Alternattiva Demokratika - The Green Party yesterday presented a challenge to all Maltese Members of Parliament and all five MEPs regarding the tax amnesty being granted presently.

In a press conference held in Sliema, AD chairperson Harry Vassallo stated that "we cannot refrain from showing our concern about the further changes being considered by government on the tax amnesty. It is very obvious that the government embarked on this amnesty without a clear vision as to what should be achieved. We still cannot understand why, for example, the government is granting the amnesty to enable people to launder their cash, but then is still allowing a period of twelve years in which people can still change their money. Does the government want people to come clean or not? If so why are people being given 12 years?"

Party spokesperson on finance, Edward Fenech, said that “the further changes being considered in the scope of tax amnesty are raising suspicions. People are starting to suspect that there are ulterior motives for which the amnesty is being given. The prime minister's assertion that it is being given in order to avoid property prices rising is a falsehood. It is the amnesty that will cause property inflation, by allowing undeclared cash to be legitimised and channeled into more property.

“The news that the government is now considering extending the amnesty to other forms of tax evasion effectively means that there could be other, unknown, reasons for granting the amnesty, apart from those relating to the euro changeover. The fact that there are members of parliament from the opposition who have interests in property development companies that could be benefiting from the extension of the amnesty to shareholders loans raises further suspicions. The government and the opposition both have some

explaining to do considering that this amnesty was approved unanimously in parliament," Mr Fenech said.

Dr Vassallo concluded with a challenge to parliamentarians. He stated that "in order for government to assure people that the amnesty is not, in any way, being done to benefit the elected political class, we are challenging all members of parliament, as well as all five MEPs, to publicly declare that they and members of their immediate family are not benefiting from this amnesty.

“The country deserves to know whether one of the reasons for the amnesty is to personally benefit elected representatives. Those members of parliament, who are reluctant to make such a public declaration, leave themselves exposed to the public's suspicions as to the reasons for the bi-partisan approval of this amnesty."