taxes and our taxes to hold another referendum? What's the use of another referendum? The people and decided ... twice in 2003! While we are at it should we hold another referendum for integration as well?
lgalea
Aug 29th 2010, 10:50
Robert Scullion it's you and eu petty dictators who make up stories to cheat the people Scullion. As I always say I am a Galea not a Scullion.
lgalea
Aug 29th 2010, 10:59
denis attard ask yourself why does the PN government not want to make a cost benefit analysis of how much the eu is really costing us? This is apart from the €182,192 daily we are paying ti, part of VAT, all customs duties and levies while we pay the customs officers to collect them, the people who are constantly going back and forth to Brussels and other capitals on eu business, the cost of implementing eu regulations etc etc.
lgalea
Aug 29th 2010, 11:00
Joseph Micallef come down to earth or more precisely to Malta because you are not living here Micallef.
Please choose the reason of your report below: