Maltese MEP Alfred Sant told the European Parliament that if banks from Cyprus, Greece or Malta had been involved in the Cum Ex scandal the ongoing naming and shaming proceedings would not have been so mild as it was with banks in the larger member states involved in this scandal. The Cum Ex scandal revealed that an organised group of bankers had stolen over €55 billion from the public funds of several Member States, notably France and Germany, over the past 15 years through the so-called Cum-Ex deals. It was revealed that bankers, lawyers and other intermediaries were trading shares and receiving tax reimbursements for tax that had never been paid.
The Maltese MEP abstained on the resolution ‘The Cum Ex Scandal: financial crime and the loopholes in the current legal framework’, while fully agreeing with the need to curb all abuse of tax reimbursement schemes.
Dr Sant said problems arise when the foreseen measures to end these practices go beyond their objective and are used as a pretext to introduce tax harmonisation. Enhancing tax transparency and exchange of information in this field must be seen and must be implemented as a proportionate solution in the context to which it applies, as well as in its effects.
Member States must be left with their full tax sovereignty. Indeed, given its potential impact on the integrity of financial markets, the future Directive on Administrative Cooperation in the field of taxation should include transparent exchange of information on tax refunds and dividend arbitrage.
“Such exchange would quite likely show that the larger Member States – there’s no need to mention which – have turned a blind eye to such abusive tax practices, despite their scale and consistency over the years. It is difficult to believe the contrary. Would the ongoing naming and shaming proceedings have been so mild if banks in Cyprus, Greece or Malta were involved in such a scandal? I don’t think so.”
The resolution was approved with 439 votes in favour, 171 votes against and 26 abstentions.
Maltese Version – BANEK FL-ISTATI MEMBRI KBAR SERQU €55 BILJUN MINN FONDI PUBBLIĊI
Alfred Sant qal lill-Parlament Ewropew li kieku banek minn Ċipru, Greċja jew Malta kienu involuti fl-iskandlu Cum-Ex, il-kritika ma kinitx tkun daqshekk ġentili bħal ma qed tkun mal-banek fl-istati membri l-kbar involuti f’dan l-iskandlu. L-iskandlu mlaqqam Cum-Ex żvela li grupp organizzat ta’ bankiera seraq aktar minn €55 miljun ewro mill-fondi pubbliċi ta’ għadd ta’ stati membri, l-aktar mill-Ġermanja u Franza, għal dawn l-aħħar 15-il sena bis-saħħa ta’ dawk imsejħa Cum-Ex deals. Ġie żvelat li bankiera, avukati u intermedjarji oħra kienu qed jinnegozjaw ishma u jirċievu rimbors tat-taxxa għal taxxa li qatt ma ġiet imħallsa.
Alfred Sant astjena fuq ir-riżoluzzjoni l-Iskandlu Cum-Ex: Il-kriminalita` finanzjarja u n-nuqqasijiet fil-qafas legali attwali’, iżda qabel mal-ħtieġa li jitrażżan kull abbuż ta’ skemi ta’ rimbors ta’ taxxa.
Dr Sant qal li jinħolqu l-problemi meta l-miżuri previsti biex itemmu dawn il-prattiċi jmorru lil hinn mill-għan tagħhom u jintużaw bħala pretest biex tkun introdotta l-armonizzazzjoni fit-taxxa. Aktar trasparenza fit-taxxi u l-iskambju ta’ informazzjoni f’dan il-qasam għandhom jitqiesu u għandhom jiġu implimentati bħala soluzzjoni proporzjonata għal kuntest li għalihom qed jiġu applikati, kif ukoll għal effetti li jistgħu joħolqu.
Dr Sant saħaq li l-istati membri għandhom iżommu s-sovranita` totali fuq it-taxxi tagħhom. Il-futur tad-Direttiva dwar il-Kooperazzjoni Amministrattiva fil-qasam tat-taxxa għandha tinkludi skambju trasparenti ta’ informazzjoni fuq rimbors tat-taxxa u l-arbitraġġ tad-dividends.
“Huwa pjuttost probabbli li skambju ta’ din ix-xorta juri lill-akbar stati membri – ma hemmx għalfejn insemmu liema huma – li għalqu għajnejhom għal prattiċi abużivi ta’ taxxa, minkejja l-iskala u l-konsistenza tagħhom tul medda ta’ snin. Diffiċli nemmnu mod ieħor. In-‘naming and shaming’ kien ikun daqshekk ġentili li kieku l-banek involuti kienu f’Ċipru, il-Greċja jew Malta? Ma naħsibx.” qal Alfred Sant.
Ir-riżoluzzjoni ġiet approvata b’439 vot favur, 171 vot kontra u 26 astenzjoni.
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