Unions call for top tax to be reduced to 25%
The FORUM group of trade unions, which includes the MUT and the MUMN has called for the top rate of income tax to be reduced to 25%.
It also called on the government to put the people before major infrastructural projects such as City Gate.
In proposals for the Budget, announced today, the group said the workers were not feeling the economic recovery which the government was boasting about.
The group said that the tax rate on overtime should be 15% for everyone, removing the anomaly which saw some taxed at 35%.
The unions called for maternity leave to be extended to 20 weeks and for two weeks of paternity leave to be introduced.
They also called for parliamentary debate on the proposed living wage and for a revision of the minimum wage.
In other proposals, the FORUM said the mechanism for calculating the cost of living adjustment needed to be revised.
The unions called for another lump sum compensation for the power,, gas and bread price increases.
They also proposed a steep increase in the taxation of luxury cars and yachts and on third homes.
In other proposals, the unions called for more investment in the health service and measures to control tax evasion.
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B. Cachia
Oct 21st 2010, 11:13
This is a very good and sensible proposal! Let us shift taxes on to activities we want to discourage, such as excessive consumption and activities which damage health and the environment and reduce them from areas that we want to encourage such as work and investment. If we want to redistribute wealth in the process, let us do it by taxing wealth and not income. Excessively high income taxes do not affect the truly wealthy but those who are hard working and socially mobile!
MBorg
Oct 20th 2010, 20:14
I agree with the FORUM that the top income rate tax should be reduced. However I wonder why the FORUM did not ask for the removal of Childrens' Allowance from parents who do not need it. It has just been done in the UK why not in Malta ? Tax on yachts should be increased.
Companies with a turnover of up to €14,000 should have their income tax rate lowered.
Pensioners and those who are living below the poverty line should be helped.
Joe Morana
Oct 20th 2010, 18:28
Regrettably FORUM is proposing the same socially unjust tax-reductions which the UHM proposed last year or so. I publicly criticised such socially unjust tax-reductions proposals then and I do so now.
However the UHM seems to have realised its error, and this year in sharp contrast with its previous socially unjust proposal went diametrically to the other extreme, and is now advocating for tax reliefs only for the most in need.
In the circumstances , one wonders and questions FORUM's social conscienece and acumen.
Paul A. Camilleri
Oct 20th 2010, 18:14
They also proposed a steep increase in the taxation of luxury cars.
To the Forum group of trade Unions I say without hesitation, GO GET A LIFE !!!!!!
On one hand we have Nationalist supporters stating that thanks to these so called luxury cars, Malta looks RICH and MODERN and illustrates the well - being and high standard of living to the tourists visiting our country. Statements like the above only show that we still have people amongst us that want to dictate us back to the middle ages.
What are they proposing? that we all buy a FORD TA MOLLA WAHDA. Let us not show anymore divide and instill hate between the have and have nots. SOUR GRAPES IS ONLY GOOD FOR ONE THING.............. BALSAMICO !!!!!!!
Fenech MD
Oct 20th 2010, 17:46
Why top tax?
What about lower taxes?
B. Cachia
Oct 21st 2010, 11:18
Those are already very low in Malta. Many people actually pay no income tax. On the other hand, many middle class people, not wealthy people, just teachers and nurses and so on, have to pay a rather high top rate of income tax. Taxes need to be collected but it's much better to collect them from activities you want to discourage than to collect them from those that you want to encourage (such as hard work).
Sander Depasquale
Oct 20th 2010, 17:01
I think that the Forum is hallucinating! The forum should present proposals that could be discussed not proposals that are not realistic.
With these proposals the Forum will instigate the members of the MCESD to oppose the Forum's participation.
patrick zammit
Oct 20th 2010, 16:58
Jaqaw dawn il-unions jirraprezentaw lis-sinjur?
Paul Borg
Oct 20th 2010, 16:48
Jiena, all I know is we have 64,000 euro for the reception to open St George Square, 63,000 euro for the reception to open the circus tent at Mnajdra and 100,000 million euro to build a parliament, a non-gate and a non-theatre. No wonder the fat cats, they getting fatter and fatter.
Then we not have the money to keep a roof over six kids at YMCA and we only give the schoolchildren the fruit once a week instead of every day as it was supposed to be.
patrick zammit
Oct 20th 2010, 17:18
You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.
VV Bartolo
Oct 20th 2010, 16:16
when Dr Allfred Sant proposed a reduction in the water & electricity tariffs - hafna hangru "umbaghad min fejn behsiebu jaghmel tajjeb ghat-tnaqqis tat-tariffi, mit-taxxi taghna?"
when Dr Joseph Muscat proposed a refund on the car tax registration - once again there was the same repeat
so now i ask; if the govt reduces the top tax bracket from 35% to 25% - "min se jaghmel tajjeb ghad-deficit u min fejn se jgiba d-differenza??"
j camilleri
Oct 21st 2010, 00:09
Money must come from those who avoid their dues of Vat and undeclared income.
Shall I start with the usual list of those evaiding , u ejja ma nkomplux indahqu tara min hu bill cabin cruiser u jidikjara minimun wage,Jew bil BMW.
Prosit wll done Forum for your proposals, towards the middle class.
R.Attard
Oct 20th 2010, 16:04
Ma nafx ghala qed tehduha kontra l-Forum. Mela insejtu li;
1. Dhalna fl-ewropa u gejjin miljuni kbar lejn Malta.
2. Dahhalna l-ewro
3. L-investiment barrani ghoddu gherriqna
4. Ma ghadniex nahlu l-miljuni fid-dockyard
5. S-sussidji fuq dawl u ilma inqatghu
6. Bihhejna kull ma kellna
7. L-krizi ekonomika laqtitna bi zbrixx
8. etc etc
Jista xi hadd jghidli x'hinu jigri?
j gatt
Oct 20th 2010, 16:45
Jien naqbel miek. But??
To all individuals that write in Maltese, though one should not be ashamed to comment in one`s own langauge, it will make sence to perhaps 300,000 odd persons, even much less, so the scope of one`s message will be limited by this fact.
Why not write in English, so that your message reaches a wider audience and perhaps have greater effect.
The Maltese economy we are constantly reminded, is doing so strong under a strong leadership, so why impose austere measures at all?? in welfare, tax, retirement, so on & on, when we have no problem financing Mega projects??
jbusuttil
Oct 20th 2010, 17:01
If you want to know what's happening switch over from One news to Sky News and BBC News.
R.Attard
Oct 20th 2010, 17:51
Sure mate,
I agree about the benefit of a wider audience writing in English brings about. Just keep in mind that some people may either write in maltese or not at all.
duncan cassar
Oct 20th 2010, 15:57
sorry din mhux wedgha eretolari !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
joe felice pace
Oct 20th 2010, 15:57
Every year, on the very eve of the budget, we have trade unions and other organizations suggesting fisal and other measures the minister should take. He would have been working on the Estimates, as they are officially called, and trying to find a balance between inputs and outputs at least since July. And, hey presto, they expect him to do away with all his calculations! Silly, isn't it!
leonardo vince
Oct 20th 2010, 16:15
Not really silly when you remember that the eu is going to pump ONE BILLION EUROS by 2013. With that kind of money the government can give unions all they are claiming.
Well, the contractors come first????
Anthony Castillo
Oct 20th 2010, 15:47
@mario gellel Kun ftit iktar realli bhal ma taf ghalkemm Dr J MUSCAT qieghed jiprova jahrab mil verita li mhux veru li hawn krizi fid dinja kolla. Kif tahseb li jista jsir li qedda titlob il FORUM meta tista tighd li EU kolla qeddin jnghaqsu il PAGI u jzidu t TAXI. SUR GELLEL nahseb li taf min kien JISSIKA CINTURIN dak li kienu jidghullu IS SALVATUR u spicghaw jidghullu T TRADITUR niesu stess siehbi, din parti mill l-istorja.
r ferriggi
Oct 20th 2010, 15:35
nahseb min jaqlahha u jikola se jibqa isaffar bhas soltu.
c. camilleri
Oct 20th 2010, 15:27
Calling for a reduction of income tax when the country is facing a financial deficit is just madness and irresponsible.
Malcolm Perici
Oct 20th 2010, 16:21
And how can this country ever face a financial deficit when we have Tonio Fenech as our ingenious minister for finance ably masterminded by Dr Gonzi? Oooops - swallowed my tongue!
N.Farrugia
Oct 20th 2010, 15:23
Before listing all that the FORUM would like the government to introduce, did Bencini and Pace & Co. estimate what would be the financial burden to the government...that is all the local tax-payers? It is very easy to inmpress on the Forum members what is being asked but can the nation afford such measures? Are they living in wonderland? Don't they read or hear what's happening in other European countries?
C Galea
Oct 20th 2010, 15:21
The mere fact that the forum ONLY considered the 35 % bracket in the tax rates , goes to show , how much these union members earn !
Had they had the workers interest in mind , they should have suggested an increase of 1 % in VAT ! and a reduction of the 25 % tax bracket to 15 % !!!
According to my calculations , the 1.16 COLA will be taxed at 25 % , leaving 87 cent increase in wage , of which a further 18% will go back to the Goverment coffers in VAT , leaving the poor worker to suffer the consequences of the rising cost of living with 70 euro cent in his pocket .
A loaf of bread costs about that much ?
Denis Attard
Oct 20th 2010, 16:06
You are right...and the irony is that they are paid TAXPAYER money..They have to be seen as doing something
J Farrugia
Oct 20th 2010, 15:14
Forum , imbaghad id-differenza hallsuha intom ghas-servizzi li l-tgvern jipprovdi b'xejn. Ghax jew inhallsu ghas-servizzi li nuzaw jew inkella mit-taxxi ta' kulhadd. U insewha lil mit-taxxi qeghdin inhallsu ghas-servizzi. Dawk l-inqas jibbilancjaw il-kont tal-pensjonijiet u tal-impjegati tal-gvern. ahseb u ara. Fl-ingilterra biss, il-gvern ser itajjar 500,000 impjieg mal-gvern. Lesti naccettaw dawn it-tip ta' sensji f'pajjizna? U zgur li le. Mela FORUM, imn'alla li minthomx parti mill-MCESD ghax kieku holl xaghrek u gib iz-zejt bic-cuccati li qed tghidu.
Jeremy J Camilleri
Oct 20th 2010, 16:07
J farrugia..Jew thallas ghas servizzi jew b'xejn..iddeciedi...
Paul Barrett
Oct 20th 2010, 15:04
It is great to suggest tax reductions and extra payments but each hand-back from the coffers has to be compensated by equal income to the coffers or you end up with a deficit. The suggested compensation measures here would in no way cover the requested hand-backs.
Mark Sullivan
Oct 20th 2010, 14:58
Kulhadd jaf li biex tehel 35% trid ikollok salarju VERA TAJJEB. Biex hawn daqshekk nies ghandhom seba mitt genn biex din tidhol fis-sehh, sinjal li hawn hafna li vera sar ghandkom salarju tajjeb. Mela vera fil pajjiz hawn xoghol ahjar.
Fl-istess waqt idhlu issa www.bbc.co.uk/news :L-Ingilterra, pajjiz zgur aktar sinjur minn Malta ghadhom kif habbru l-bagit. Tnaqqis fil-beneficcji, fil-welfare, zieda fl-eta tal-pensjoni, tnaqqis fl-investiment fl-edukazzjoni, fis-sahha.........
nghixu go bozza dal pajjiz!
Miguel Micallef
Oct 20th 2010, 15:10
B'salarju li f'hafna pajjizi ohra ikun inqas mil minimum wage, taqa taht ir rata massima ta 35% f'Malta. Ma nafx x'qed tghid siehbi.
mario gellel
Oct 20th 2010, 15:13
Dak li ha jigri l-Ingriterra, ga sehh hawn Malta.
1-zieda fl-eta tal-pensjoni
2-tnaqqis fis-sistema tas-sahha. (tmur l-isptar ghal medicina u ma ssib xejn,bahh)
3-Inflazjoni moghla s-sema.
4-IL-part time job bhala full time jobs qed jisplodi
U mitt haga ohra
Hares lejn il-mera man u tkun taf min qed jghix f'bozza
Jeremy J Camilleri
Oct 20th 2010, 15:41
What did you expect from the Torys??
However, truth be told, even with all the pay cuts I still have a fleeting suspicion that the average wage in the UK will still be far higher than that in Malta....Malta of course being a country which leads the race in high prices for certain objects.
Joseph Caruana
Oct 20th 2010, 15:46
I agree with Mr Sullivan. So Forum is proposing a reduction in income tax rate from 35% to 25% to those who have a high salary, mean while the Forum is neglecting the pensioners who are taxed at the rate of 25%. So in the opinion of the Forum pensioners can afford to pay 25% of their income while the high paid salaries have a 10% increase in their pockets.
Peter Bartolo
Oct 20th 2010, 14:54
The Forum should have requested a wage freeze or a reduction in salary. We are living beyond our means and because of the various irresponsible Unions like those making up the Forum we will soon be facing reality which others are presently going through. Government this time did not the his homework right. The true Maltese who have the good of the island at heart are seeing the Government as too generous and we hope that we will survive unscratched.
Jeremy J Camilleri
Oct 20th 2010, 15:39
Living beyond our means? I might tend to agree...We have a government who saw it fit to spend more than 60 000 Euros to inaugurate a tent.....
As if any union would agree with a wage freeze to enablethe workers to further fund the fattening of the fat cats.
Of course, if you do work dear Peter, you can still voluntary give up a chunk of your pay cheque and donate to the Government...or perhaps the Party?
A. Zahra
Oct 20th 2010, 16:00
@ Jeremy J. Camilleri. The GWU not only agreed with a wage freeze, but beiing part of the cabinet it actually imposed it.
The Forum is making demands favoring the well off, not the workers and the unemployed.
Jeremy J Camilleri
Oct 20th 2010, 20:16
And the PN voted against all social security measures, and used to protest against corruption...but that wasn;t really the subject at hand was it?
Mark Borg
Oct 20th 2010, 14:41
I wish!!!!!
mario gellel
Oct 20th 2010, 14:26
MA TARAX LI IL-GVERN TA GONZIPN HA JILQA IL-PROPOSTI TAL-FORUM????
IL-MONEY NO PROBLEM GHAL TAL-QALBA BISS. GHAL POPLU, TAXXI, KONTIJIET TA BARRA MIN HAWN U SIKKAR TAC-CUNTURINI HEMM.
jcassar
Oct 20th 2010, 14:40
Jekk il-Gvern innaqqas it-taxxa jaghmel pjacir lis-sinjuri, jaqaw int wiehed minnhom. min ser ihallas ghal 20 gimgha maternity leave. tal-Forum jirraprezentaw il-haddiema tal-Gvern, jekk xi hadd ihalli ma gara xejn, ix-xoghol jistenna, jekk tfalli xi hadd mill-privat, haddiehor irid jahdem ghalija , hekk sew sur Gellel.
Denis Attard
Oct 20th 2010, 16:07
You are right...and the irony is that they are paid TAXPAYER money..They have to be seen as doing something. The government should curb spending.....starting with these useless salaries
g ellul
Oct 20th 2010, 14:13
Unions call for top tax reduction to 25% is fair enough. After all, PN promised to reduce rates, no? But I don't think PN will....at least not before the next General Elections!!
D. Scerri
Oct 20th 2010, 14:53
PN will do it, the very budget before the next election. Typical.
E Gatt
Oct 20th 2010, 15:35
@D. Scerri
You’re right. PN will 'typically' continue to reduce income tax: from 65% during Mintoff’s glory days, to 35%, and soon to 25% max.
joesp borg
Oct 20th 2010, 14:12
it is true that usually the last couple of bidgets before election are a bit open handed and i feel like i should thank the unions who proposed tax reductions .......................
but unfortunately the star of betlehem passed only once hehehe