I hardly ever go abroad but, regarding the article EU challenges the departure tax – AD (TMID, 3 July), I must say that while I fully agree that the departure tax is discriminatory precisely because it is solely levied on flights whose point of departure originates in Malta, I would not mind paying this departure tax if all the following conditions applied:

(a) The government ensures – and is actually seen and proved to ensure beyond any shadow of doubt – that the revenue collected through this tax would go towards some good environmental purpose such as:

• planting suitable trees in Malta (ie ones that do not strain the water table too much and absorb a lot of carbon dioxide at the same time);

• subsidising solar electric panels, solar space heaters/coolers, solar water heaters, home wind generators etc., and ensuring they are installed in the most effective way;

• subsidising public transport and making it more efficient and functional;

• ensuring that all primary schools set up a “walking bus system” and not just Siggiewi Primary School. A walking bus should be mandatory for all primary schools and not just left to the whims of conceited parents/guardians who insist on driving their kids to school – even if they live less than two kilometres away – just because the parents/ guardians are hell bent on showing off their cars or the fact that they can afford them. Nor should the setting up of a walking bus be left to the arbitrary decision of head teachers and individual school councils under the pretext of “schools should be allowed a measure of autonomy”;

• Constructing new water reservoirs.

(b) It was levied also on flights coming to Malta but originating abroad. Although one might argue that this would make Malta less competitive as a tourist destination, it might help attract more environmentally-concerned foreigners – many of whom are already joining programmes that enable people to offset their excessive carbon emissions by funding green projects but frequently wonder if the money they spend in such “carbon offsets” is being responsibly used.

(c) It was levied on all flights – even business flights or ones paid for by government/public corporations and private companies for their employees.

By the way, can anyone tell me exactly how the government is presently spending the revenue collected by the departure tax, please?

Marianna Galea Xuereb

Dingli