Michael Xuereb, Birżebbuġa
Pools’ licence fee should be challenged
I refer to the letter that appeared in these columns about the licence fee for the use of swimming pools (August 28).
The construction of private swimming pools, if designed professionally, according to a statutory specification controlled by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, should be encouraged, but not taxed as they are at present, by the imposition of an annual licence fee for use of the pool.
The pool must have a reservoir, either alongside or beneath it, one and a quarter larger in capacity than the pool itself. The reservoir will serve to catch the rain water during the winter season. During summer, this rainwater is pumped into the pool, leaving enough water in the reservoir for replacing pool water that would be lost through evaporation and back-washing during its use in summer. To construct such a pool one would have to pay a one-time levy to Mepa.
Such a pool is a perennial source of revenue to the government, by way of income tax on wages paid to caretakers, and VAT paid on parts and chemicals. In the absence of the said reservoir for reasons acceptable to Mepa, the use of fresh water from boreholes would have to be obtained at a premium, because this is a consumption of a substance extremely vital for the community and very expensive to produce by reverse osmosis, whenever rainfall proves inadequate.
Swimming is a healthy and popular pastime like tennis, gardening, bowling, skittles, billiards etc... None of these activities is a nuisance to neighbours. If one has enough space where to set up the required facilities, and carry out such activities, one should not be taxed to do so. Yet owners of private pools are being taxed for using their pools. The licence fee for use of a private pool restricts the right of enjoying one’s property. An annual licence fee is not required to use part of one’s house as a garden, or/and as a tennis court, or as a bowling alley, or use a room for playing billiards. Hence, why is the Malta Resources Authority discriminating by imposing a licence fee for use of a private swimming pool? This is an injustice!
The primary scope of imposing an annual licence fee to carry out a specific activity is to make it very easy to the authorities concerned to suspend that activity that would not be carried out in compliance with the law, or would have become a nuisance to the public.
A group of private swimming pool owners should jointly challenge in our courts the Swimming Pools (Control) Regulations of 1998, if this injustice is to be addressed the proper way.
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A Bezzina
Sep 4th 2010, 21:02
I do not have a pool nor do I have space for one on my property. Mr Xuereb's reasoning is sound and provides enough examples of why a tax on pools is discriminatory.
On the other hand, pool owners should provide evidance that they are self suffient in water collection for the use of a pool and inspections and samples taken to ensure that the pool water is NOT coming from aquifer water brought over by the bowzerful or from a hidden 'pump' bringing up water from the aquifer. A tax should be imposed if the pool size is greater than the amount of water that would be expected to be harvested by the owner's property size.
Have no idea how much this tax is, but since it does not act as a deterent for using unharvested water than I can only agree that it is nothing more than an excuse to tax!
R.Zammit
Sep 4th 2010, 19:32
I could be wrong but I was under the impression that as part of the PN's promises in the electoral campaign two years ago, they had promised to remove credit card tax, TV license (also a tax) and swimming pool license (also a tax).
At any rate, just like parents who send their kids to private schools and consequently save the government much investment, swimming pool owners do the same, and should not be taxed further. They pay tax at source on water and electricity consumption, besides an array of other expenses to run a pool.
Jeff Rogers
Sep 4th 2010, 14:51
Sorry Pal but you speak for yourself, we have to pay and thats the law in most countries, we also own a rather large farm house in Benedorm Spain and we PAY pool tax according to Spanish Law, and its our own properties, so i don't see why the Maltese are compaling about dishing out a few euros to the tresurie, thats typical of the Maltese they want everything for nothing and iyet always complain about their stadard of living as compare with more advance countries. It doesn't effect us now as we are moving out lock stock and Barrel as the saying goes.
K Zammit
Sep 4th 2010, 18:06
Mr Rogers, if you're trying to come off as a pretentious foreigner who looks down his nose at Maltese people I suggest you learn how to spell correctly at the very least. Funnily enough, bragging about your commodities and not being able to write properly kind of makes it hard to believe that you really are what you claim to be.
If however, my judgement is erroneous then I offer my sincere apologies and I humbly withdraw my statement.
Jeff Rogers
Sep 4th 2010, 18:53
Thanks Mr.Zammit, but unfortunitly the spelling errors are due to my pc, and by the time i attempted to ammend the text , t'was too late sunshine. However i apologise to you and the readers that might have been confused and baffled by MY spelling mistakes, next time i reply on a new key board, but i am sure you know what i was trying to say. This is exactly as when one is sitting for an examination, we were always told or advised, if the spelling proves to be a problem or even explaining an answer, then jotting down a diagram would be just as good and acceptable. Once again sorry for confusing the issue and not afraid to to apologize, Cheers-have a nice weekend .
Emm.Portelli
Sep 4th 2010, 19:12
Maybe the resource authority should also introduce another tax for those people who own unused property, another tax for those people who have dwellings with small windows sicne they are exceeding electricity quota, another tax for people who breath air, another tax for.......
all those in favor of this unjust tax.......please go get a life !
A.Gladfield
Sep 5th 2010, 23:42
I am glad that you said quote :.Not afraid to apologise, Most islanders find it very difficult to say sorry or Yes please may i help you? its not in their nature, still have alot to learn from us Britons. Alison Gladfield
J. Debono
Sep 4th 2010, 12:01
Pools should be discouraged not encouraged, because one is using the water from the reservoir for the pool instead for home use, thus resulting in a waste of our very precious water.
If anyone is comfortable enough to pay for a min. of 10,000 Euro building cost (exc. the land on which it is built), to pay for it's maintenance (inc. an average of 10kW of electricity /day), and then grumble for a miserly annual fee, his name must surely be Scrooge!
John Sammut
Sep 4th 2010, 13:38
Agree with you J. Debono. Fanfri hlief meta jigi biex ihallsu l-mizata,
F.Spiteri Snr.
Sep 4th 2010, 14:33
I too agree i own a pool and i do not degrudge paying an annual tax, after all water is precious and should be well controlled , including boreholes, so why should people running a swimming pool not pay any taxes as revenue to the Maltese treasury while the majority and needless to say all citizens of these islands pay water rates and others don't.. so i say don't be a Scrouge as most are on the islands, Gozo especially as it is the forgotton island by all account, so, if one can afford such luxuries then one should pay same as everyone honest decent citizen., foreigners included. Too many people getting away with murder whilst others are paying through thew nose to make up for the once that don't pay thier dues. Bassie US/Gozo
Lino Mallia
Sep 4th 2010, 15:05
Our sentiments exactly Pay Up, still saying this in time to come now we are in the EEC rules and regualtions are creeping in gradually, and in the very near future not only POOLS are taxed but other things ie. council taxes, and tax to this and that as in most countries in europe, > Malta made its bed now lie on it