Taxxa

Jidhruli strambi n-“negozjati” bejn il-gvern u s-settur turistiku dwar it-taxxa fuq l-iljieli li jqattgħu t-turisti fil-lukandi. M’hemm xejn ta’ barra minn hawn f’taxxa bħal din; kważi kull fejn immur fl-Ewropa, qed ikolli nħallas taxxa hekk.

Veru li għall-bidu tinħass ftit stramba li settur produttiv qed jiġi ntaxxat. Imma toqgħod taħseb fuqha: għaliex le?

Fi żminijiet fejn it-turiżmu kien sejjer lura sew, ma’ oħrajn kont naqbel li kellu jingħata kull għajnuna. Imma llum li t-turiżmu rpilja, taxxa “ċkejkna” mhix se tkagħbru.

It-titubanzi dwar kif it-taxxa tista’ titħaddem ukoll jidhruli strambi. Ma naħsibx li hemm għalfejn il-gvern u l-lukandiera joqogħdu jaraw kif se jivvintaw ir-rota mill-ġdid. Jezistu diversi mudelli ta’ kif qed titmexxa dil-biċċa fl-Ewropa. Kulma għandna nagħmlu hu li nsegwu l-mudell li l-aktar jaqbel għaliha u mbagħad inkunu lesti li naddattaw it-tħaddim tiegħu skont l-esperjenza.

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Mit-turiżmu għat-turiżmu

Ħareġ biha min ħareġ biha l-ewwel bħala idea, kemm jagħmel sens li tingħata garanzija li d-dħul mit-taxxa msemmija jintefaq għal għanijiet li jippromovu t-turizmu? U li dan isir billi d-dħul imur f’fond li min-natura stess tiegħu, ikollu jonfoq biss fuq proġetti turistiċi?

Għax bl-istess loġika wieħed jista’ jgħid li t-taxxi fuq is-sigaretti għandhom jintużaw biss għal proġetti fuq is-saħħa pereżempju, jew li t-taxxi fuq is-sewqan imorru biss fuq it-toroq.

Gvern qiegħed hemm biex skont il-mandat politiku li jkun ingħata, imexxi l-finanzi tiegħu b’mod li jkun ta’ ġid għas-soċjetà u l-ekonomija tal-pajjiz kollu kemm hu. Ġieli jkun hemm il-ħtieġa li jdaħħal mizuri favur settur, ġieli favur qasam ieħor. Fl-aħħar mill-aħħar, is-suċċess tat-tmexxija ekonomika u soċjali jirrizulta minn bilanċ fil-kisbiet li jsiru, u minn hekk jibbenefika l-poplu, l-gvern u ċertament l-oqsma partikolari li flimkien jikkostitwixxu l-magna produttiva u soċjali tal-pajjiż.

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Għażla fl-Università

Tajjeb li se jkun hemm elezzjoni bejn zewġ kandidati għal rettur tal-Università, li t-tnejn huma nies ta’ valur. Din li l-ħatra ta’ rettur tkun mhux kontestata u ta’ spiss wisq isseħħ skont kif imbuttata mill-gvern mhijiex sistema tajba, speċjalment issa li l-Università kibret daqstant.

Min-naħa l-oħra, issir kif issir l-għazla ta’ rettur, il-kobor stess tal-Università qed iżid il-ħtieġa ta’ trasparenza u kontabilità akbar, dwar l-uzu tal-fondi u dwar il-meritokrazija (kelma mill-aktar abuzata tul l-aħħar għoxrin sena) fid-deċizjonijiet akkademiċi li jittieħdu.

Forsi wara kollox, kien ikun aħjar kieku l-elezzjoni għal rettur kienet se ssir bejn tliet kandidati jew aktar, b’tal-anqas waħda minnhom mara.

English Version – Tax

One finds it strange that “negotiations” are taking place between the government and the tourism sector regarding the tax on bednights that tourists spend in hotels. There is nothing out of this world in such a tax; practically wherever I go in Europe, I must pay it.

It is true that at first, the proposal to tax a productive sector feels a bit awkward. But then, come to think of it, why not?

At times when tourism was in the doldrums, along with others I was all out for help to be given to the sector. But now that it has recovered, it will not wilt if it has to carry a “small” additional tax.

The hesitation about how to implement the tax too appears difficult to understand. One cannot believe that over this matter the government and hoteliers must reinvent the wheel. A number of models exist in Europe. All we need to do is follow that model which approximates most to our situation and then be ready to amend it on the basis of experience.

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From tourism to tourism

No matter whose idea it first was, why does it make sense for the government to guarantee that revenue from the projected bednight tax be clipped into a fund which by statute, would only be able to spend its income ontourism projects?

For by the same logic, one could claim that income from taxes for instance on cigarettes should only be used on health projects, while that from taxes on cars should be dedicated only to road works.

According to the political mandate it has received, a government is in charge in order to manage its finances in ways that are beneficial to society and to the economy as a whole. Sometimes it finds it needs to promote measures that benefit one sector, sometimes another. In the end, progress in economic and social management will result from balanced outcomes, from which the people and the government stand to gain, as well as the particular sectors which together constitute the productive and social system of a country.

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Choice at the University

It’s a good thing that two candidates, both of great value, have presented themselves for election to the rectorship of the University. That a nomination for rector stays uncontested and too often is left to the government to promote, is a bad arrangement, especially today when the University has grown so much.

At the same time, no matter how the rector gets chosen, the very size that the University has reached, increases the need for greater transparency and accountability over the use of funds and the exercise of meritocracy (a word much abused during the last twenty years) in the academic decisions that are taken.

Perhaps after all, it would have been better had the election of a rector been taking place between three or more candidates, with a least one a woman.