Satellite Dish Taxes
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MEPs from both political camps reacted positively yesterday to the news that the government will be removing the Lm25 annual licence fee on satellite dishes.
Last Monday, cabinet decided to abolish the tax, backdated to May 1 this year.
The decision was welcomed by Labour MEP Joseph Muscat, who said that "mounting pressure has led the government to remove at least one tax, at a time when it is introducing a multitude of other taxes".
He added that "this shows that with coordinated and focused effort, we can make the difference both in our country and in the European Union".
Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil also welcomed the decision, saying it showed that the government respected the rights that Maltese citizens had acquired as a result of EU membership, even if there were financial implications for the national budget.
He also saw as positive the fact that the result came about without anyone having to resort to legal action, whether in Malta or abroad.
The decision came after complaints from owners of satellite dishes who argued that the imposition of the tax went against EU laws.
More than 15,000 satellite dishes are registered, with the government raking in about Lm390,000 a year from the licence fee.
