While it is right and honourable to give a helping hand to the weaker elements of society, and definitely not to those who seek to profit through fraud, at the same time one is justifiably angry when administrative measures are taken that place unreasonable burdens on taxpayers.

Although so many Chinese are very poor, Chinese Communist leaders have spent more than $4.2 billion for the six-month long Shanghai Expo. Another similar sum has been spent on ancillary infrastructure – yet the Chinese Communists seem to be cap in hand begging for international donations for the relief effort in Tibet!

I say this because the present Nationalist and previous Socialist administrations have been close friends of the Chinese communists and seem to emulate them in going for expensive grandiose projects while burdening the middle and working classes and thrifty pensioners with some savings, with ever heavier taxation burdens.

Louis Vella

Sliema