Henley’s Eric Major praises the prime minister who will make him millions as “a visionary” in the Kazakhstan press
Published by AK Zhaik, which describes itself as ‘the leading newspaper of the oil capital of Kazakhstan’, on 27 December:
(…)
The unique program, would give holders of this Maltese passport a tremendous amount of liberty.
Unlike other similar programs in the European Union, applicants for program are not obliged to live in Malta before being granted a passport. Instead, if the application is successful and the applicant is wealthy enough to spare the large sum, he or she will get a Maltese passport — and therefore EU citizenship — immediately. So, the applicant could theoretically live in any of the other 27 member states of the European Union.
Malta joined the EU in 2004; it is a member of the Schengen borderless travel area, and has a visa waiver agreement with the United States — all perks that would come with Maltese citizenship for foreigners. Maltese citizenship already allows a holder to travel to 163 countries across the globe without a visa.
(…)
In contrast to other existing immigration programs, the Maltese version is an expedited citizenship program.
“The program is aimed at cash-rich but time-poor people. There is a growing breed of individuals who don’t have the time to be in one country for more than four months, Major said, praising Malta’s PM as “a visionary who sees the benefits of globalization.”
I’m afraid that Eric Major’s attitude and technique are those of the sort of woman determined to get and keep her meal-ticket man. We women all know the sort: they focus 100% on smarming up to their target, ignoring all else. The focus is narrow and concentrated, and the objective pared right down to the bone of getting and keeping the human vehicle to a better life.
In this case, Major is focussed on stroking the Maltese prime minister’s ego – he is doing, in other words, what the prime minister has done habitually to his key male electoral targets over the last five years, making them think how special they are using the methods that certain sorts of women use – while acting as though the Maltese electorate does not exist and Malta is not a democracy.
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http://azh.kz/en/news/view/2876
I hope the article is read by the EU commissioner and members of parliament of the different countries forming part of the EU.
They most certainly will – and will rue their ‘case closed’ attitude after a few hours’ negotiation with a Keith Schembri- led Maltese delegation.
“Post factum, rauta”, however.
Muscat is his meal ticket. The Maltese population is just collateral damage, so why should he care?
It is the same technique that Shiv Nair seems to have used, earning him a special place in Muscat’s menagerie despite his World Bank black listing and Muscat’s thorough and reliable due diligence process that didn’t pick up that minor detail.
The World Bank black listing was probably considered an asset. One has to be a certain type of person to acquire such a qualification.
If those buying a Maltese-EU Passport from Muscat’s Mini Market at Mile End will have the right to vote, and Henley and Something are probably funding (and will probably continue to fund) the Labour Party, wouldn’t this be a case of corrupt practice?
Yes.
So what is the Nationalist Party waiting for to bring this out in the open, and most importantly to the EU’s attention?
So, I ask, what is the PN going to do about it? Did they miss this completely while blowing the trumpet that it was thanks to them that the PM changed the legal notice to include the residency clause?
Muscat’s political interests and Henley’s business strategy are not the same.
Or better, he needs to choose between keeping the scheme and the damage to his credibility if Henley remain in charge.
Otherwise he’ll gain his billion AND a reputation for settling matters behind our backs. Quite a deja vu, except this one’s the wrong way round. When the first shady passport makes the news and the biljun gets eroded every time some major employer lays off hundreds it will become tricky.
Since last week, Muscat’s biljun lost 155 million, one pharmaceutical company off to Iceland, a week is a very long time….
The Leader of the Opposition already announced another set of amendments, followed by Jason Azzopardi who was rather more outspoken and blunt.
As long as Henley are in charge, the system’s definitely subject to the risk of a short circuit. Only then can the one year or five years be negotiated.
Muscat cannot risk being left behind on this one, although judging by the recent statements, it seems he already is, living in the past that is. Labour haven’t yet understood Malta’s expectations of its government, indeed the rythm of administration and decision making.
The teaser cabinet reshuffle, which it isn’t, may also bring things to a head, Scicluna singled out as one of two underperforming ministers.
Hilarious if one were to consider that all he did was implement Muscat’s promise to keep Tonio Fenech’s budget for 2013 and introduce Muscat’s scheme as a key component of the one for 2014. It’s not Scicluna’s responsibility if the scheme made headlines everywhere and is in perpetual evolution.
If anything it was his attempt to sound reasonable.
Indeed, if Scicluna’s made to go, it will be interesting to see who’s willing to take his seat and accept to manage financial income from the scheme, if they’re even allowed any close, yet unable to control its consequences.
Labour prime ministers and their finance ministers, do we even have to go there?
Jason Azzopardi is on record as having said they can’t prove it, but it is very likely that Henley and Partners helped Labour into office.
@Jozef
It’s been some time since Labour had a Finance Minister who stayed in his job for more than one year on average.
During Labour’s 22 months in office between 1996 and 1998, there were two Finance Ministers.
A clear indication of Labour’s incompetence in financial management.
Someone must be turning in one’s grave trying to shout: ‘Dan kollu indhil barrani’.
Barely more than a year ago Eric Guy Major to,d an audience in St Kitts that investor programmes are about economic development and job creation.
But not as long as his company can take the money and run, with the blessing of the global visionary from Burmarrad.
Muscat said some time ago that ” “As long as I am Prime Minister no one will trample on this country.”
He does not have an idea how these kind of comments from Henley’s people are being interpreted, any seriousness they tried to use to disguise the scheme is being destroyed.
At the end, it is just business, Henley has the Malta franchise and they are selling easy access to 163 countries, the question is how many of those 163 countries will allow it.
It is clear that Muscat does not realize how the international community sees what he is doing.
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”It is clear that Muscat does not realize how the international community sees what he is doing.” If you believe this, then I truly envy you!
The scary bit is actually the fact that Muscat IS doing this IN SPITE of what this is doing to Malta’s image and reputation. Are you sure that his vision of the rewards and incentive landscape is the same as yours?
Europe has not realised as yet that Henley & Partners does not only hold the Malta franchise. Henley & Partners now holds the exclusive franchise over all Europe’s citizenship. It can sell EU citizenship to anyone it likes.
European citizenship is now administered by a private company based I do-not-know-where (is it London, is it Switzerland?) through a secret contract with the Maltese government of Joseph Muscat. And it is all being done for money. This sends shiver down my spine as I write it. Europe should be trembling when it reads it.
Henley & Partners can admit as many citizens to the EU as it likes, from wherever, whoever. And it makes profit in the process.
This is the next message that needs to be highlighted with Europe. This is one real reason why Europe should wake up and smell the coffee.
“he or she will get a Maltese passport — and therefore EU citizenship — immediately”
And that says it all. Who cares about Maltese citizenship, quality investment in Malta and all the excuses that Joseph Muscat uses to impress us with his great beneficial scheme.
Shame.
“The business of business is business”
And Henley & Something’s is a very rewarding one at that.
Whether it is only for them only or also for others with a finger in the pie is not known as yet.
Someday it will certainly emerge. Quidquid latet apparebit, nil inultum remanebit.
So according to Mr Major: “Unlike other similar programs in the European Union, applicants for program are not obliged to live in Malta before being granted a passport.” What about the one year residence requirement agreed upon with the Commission?
How can Joseph Muscat ever be called a ‘visionary’ when he is now making money on the back of Malta’s EU membership after, for many years, he told us not to join the EU? And then, he only accepted that fact with “hindsight”?
His ‘vision’ was to sell passports in secret, immediately. Now, they have to apply today, have their names published, and wait a year for their passports.
The legal notice authorising the issuance of passports without the publication of names was in force for weeks. That was plenty of time for passports to be issued without anyone knowing.
Why do I get this rotten feeling that J.Dalli B.A. is involved in this scam.
This is what serious countries do. I wonder if Minister Mallia’s house helper is in order or not. Who knows.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/immigration-minister-mark-harper-resigns-after-employing-a-cleaner-working-in-the-uk-illegally-9116797.html
Romanians had restrictions to work in Malta up to 1st Jan 2014. Same like all those strippers and lap dancers that work in Christian’ gentleman’s clubs.
Referendum, jekk Muscat lest li jisma mil poplu li ivvutalu. Imma wisq nahseb li jibza li jigrilu bhal A Sant.
Someone alerted me to the disdainful arrogance and insensitivity with which Prime Minister Joseph Muscat considers the rest of us Maltese citizens as quoted in The Sunday Times of Malta interview published last week:
“With regard to the citizenship by investment, we are talking of a situation whereby these applicants will have paid with their contribution, 10 or 20 times more than most Maltese people will have paid in taxes throughout their lifetime. That is an extraordinary contribution.”
I find this statement very disturbing and dangerous. So much for the ‘Taghna Lkoll’ slogan. We’re now told, switchers and all, in very clear, bold terms that for him we are worth 10 to 20 times LESS than the passport-purchase applicants.
In his view, our citizenship rights do not stem from our link and contribution to our country but from the amount of taxes paid to the government. The economic cycle that binds us together as a nation has been reduced to the value of taxes paid to the government. Back to *L’etat c’est moi*?
Simple arithmetic shows that anyone earning a mere 1,000 euro a month (gross) for 30 years is nowhere near 10 (let alone 20) times less than the 650,000 euro the government gets from passport-purchase applicants.
While there are many people who earn more than 1,000 euro a month it has to be borne in mind that our earnings, in one way or another – not just the taxes paid to the government – are injected back into the economy
You really MUST be cheap to insult your fellow countrymen in this manner. How can we feel safe (despite the hogwash about the well-being of the country) when our prime minister brazenly talks like someone ready to sell his mother if that (supposedly) fills his pockets 10 to 20 times more.
Seen in this light, it was pathetically foolish and politically myopic of the social partners who, begging-bowl in hand (as you pointedly described them) accepted his call for suggestions on how to distribute the funds made from selling Maltese citizenship.
Now everyone knows what Muscat thinks about us, the true Maltese citizens. It all makes you wonder how truly they are a gang of pimps, liars and thieves.
This analogy is completely rubbish.
It is just the principal applicant who pays the one time 650,000.
No contribution for all the dependent family members like spouses, children, parents, etc, let alone generations and generations of thee people’s offspring who will inherit the Maltese citizenship even if born abroad.
Who is Muscat trying to fool??
There you go. They will have rights we’re not worthy of.
I keep wondering all the time what keeps Joseph Muscat from granting Maltese citizenship to members of Henley & Partners,and voila they can be part of the Labour Party.
Look at how they gathered around him while he reads them a novel from the teleprompters.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140209/local/malta-has-to-be-land-of-opportunity-equality-and-innovation-pm-muscat.506100
Is it not time he stopped electioneering and started governing?
He has no idea how to do that.
He’s only good at electioneering, with the help of Henley & Partners ans his teleprompter of course.
Does Joseph Muscat approve this type of publicity and is he happy with it? Does he think that it enhances Malta’s image in the international community? Does he care at all about such matters as long as his scheme produces cash?
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140209/local/New-ID-cards-to-be-rolled-out-this-week.506002#.UveTZY1WEcB
Just in time for all those people about to become residents of Malta after simply renting a flat.
http://www.legal-malta.com/taking-up-residence-in-malta
I suppose the EU could insist on IIP applicants having one of the residence permits that apply for stays of one year.
“The acquisition of Maltese citizenship under the IIP does not have any tax consequences”, according to Frank Salt.
http://www.franksalt.com.mt/EN/content/8978/Malta_Citizenship_by_Investment_Programme
Switzerland has just narrowly voted to scrap the free movement of workers from the EU. I wonder if the passport scheme cooked up by Henley’s Eric Major and his visionary client Joseph Muscat had anything to do with tipping Swiss public opinion over the edge.
The most effective way to deter foreigners “buying” the Malta passport is to link the 12 months’ residency with tax obligation in Malta for their global income.
Despite the “sham” residence that the PM has in mind that these “applicants” can get away with, the deemed tax resident status will put a further burden on the applicant in reporting their global income and assets to the tax authorities.
Any wilful concealment of information or negligent misrep in reporting will be the basis of the culpability in denying citizenship application.