Jose Herrera should put his foot down

Abstract

The introduction of a modest €0.50c environmental tax or contribution on each tourist bed night spent in Malta, has ruffled many a feather, mainly due to the way it was introduced. Both parties in Parliament seem to agree on the need for the contribution, and I do too, as tourism must be held accountable for the significant strains it places on the local environment and infrastructure. What I disagree with is the ultimate destiny of the monies to be raised by the tax. There is precious little information about how the funds will be used. All we had was an enigmatic official statement that “the funds will go to a new public-private partnership that will involve the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) and the government”.