The Government has no intention of introducing new taxes related to waste, it said this evening.
It was replying to a statement issued earlier today by the Nationalist Party.
In its statement, the PN welcomed the general direction of the draft National Waste Management Plan for 2013-2020.
However, it listed a number of reservations which it said the Government should consider during this consultation period.
Spokesman Charlo Bonnici said the draft uncovered the Government’s inconsistency as it had changed the tune it played before the election.
The draft spoke about higher tariffs and additional taxes for landfills when the Labour Party in Opposition had spoken against the fees introduced by the previous administration.
In the same way, it spoke about strengthening the eco-contribution system, which it had fought intensely in Opposition.
And while the Muscat Government now referred to the Sant’Antnin Waste Recycling Plant as pivotal infrastructure for the country, it had in Opposition carried out a war trying to freeze EU funds for its modernisation.
The Nationalist Party was concerned at the Government’s proposal to gather mixed waste from homes and shops only once a week.
Mr Bonnici said it was clear that the majority of homes in Malta and Gozo were not equipped for such an arrangement, especially with the growing number of families living in apartment blocks.
He also requested the Government to reconsider its decision to introduce new tariffs for waste collection from homes and commercial establishments.
The Government’s plan, Mr Bonnici said, failed to give direction on the investment which should be carried out with EU funds, including the €40 million Ghallis project which had to be embarked upon this year, and other plants such as the incinerator for refuse derived fuels.
If these investments were not undertaken, the Government would lose the EU funds that had been allocated for them and would have to expand the landfill or create a new one.
The Government was also being cautious what to say about enforcement and the document did not give clear dates about when this was to start and how it was to be implemented, Mr Bonnici said.
He said it seemed that the Government was contemplating investing in different systems to those the country had for the carrying of waste.
For the plan did not acknowledge the investment which had already been carried out in the sector and the Government seemed to be planning to force the replacement of these vehicles, including those modernised in past years.
The Nationalist Party welcomed the minister’s decision to commit to carry out n strategic environmental assessment, contrary to what was done by his colleague Minister Konrad Mizzi who rolled over everyone in the preparations for a new power station at Delimara in blatant breach of environmental regulations, Mr Bonnici said.
Government has no intention of introducing new taxes
In a reply this evening, the Government said it noted the Opposition’s agreement with the general direction of the draft and would remain open to suggestions until November 22.
The draft, it said, was also to be discussed in the MCESD in the coming days.
It said the Government had no intention of introducing new taxes, although this was being recommended by many stakeholders.
On eco-contribution, the Government’s commitment, as already communicated with commercial stakeholders, was to look at this holistically as stakeholders were concerned about how the system was being implemented.
Any changes there could be in the waste collection system would not be imposed but would only be implemented after an agreement was reached.
The Government said it had no intention of losing any EU funds and the strategic environmental assessment was being carried out because this was a plan and not a project.