I also support the continuous shift of taxation to pollutants, like the increase in registration tax for cars with emission standards below Euro IV and V, increase in excise duty on cigarettes and cement, and continuing the grant scheme for solar heaters, insulation and double-glazing rather than subsidizing electricity usage.
Also welcome is the removal of the Television Licence anomaly, another electoral promise, which in reality was still being paid only by those who bought a television in a time where you needed Ministerial approval and registration.
What I would have expected more was investment related to renewable energy technology, which our country seriously lacks, some form of taxation on vacant second and third properties to incentivize their usage, more measures to tackle social benefits fraud. Worrying also the fact that water conservation projects were only mentioned in relation to Eco-Gozo, unless I missed something.
Overall, nothing really to complain about. In the midst of the worst economic crisis in Europe, we are experiencing an increase in number of people in employment, decrease in redundancies, increase in tourism, scholarships and tax-breaks. And don't tell me that it's due to an impending election. This budget is a continuation of a strategy which started back in 2007, and since then, election or no election, we never witnessed an increase in direct taxation. The reason why the Government's revenue from taxation is still going up is that we are earning more, and more people are working. And that is definitely a good sign.
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Official Presentation in Maltese
Official Presentation in English
The main points of the Budget can be found at:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20111114/budget-2012/the-budget-at-a-glance.393877
Xi punti mill-Budget bil-Malti:
Qaghda tal-Pajjiz
· Tkabbir Ekonomiku ta’ 2.8% fit-tieni kwart. 1.1% aktar mill-medja tal-EU.
· Zieda ta’ €414-il miljun fl-Importazzjoni fuq l-ewwel 9 xhur is-sena li ghaddiet.
· Zieda ta’ €220 miljun fl-Esportazzjoni fuq l-ewwel 9 xhur tas-sena li ghaddiet.
· Persuni jahdmu bi qliegh 148,546. Zieda ta’ 1,600 Mejju li ghadda fuq l-2010.
· Vacancies ghax-xoghol tul l-2011 – 10,756. 3,433 aktar mis-sena li ghaddiet.
· Redundancies mix-xoghol tul l-2011 – 1,2454. 155 anqas mis-sena li ghaddiet.
· 10,304 persuna baqghu jahdmu wara l-eta’ tal-irtirar fl-2011. 100 aktar mill-2010.
· 2,437 mara ohra tirritorna fid-dinja tax-xoghol.
· Dejn pubbliku 2011 – 70.15%. 2012 – 68.91%. 2013 – 66.95%.
· Deficit 2010 – 3.9%. 2011 – 2.8%. 2012 – 2.27%. 2013 - 1.79%.
· Rata ta’ qghad il-hames l-anqas fl-EU 6.6%. 3.1% anqas mir-rata medja fl-UE.
· Il-Flus fl-idejn u d-depoziti zdiedu b’€430 miljun. €9.29 biljun fl-2010 ghal €9.72 biljun fl-2011.
· Studenti fl-edukazzjoni Post-Sekondarja – jitilghu ghal 22,514.
· Turizmu Zieda ta’ 70,000 wasla fl-ewwel 9 xhur. Zieda ta’ 337,000 lejl fl-ewwel 9 xhur.
Budget 2012
· Investiment kapitali ta’ €425.3 miljun.
· Tkabbir Ekonomiku ta’ 2.8%
· Qghad 6.5%
· Inflazzjoni 2.1%
· Zieda ghall-gholi tal-hajja €4.66
Xoghol, Investiment u Turizmu
· Zieda fil-vot tal-incentivi ghall-industrija ghal €14.2 miljun.
· €3 miljun ghal incentivi fiskali fuq investiment ghal energija minn sorsi nodfa.
· Investiment ta’ €30 miljun fil-BioMalta Campus fuq farmacewtici u xjenzi.
· Fond ta’ investiment privat fix-xejnza ta’ €200 miljun (Sultan Scientific u Malta Ent.)
· Investiment ta’ €16.7 miljun fiz-zoni industrijali tal-Gvern.
· Zieda tal-fond tar-ricerka tal-MCST ghal €1.6miljun.
· €3.5 miljun investiment f’Centru Interattiv tax-Xjenza.
· Estensjoni ta’ sena ghall-iskema tal-Microinvest – tax credit ta’ 40% fuq l-isportiv.
· €3.8 miljun ghall-Awtorita’ ghall-Kompetizzjoni u l-Konsumatur.
· €10.8 miljun ghal programmi ta’ tahrig mill-ETC.
· L-iskema ghan-nisa li jirritornaw fid-dinja tax-xoghol ma jhallus taxxa fl-ewwel sena estiza ghal sena ohra. Ibbenefikaw 8,600 mara fejn frankaw €10 miljun f’taxxa.
· €1.3 miljun investiment f’child care centres godda.
· Diskussjoni fl-MCESD dwar zieda ta’ 4 gimghat maternity leave fuq sentejn. (L-ispiza tingarr mill-Gvern.)
· Tkompli titwettaq il-weghda tat-Tnaqqis tat-Taxxa - tidhol bracket gdida ghall-genituri.
· Min ikun qed irabbi se jkollu tnaqqis minn €75 sa €420 fit-taxxa ghal kull genitur.
· Il-Gvern se jkun qed ihalli f’idejn in-nies €10 miljun li minnhom se jibbenefikaw 55,000 persuna.
· Skema biex tghin lil min waqa’ lura fil-pagamenti tal-VAT.
Ghawdex
· Allokazzjoni ta’ €4 miljuni ghal progetti Eko-Ghawdex.
· €500,000 nefqa fuq promozzjoni lil Ghawded bhala destinazzjoni distinta.
· Programm biex l-Ghawdxin isibu l-impjieg f’Ghawdex.
· Zieda ta’ €700,00 fl-allowance ghal studenti Ghawdxin li jistudjaw Malta.
· Investiment f’language lab fl-iskola Ninu Cremona b’investiment ta’ €320,000.
· Investiment ta’ €1.5 miljun fuq it-Toroq f’Ghawdex.
Edukazzjoni, Zghazagh u Sports
· Zieda ta’ €23 miljun fl-allokazzjoni ghall-Edukazzjoni.
· Ikompli l-bini tal-iskola tal-bniet fil-Handaq.
· Investiment ta’ €9 miljun fi skola gdida f’Hal Kirkop u facilitajiet sportivi godda f’Santa Venera.
· €45.2 miljun biex jitmexxew l-iskejjel tal-knisja.
· €600,000 f’estensjoni ta’ tax credit lil genituri bi tfal fi skejjel privati u indipendenti.
· Zieda f’dan it-tax credit ivarja minn €100 sa €700.
· Fond ta’ €1 miljun ghall-immodernizzar u investiment fl-iskejjel indipendenti.
· Ghajnuna ta’ €450,000 ghal-learning assistants fi skejjel indipendenti.
· €900,000 ghal boroz ta’ studju.
· Ikompli l-bini ta’ Fakulta tal-ICT b’investiment €7.2 miljun.
· Investiment ta’ €58.2 miljun fl-Universita’ u l-Junior College.
· Zieda fl-allokazzjoni ghall-Mcast ghal €15.4 miljun.
· Ikompli l-Campus tal-MCAST b’investiment ta’ €120 miljun.
· Investiment ta’ €1.5 miljun fl-e-learning.
· €100,000 allokazzjoni fuq ghajnuna ta’ taghlim tal-muzika mill-Baned.
· Allokazzjoni ta’ €350,000 fuq Turizmu Sportiv.
· Ftuh ta’ kumpless sportiv f’Hal Kirkop.
· €100,000 ghal bidu ta’ progett ta’ Skola Sekondarja fid-dixxiplini sportivi.
· Rifuzjoni ta’ 15.25% fuq xiri ta’ apparat tal-fitness.
· €120,000 ghal scholarships fil-qasam sportiv.
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