The Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) have nominated Maltese MEP Alfred Sant as a substitute member on the European Parliament’s Panama papers committee. This is a similar role Dr Sant has already been entrusted by S&D on the TAXE 1 and TAXE 2 committees regarding the Lux leaks scandal. A substitute member on an EP committee has all the facilities of a full member but just doesn’t vote, which gets around the image problem for the island of having a Maltese MEP who when defending Malta’s interests, ends up in a minority of one or two on most taxation issues, particularly the proposal for tax harmonisation across all EU member states, which is not beneficial to Malta and Gozo.
“From the beginning I wanted to be a substitute member on these committees for technical reasons. A substitute member has the same rights as regular members and will be posted and involved on all developments, from beginning till the end”, said Dr Sant.
As happened with the committees on the Lux leaks scandal TAXE 1 and TAXE 2, Alfred Sant’s membership of the Panama papers committee will allow him to follow, hands on, the analysis of how tax scandals arose and the measures being proposed to combat them. This goes beyond narrow issues of Malta based partisan give and take, or whether “shell” companies prevail in Malta and elsewhere.
“Issues that are vital to the financial services industry and to the need for Malta to preserve her autonomy in tax policy issues will no doubt again be raised. It is crucial that we know about how these issues are developing and to be able to voice a reasonable case against solutions that go against our national interest, such as the harmonisation of tax systems that will be consistently proposed. This should be done while making it clear that we are in favour of transparency in taxation matters and stand against all forms of tax evasion,” remarked the Maltese MEP.
Maltese Version – ALFRED SANT NOMINAT MILL-S&D GĦALL-KUMITAT PARLAMENTARI EWROPEW GĦALL-KARTI TAL-PANAMA
L-Alleanza Progressiva tas-Soċjalisti u d-Demokratiċi (S&D) innominat lil Ewroparlamentari Malti Alfred Sant bħala membru sostitut fil-Kumitat Parlamentari Ewropew li se jifli l-iskandlu tal-Karti tal-Panama. Dan huwa rwol li jixbaħ ħafna rwol ieħor fdat lil Dr Sant mill-S&D fil-kumitati TAXE 1 u TAXE 2 li qed jiflu l-iskandlu tal-Lux Leaks. Membru sostitut f’Kumitat Parlamentari Ewropew huwa ttrattat l-istess eżatt bħal membru sħiħ, iżda ma jivvotax. Allura ma jispiċċax fin-nassa li filwaqt li jiddefendi l-interessi ta’ Malta, jispiċċa f’minorita` ta’ wieħed jew tnejn fuq il-kwistjonijiet tat-taxxa, inkluż il-proposta tal-armonizzazzjoni tat-taxxi li ma taqbilx għal Malta u Għawdex.
“F’dawn il-kumitati, sa mill-bidu nett, ridt li għal raġunijiet tekniċi, inkun membru sostitut.
Dan għandu prattikament l-istess drittijiet bħal membru regolari u jkun informat mill-bidu sal-aħħar b’dak li jkun qed isir.” qal Dr Sant fi Brussell.
Kif ġara diġa` fil-kumitati tal-Lux Leaks TAXE 1 u TAXE 2, in-nomina ta’ Alfred Sant fil-kumitat tal-karti tal-Panama tippermettilu li jsegwi b’mod dirett l-analiżi ta’ kif seħħew l-iskandli fit-taxxi u l-miżuri li qed ikunu proposti biex dawn ma jerġgħux iseħħu. Dan kollu jmur lil hinn minn kwistjonijiet partiġġjani Maltin dwar l-eżistenza jew le ta’ kumpaniji ‘shell’ f’Malta u fil-kumplament tad-dinja.
“Kwistjonijiet li huma vitali għas-settur tas-servizzi finanzjarji u dwar il-ħtieġa li Malta żżomm l-awtonomija tagħha fuq il-politika tat-tassazzjoni żgur li ser jissemmew. Huwa importantissimu li nkunu nafu dwar il-kwistjonijiet li qed jiżviluppaw. Kif ukoll li nkunu kapaċi nagħmlu l-każ tagħna kontra soluzzjonijiet li jmorru kontra l-interessi nazzjonali ta’ pajjiżna bħall-armonizzazzjoni tas-sistemi tat-taxxi. Din tal-aħħar se tkun proposta preżenti l-ħin kollu. Dan kollu għandu jsir billi nagħmluha ċara li aħna favur it-trasparenza fit-tassazzjoni u kontra kull forma ta’ evażjoni tat-taxxa.” saħaq Dr Sant.
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