Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party’s Chairperson, Carmel Cacopardo issued the following reaction to today’s Budget 2020 speech.
“As expected, Government is strengthening various social benefits, including pensions. These affect in particular, rightly so, those categories which were ignored for a number of years. It is however noticed that government has once more failed to embark on the process of revising the mechanism used to calculate the minimum wage, in order that this reflects the real needs of workers. This exercise is now long overdue. Tinkering with income tax payable on overtime is insignificant when compared to what is really required. We need a minimum wage which reflects the real needs of workers.”
“We note that Government has almost announced the cut-off date for the importation of cars running on petrol and diesel. But it has not arrived there yet. There is no seriousness in the manner in which this topic is being addressed, because had government been determined in this respect it would have declared an immediate moratorium on the construction of fuel service stations. As an additional bonus payable to every citizen, had it been serous, it would have immediately withdrawn all operating licences of fuel stations which have not been in operation for some time. In addition, it would have halted its senseless development of road infrastructure which serves only to increase cars on our roads. The alternative to this, are measures to reduce the number of cars on our roads.”
“Government has realised, at last, that it needs a ‘Green New Deal’ strategy. That is, a strategy which addresses the impacts of climate change sustainably, economically, ecologically and socially. But for such a strategy to make sense Government should first dismantle its existing strategies which are in direct opposition to a ‘Green New Deal’. It does not make sense, for example, for Government to declare the need to protect the environment but then dishes out incentives of all sorts to encourage the property market; nor does it make sense to keep to its programme of intensive development of the road infrastructure, or keep pushing for the development of a tunnel between Malta and Gozo, which only serves the free movement of more cars between the islands. Instead of grants for batteries to store electricity generated through solar panels, it would have been much better had Government embarked on a massive investment to ensure the better distribution of electricity, as this would of itself increase the potential for the generation of more renewable energy by households. The lack of effective measures to generate more energy from renewable sources clearly shows that Government is not really committed in implementing a real ‘Green New Deal’ strategy.”
“The Minister of Finance is taking everybody for a ride, when on the one hand he speaks of Gozo as an ecological island but at the same time he keeps insisting on the ‘need’ for a tunnel between the islands, which tunnel will only serve to accelerate the environmental degradation of Gozo.”
Carmel Cacopardo concluded by saying, “This budget is based on glaring contradictions.”
***
Budget 2020 – budget tal-kontradizzjonijiet
B’referenza għall-Budget 2020, li għadu kif tħabbar mill-Ministru tal-Finanzi, iċ-Chairperson ta’ AD, Carmel Cacopardo ħareġ ir-reazzjoni segwenti.
“Nirrokonoxxu li kif kien mistenni, il-Gvern ħaseb biex isaħħaħ il-pensjonijiet, b’mod partikolari dawk ta’ kategoriji li għal snin twal kienu injorati jew imwarrbin. Min-naħa l-oħra nosservaw li għal darba oħra l-Gvern qed jonqos milli jibda l-proċess ta’ reviżjoni tal-mekkaniżmu kif il-paga minima tkun ikkalkulata biex issir paga li tirrifletti l-ħtiġijiet reali tan-nies. Dan hu eżerċizzju li ilu ma jsir snin kbar. It-tnaqqis tat-taxxa fuq is-sahra hu insinifikanti f’dan is-sens. Neħtieġu paga minima li tirrifletti l-ħtiġijiet bażiċi.”
“Tajjeb li l-Gvern kważi wasal biex iħabbar data meta se tispiċċa l-importazzjoni tal-karozzi tal-petrol u diesel. Imma għadu ma wasalx. Lanqas ma’ jidher li huwa serju dwar dan il-qasam għax kieku kien determinat li bis-serjetà jindirizza l-impatti tat-tniġġis kkawżat mill-karozzi kien jiddikjara moratorju fuq il-kostruzzjoni ta’ pompi tal-petrol ġodda, u bħala bonus pagabbli lil kull ċittadin kien immedjatament jirtira il-liċenzji kollha ta’ dawk il-pompi tal-petrol li ilhom żmien magħluqin. Dan apparti l-proġetti ta’ żvilupp bla sens tal-infrastruttura tat-toroq li jservu biss biex jiżdiedu il-karozzi fit-toroq. L-alternattiva għal dawn huma miżuri biex jonqsu l-karozzi mit-toroq.”
“Fl-aħħar il-Gvern induna li hemm bżonn strateġija msejħa ‘Green New Deal’, iġifieri kif jiġu indirizzati l-effetti tal-bidla fil-klima b’mod sostenibbli, ekonomikament, ekoloġikalment u soċjalment. Imma biex din l-istrateġija taħdem l-ewwel l-Gvern irid iżarma l-istrateġiji tiegħu li jmorru totalment kontra l-‘Green New Deal’. Fosthom, li ma jagħmilx sens li l-Gvern jgħid li jrid iħares l-ambjent iżda mbagħad joħloq jew issaħħaħ biżibilju inċentivi li jservu biss biex jinkoraġixxu iktar żvilupp; li jibni toroq bl-addoċċ, u li jinsisti fuq mina bejn Malta u Għawdex biex ikomplu jiżdiedu l-karozzi. Flok grants għall-batteriji biex jinħazen elettriku ġenerat mill-pannelli kien ikun aħjar li ħabbar investiment massiċċ fuq titjib tas-sistema tad-distribuzzjoni tal-elettriku biex ikun possibbli li fiż-żoni residenzjali tagħna niġġeneraw iktar ekettriku rinovabbli. In-nuqqas ta’ miżuri effettivi biex niġġeneraw aktar enerġija minn sorsi rinovabbli juri li l-Gvern mhux kommess li jimplimenta verament strateġija ‘Green New Deal’.”
“Nitbissmu meta nisimgħu lill-Ministru tal-Finanzi jitkellem dwar Għawdex bħala gżira ekologika meta fl-istess nifs jinsisti dwar il-mina bejn Malta u Għawdex, liema mina se sservi biss biex taċċelera l-qerda ambjentali ta’ Għawdex.”
Carmel Cacopardo ikkonkluda, “Dan hu budget mibni fuq il-kontradizzjonijiet.”
