Labour government ‘confirms’ €50 million new taxes – Fenech
Nationalist MP accuses government of increasing tax burden.
The Nationalist Opposition has "noted" that Finance Minister Edward Scicluna today confirmed government's plans to impose an additional €50 million in new taxes in the upcoming Budget.
This, PN MP Tonio Fenech said, was in addition to a €21 million cut in Budget 2013 - a decision which affected 113 programmes and initiatives and 57 entities.
"With its decision, Muscat's government is increasing the tax burden which was reduced over the years by the Nationalist administration," Fenech said.
According to Fenech, the increased taxes would finance Labour's "sporadic electoral promises".
"The Labour government also needs to sustain the obscene salaries it awarded to its friends, including Konrad Mizzi's wife monthly €13,000 salary, Silvio Schembri's double salary which in total will amount to €65,000 and Muscat's Cabinet which will cost €100 million over five years."
The former minister insisted that the increase in tax burden went against Labour's electoral manifesto. He added that the PN was urging government to reconsider "burdening families and businesses with new taxes".
Fenech insisted that while the PN will be supporting the Prime Minister in attaining financial stability and creating more jobs, it would not support the decision to increase taxes "simply to make good for the sporadic expenditure in salaries".
"It is unacceptable for families and business to make good for these bad decisions."