The government should not introduce indirect taxes on families

"In Budget 2014, the government should not introduce indirect taxes that could hit low and middle income families. Indirect taxes should be on luxury goods or financial transactions of over a certain limit", stressed the Communist Party of Malta .

The Party insists that “the government should re-introduce the 35 % income tax rate between the bracket of € 20,000 and € 60,000. This is a progressive tax as it varies according to how much you earn. Workers on minimum wage should continue to be exempt from income tax. Government should start considering the introduction of a tax on empty buildings."
"Government should also explore other possibilities of more direct revenue from areas that are making windfall profits, such as the banking, financial and on-line gaming sector. Loss in the public finances is a result of a unjust system, where those who earn more, are contributing the least."

Communists appeal for full LGBT Rights.

 

The Communist Party of Malta who in the past campaigned for full LGBT rights states that “the proposed bill that is being presented in Parliament on civil union is still discriminatory as it does not legally classify same-sex marriages on the same par with heterosexual marriages”.

 

“Although the party recognise that it is a step forward, this bill still classifies LGBT people as second class citizens”.

 

The Party insists that “ Malta should follow other EU member states like the Netherlands , Portugal , Spain and Sweden who have all introduced same-sex marriage. Also, Catholic countries in Latin America, such as Argentina and Uruguay have recently approved laws that recognise gay marriage”. 

 

The Communist Party of Malta appeals to the members of Parliament to promote equality and introduce amendments to this proposed bill, to make it conform with other progressive countries who have legislated for full LGBT rights.

 

“Privatisation Unit should be dismantled”

A Privitisation victim

The Communist Party of Malta appeals to the government to do away with the Privatisation Unit created under the previous right-wing administrations. The Privatisation Unit is a Neo-liberal tool, with the aim to privatise all public entities and services.

“The Government should introduce a policy towards the re-acquiring of public entities and services that are of social and national importance. Privatisation resulted in higher prices for the consumer, social inequality, and loss of revenue to the government”.

“The increase of poverty in Malta is also a result of such privatisation. International studies show that whenever public entities were privatised the consumer had to pay more for the same service, while making good for the revenue lost. Jobs were lost and worker’s conditions deteriorated”, concluded the Party. 

Communists against military intervention in Syria .

 

The Communist Party of Malta joins with other communists and progressive parties in the condemnation of the United States ’ clear intention to launch a military strike against Syria. 

 

“The US has a history of directly and indirectly using chemical and germ warfare against other countries, such as: Vietnam , Iran , Kurdistan , North Korea , and Laos . This chemical warfare resulted in thousands of casualties where civilian populations were killed and others remained maimed. A recent CIA report clearly implicates the US in supplying chemical weapons (nerve gas) to Saddam Hussein during the Iraq-Iran war”. 

 

The Communist Party of Malta appeals to the Maltese Government not to support the United States and United Kingdom initiative for a military strike against Syria . Government should stick to the Neutrality clauses within the Maltese Constitution. There is no clear indication of who is behind the use of Sarin gas in the Syrian civil war. We all remember the lies about the weapons of mass destruction that were used as an excuse to invade Iraq .

 

The Communist Party appeals to the Government to support progressive forces in Egypt

 

With regards the present situation in Egypt , the Communist Party of Malta condemns the violence and the terrorist’s acts committed by certain extremists groups within the Muslim Brotherhood movement against the progressive forces and the Christian community.

 

The Party supports the initiative taken by the progressive grassroots movement (Tamarrod) to urge via a petition, the military to reject foreign aid, and scrap the peace treaty with Israel . The Party agrees in principle with this initiative, which will regain Egypt 's complete sovereignty and control over its internal affairs and to put an end to years of humiliation and political-dependency. This is clear declaration against the US , Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates , who were also behind the military coup against the democratic elected government of Morsi.

 

The Party stresses that “the role of any military is to safeguard the people’s interest and not to act as a reactionary force against the people. We are concerned that the military has its own agenda. Our fear is that the military will play into imperialist hands as it had done previously, at the start of the revolution against Mubarak in order to stop any progress towards a working class revolution”.

 

The Communist Party of Malta appeals to the Maltese Government to support the Egyptian people in European Fora, in their struggle against neo liberalism and imperialist interference.

The Communist Party appeals for a social solution to gas.

“The problem of high prices for gas needs an immediate solution. A policy based on privatisation is not going to solve the problem of high gas prices”, said the Communist Party in a statement.

 

“The solution must be political not technical, and government must loose no time to implement a strategy which will lead to the return of the service into public hands. Gas is a limited, essential and a resource of national importance”.

 

“The number of families making use of this resource is 87%. Of these a large percentage are low-income families, pensioners and refugees. Government should end its support of the neo-liberal economic policy, which favours the few and instead implement a social policy to the benefit of the majority. Social justice will result from social politics”, concluded the Party.

 

Communist Support Progressive forces in Turkey

The Communist Party of Malta joined forces with other progressive and left wingers in solidarity with the communist movement in Turkey. The Turkish government wants to change the country’s republican regime towards an American led Islamic Republic.

   

“Various political activists have been brought to trial in the so called Ergenekon trial as part of the political repression against all those progressive forces that where active in last June demonstrations. Coming Monday, 5th August, huge demostrations will be organised in Turkey, the day when the court will give its final decision on this, were more progressive activists could find themselves in prison”.

 

The Communist Party of Malta condemns the repressive actions that are being taken by the AKP government, same party that has aspirations that Turkey will become an EU member. The Party support a republican, united and independent progressive Turkey that is in peace with its neighbours, and where justice prevail and also demand the immediate liberation of all patriotic activists.