Once again, in reply, this time to two correspondents (Joe Izzo and Frans Said, December 2),I will repeat: this is a properly drafted tax on long vacantand unutilised property that is being proposed.

The basic target of such taxation would have to be property that is absolutely unutilised and has been lying fallow or deteriorating for many years with absolutely no effort by its owners to use it or have it occupied, This is a tax on fruitless and unproductive hoarding.

So, please, do understand that regularly-used (even if rented to non-owners) summer houses do not come into the equation.

Of course, there will be a cost to go with such a law. A properly-compiled cadastre doesn’t exactly appear out of thin air.

And isn’t there a cost to every other single type offiscal measure that any government introduces?

Izzo’s example of someone who inherits a six-room flat which needs €30,000 for refurbishment is a non-starter for arguing against such a tax.

Such new owner should be wise enough to, very quickly (that is, no long-term hoarding), decide to either make such necessary expenditure and, so, quickly make the house an asset instead of a liability, or simply sell it at what is its market value now or even just sell/give it to the government for social housing usage with the same government then funding the repairs.

I mean look at how wise Said was with his own property in a somewhat similar situation.

He simply wasn’t prepared to carry dead weight on his shoulders for long years on end and he just got rid of it.

In fact, Said is smarter than Izzo in noticing how comprehensive would the needed cadastre have to be: including also plots of land (agricultural, building, abandoned rubbish lands, etc).

Of course, one easily understands why politicians are scared stiff of touching this subject. But the ones who really understand the national long-term economics of such a measure are probably also wise enough to know that pressure (local or from the EU) will build up towards our nation having to tackle the issue.

I mean to what extent can a 17- by nine-mile economy continue to uglify itself without wiselyutilising what, over time, are wasting assets.

The wise will no doubt also bring in the very valid environmental argument here.

Finally, I’m no great friend or admirer of most developers but I do admire those among them who, rather than always waiting for megaprojects, would be on the lookout for developing such long vacant and unutilised property in both Malta and Gozo.

This is my final word on this topic.