Opposition leader Simon Busuttil yesterday proposed that the government adopt a three-point plan to reduce the bureaucracy and taxation brought about by its inefficiency and bad governance, as evidenced by the Budget measures.
The Opposition, he said, was proposing the setting up of a working group composed of business organisations and trade unions to study the impact of the increases in administrative tariffs, with no increase being imposed without consultation and proper study.
Secondly, the Opposition was proposing a reduction in tariffs on government services being offered through the e-government service.
Thirdly, the government should set targets so that services involving payments or the collection of data from the people or businesses could be offered through the e-government service.
Dr Busuttil said the Budget speech hid a long list of taxes, including an increase in the cost of more than 400 government services. He repeated his deputy Beppe Fenech Adami’s statement that the people were being taxed “from the womb to the tomb”.
He spoke of the government’s “stinking deals” and “obscene appointments”. He also attacked the government over the increased costs imposed on a number of items, from passport renewals to locally produced wine, and over the higher duties on tyres, licences and insurance, mobile phone services, cement and the use of cranes.
Bus fares were going up and the government had changed the tax regime on property.
Those who sold products or services up to €7,000 would now have to be registered.
The government had also raised rents on social housing.
While boasting of having raised stipends by a few cents, exam fees were raised astronomically.
People got a cost of living increase of just 58 cents, the lowest since the wage freeze, in stark contrast to what the government’s chosen few were getting through their appointments.
The people were also being made to pay for the government’s shady deals such as that with Azerbaijan, which cost the country €14 million.
The people were also paying for a power station which did not exist despite the Prime Minister’s promise that he would step down if it did not come about. There was also the €4.2 million granted in the Café Premier scandal.
Concluding, Dr Busuttil said the Opposition would vote against this Bill because it would raise taxes to pay for the government’s waste and inefficiency.