ADPD-The Green Party tikkundanna l-fatt li l-Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA), il-lobby tal-lukandiera, ingħatat rwol fl-amministrazzjoni tal-eko-kontribuzzjoni fuq it-turiżmu u tista’ wkoll tibbenefika finanzjarjament minn din l-arranġament. Dan joħroġ minn investigazzjoni ppubblikata llum minn The Shift News, li tikxef kif il-MHRA daħlet f’arranġament mal-Awtorità Maltija għat-Turiżmu (MTA) biex tassisti fil-ġbir u l-amministrazzjoni tat-taxxa, mingħajr ma ġew żvelati d-dettalji finanzjarji tal-ftehim. Dal-ftehim ma għandux jibqa’ sigriet u għandu jkun ippubblikata bla dewmien.

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party Sandra Gauci qalet:Huwa inaċċettabbli li lobby li tirrappreżenta l-interessi kummerċjali ta’ dawk li joperaw fl-industrija tal-akkomodazzjoni turistika tingħata wkoll sehem fl-amministrazzjoni ta’ taxxa li l-membri tagħha stess huma obbligati jiġbru u jħallsu. Dan iqajjem mistoqsijiet serji dwar il-kunflitt ta’ interess u t-trasparenza. Il-fatt li d-dettalji dwar il-benefiċċju finanzjarju possibbli għall-MHRA qed jinżammu mistura jagħmel is-sitwazzjoni aktar inaċċettabbli.

Waqt li l-MHRA tidher li sabet mod kif tieħu gidma mill-eko-kontribuzzjoni, il-kunsilli lokali fil-lokalitajiet li qed iġorru l-piż tat-turiżmu għadhom ma rċevewx lanqas il-50 ċenteżmu minn kull €1.50 li l-Gvern kien ħabbar li se jgħaddilhom. Il-komunitajiet li jiffaċċjaw żieda fl-iskart, traffiku, storbju, pressjoni fuq is-servizzi u deterjorament fl-ispazji pubbliċi għadhom qed jistennew. Minn informazzjoni li ġbarna l-kunsilli tħallew jittewbu, mentri fl-istess ħin, il-parassiti jkomplu jiffangaw. 

ADPD ilu jinsisti li l-eko-kontribuzzjoni għandha tmur direttament lejn il-lokalitajiet li jġarrbu l-impatti tat-turiżmu, inkella mhix eko-kontribuzzjoni. Issa, bl-introduzzjoni tat-tariffa l-ġdida ta’ €8 kull lejl għal kull turist li joqgħod f’lukanda jew €10 fil-każ tax-short lets), il-pożizzjoni tagħna hija ċara: it-€8 jew €10 kollha għandhom imorru għand il-kunsilli lokali. Dawn il-fondi għandhom jintużaw biex jissewwew il-bankini u jsiru aċċessibbli, jitjieb l-ambjent urban, isiru proġetti ta’ tisbiħ u pedestrijanizazzjoni, u jkun hemm immaniġġjar aħjar tal-iskart. Dawn mhumiex kapriċċi, iżda investimenti meħtieġa biex il-lokalitajiet ikunu postijiet aħjar fejn jgħixu r-residenti.

Il-problema hija li f’Malta t-turiżmu sar ukoll mezz ta’ spekulazzjoni tal-art u tal-proprjetà. Ħafna lukandiera mhumiex sempliċement operaturi ta’ negozju turistiku, iżda wkoll atturi fis-suq tal-proprjetà u spekulaturi tal-art, b’interessi fl-iżvilupp u l-espansjoni tal-akkomodazzjoni turistika. Fl-istess waqt, it-tkattir tal-short-lets qed ikompli jżid il-pressjoni fuq is-suq tal-proprjetà, jgħolli l-prezzijiet tal-kera u jagħmilha aktar diffiċli għar-residenti, partikolarment iż-żgħażagħ u l-familji, biex isibu post fejn jgħixu bi prezz raġonevoli.

Il-Gvern Laburista qiegħed fis-sodda mal-parassiti u l-ispekulaturi, filwaqt li lill-kunsilli lokali jagħtihom biss iċ-ċejċa. Għall-Gvern, il-kunsilli lokali jidhru li huma tajbin biss għal xi ċerimonja jew photo-op. Il-Ministri ma’ jridux jitilfu l-kontroll fuq id-distretti tagħhom u l-opportunitjiet li toffri l-politika tal-klijenteliżmu. Għaldaqstant il-Gvern ma jridx jagħtihom ir-riżorsi u l-awtonomija biex jindirizzaw il-problemi reali tal-komunitajiet tagħhom, għax irid iżomm kollox taħt il-kontroll tal-ministri.

ADPD-The Green Party jinsisti li d-dħul mit-turiżmu għandu jservi biex jikkumpensa u jtejjeb il-kwalità tal-ħajja tal-komunitajiet li jġorru l-piż tiegħu, mhux biex joħloq opportunitajiet oħra ta’ qligħ għal-lobbies u l-interessi kummerċjali. Il-flus miġbura mit-turisti għandhom imorru lura għand in-nies u l-lokalitajiet mhux jispiċċaw f’arranġamenti bejn il-Gvern u l-lobbies tal-industrija jew imorru għand l-MTA biex ikomplu jaġevolaw lill-industrija b’infieq stravaganti fil-marketing u fl-attivitajiet tal-massa.

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Labour government in bed with parasites and speculators, while communities pay the price of tourism

ADPD-The Green Party says that the fact that the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA), the hoteliers’ lobby group, has been given a role in administering the tourism eco-contribution and may also stand to benefit financially from this arrangement is shocking. This emerges from an investigation published today by The Shift News, which reveals how the MHRA entered into an agreement with the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) to assist in the collection and administration of the tax, without disclosing the financial details of the agreement. This agreement must not remain secret and should be published without delay.

ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci said: It is unacceptable that a lobby group representing the commercial interests of businesses operating in the tourist accommodation industry should also be given a role in administering a tax that its own members are obliged to collect and pay. This raises serious questions about conflicts of interest and transparency. The fact that details of any potential financial benefit to the MHRA are being kept under wraps makes the situation even more unacceptable.

While the MHRA appears to have found a way to take a cut of the eco-contribution, we know for a fact that local councils in the localities bearing the brunt of tourism have yet to receive even the 50 cents out of every €1.50 tax that the Government had announced would be allocated to them. Communities facing increased waste, traffic, noise, pressure on public services and the deterioration of public spaces are still waiting. From the information we have gathered, local councils have been left high and dry, while the parasites continue to feed off our communities.

ADPD has consistently insisted that the eco-contribution should go directly to the localities bearing the impact of tourism. Otherwise, it is not an eco-contribution. Now, with the introduction of the new rates of €8 per night for every tourist staying in a hotel, or €10 in the case of short-term rentals, our position is clear: the entire €8 or €10 should go to local councils. These funds should be used to repair pavements and make them accessible, improve the urban environment, carry out urban greening and pedestrianisation projects, and ensure better waste management. These are not luxuries, but necessary investments to make localities better places for residents to live.

It is a well known fact that in Malta, tourism is a vehicle for speculation in land and property. Many hoteliers are not simply operators of tourism businesses, but also players in the property market and land speculators, with interests in the development and expansion of tourist accommodation. At the same time, the proliferation of short-term rentals continues to put additional pressure on the property market, drive up rents and make it increasingly difficult for residents, particularly young people and families, to find affordable housing.

“The Labour government is in bed with parasites and speculators, while treating local councils patronisingly and with contempt. For Government, local councils seem to be good for little more than the occasional ceremony or photo opportunity. Ministers are unwilling to relinquish control over their districts and the opportunities offered by the politics of clientelism. Consequently, the Government refuses to give local councils the resources and autonomy they need to address the real problems facing their communities, because it wants to keep everything under central control.

“ADPD-The Green Party insists that revenue from tourism should be used to compensate the communities that bear its costs and improve their quality of life, not to create further profit-making opportunities for lobby groups and commercial interests. Money collected from tourists should go back to the people and their localities, rather than disappear into arrangements between the Government and industry lobby groups, or be channelled to the MTA to continue favouring the industry through extravagant spending on marketing and mass events.