The Labour Party said today that 14,000 had registered to join a court case for the reimbursement of VAT charged on vehicle registration tax since Malta joined the EU.
The party said 12,700 submissions were made at PL headquarters in Hamrun and another 1,300 in Gozo.
Queuing at Hamrun started early in the morning and soon stretched from the main entrance of PL headquarters, round the block to the Museum Chapel in St Joseph High Street. However average waiting time was 45 minutes, the party said. Arrangements will be made for those who could not be present to still join the case.
The campaign was launched after EU Commissioner Laszlo Kovacs said that VAT should not have been charged on registration tax for vehicles bought after Malta joined the EU. The government, however, has insisted it was within its rights. It said that only the European Court could ultimately decide the issue. It also pointed out that in a worse case scenario, reimbursement would cost the government some €50 million.
The registration tax system was changed at the beginning of this year.
Labour leader Joseph Muscat, speaking at a press conference, said that response was better than expected, both in Malta and in Gozo.
The people, he said, came from all political backgrounds.
The PL in a statement this evening said the large number of people who had turned up should convey the message that the people should be given what was due to them, without having to go to court.
The Finance Ministry in a statement this afternoon said it always acted seriously and never put itself above the law.
The ministry pointed out that the Labour Party in its electoral programme never claimed that the government had collected some tax illegally and never promised to reimburse VAT.
Meanwhile, Roberta Metsola Tedesco Triccas a Nationalist candidate for the European Parliament elections, said today that she disagreed with the government on the imposition of VAT on vehicle registration tax. She also urged the governemnt to 'give the money back' (see separate story).
AD yesterday also filed a court case demanding reimbursement. It was backed by 14 people.