Finance Minister Tonio Fenech's adamant declaration that he will not refund the VAT charged by the government on the registration fee of cars bought since May 2004 is nothing short of highway robbery.

Where does the consumer stand, when we have EU Commissioner Laszlo Kovacs telling Labour MEP Louis Grech, in reply to a parliamentary question, that further charging of VAT on car registration tax is in breach of EU law?

Isn't interest accumulating on the €50 million the government owes in VAT refunds not enough for Mr Fenech to consider repaying, as he is in duty bound to do in his capacity as Finance Minister, these taxes which infringe consumer rights?

Heartfelt thanks are in order to Mr Grech and opposition leader Joseph Muscat, who had informed the Commission that this tax was not in conformity with a decision taken by the European Court of Justice and was therfore illegal. He also pledged that if elected to power a Labour government would refund the VAT collected.