Monday, May 30, 2016

Chamber files injunction to block eco-contribution tax

The Malta Chamber of Commerce has filed a prohibitory injunction seeking to block the government from introducing a 50c-a-day eco-contribution for tourists.  The injunction comes after weeks of bad blood between Chamber members and the Tourism Ministry over the introduction of the tax. Business interests have called on the government to postpone its introduction until after the summer, saying they had barely been consulted and would be forced to absorb much of the cost themselves. But while Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis has offered the hospitality sector a 15 per cent refund for all contributions paid over the summer period, he has insisted the eco-contribution will begin as planned on 1 June.  The Chamber has now turned to the courts to try and stop this from happening. In a statement, it said that while it was in favour of the idea in principle, the government had "chosen to consult with only one stakeholder to the detriment of others and in breach of the provisions of the Small Business Act."  Saying that consultation was "a non-negotiable prerequisite" for any regulatory proposal, the Chamber said that its request for an injuction was a stand "against the disregard...

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