We shall have no way of knowing which shady characters have bought Maltese (EU) passports, or what their links are to the Muscat government
The government has found a way to shroud in full secrecy – this from those who came to power on the shout of transparency – the nature and identity of those to whom it will now sell Maltese passports for a sum of money (not all of which may necessarily go into the state coffers – that is one justified concern).
It has abrogated that part of the citizenship law which decrees that those who become Maltese, as distinct from being born Maltese, must have their names published in The Government Gazette.
Yet the need for publication is, with the sale of passports, far greater than it is when those passports are acquired through marriage, through having lived and worked in Malta for half a lifetime, and through application based on blood-lines.
We should know to whom our government is selling those passports, not only because we have a vested interest in the matter but because this is one issue in which transparency really is called for.
Yes, of course we should know to whom our government is choosing to sell Maltese passports, on what basis those people are selected, what sort of people they are, and where they are from. How else are we going to detect signs of corruption and unsavoury choices and practices?
But then that, of course, is the idea: preventing us from identifying patterns (strings of Azeri crooks, for instance) and from joining the dots between certain passport-buyers, certain cabinet ministers and certain government consultants with letters of appointment but no contract, and making sure there are no “OH MY GOD LOOK WHO THEY SOLD A PASSPORT TO” moments when clued-up people are reading The Government Gazette.
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When this thing is debated in Parliament, I should think that the Opposition will “insist” in having passport-buyers, published
I am sure that the P.N. will insist with all their might in parliament, but unfortunately they can’t do any more then that, since our P.N. switchers gave this inexperienced & immature person the premiership on a golden plate.
We need a Maltese Edward Snowden to come and rescue us from this bunch of crooks.
What a can of worms…
Selling passports at less than the price of a luxury flat!? EUR 650,000 is a *lot* of money to most of us, but on the scale of a country’s finances it is just a blip, even for this rock.
Some questions any journalist worth his press card should ask…
Can the Maltese citizenship be revoked once given out?
If it is revoked, will the citizenship of the dependents be revoked automatically as well?
Who will have access to the list of these new citizens?
If the new citizens will be allowed to vote, their name will appear on the Electoral Register surely?
Can the new citizens stand for election in the Maltese Parliament or hold government positions either as part of the government or on a consulting basis?
Has the impact on the price of high-end properties been evaluated and the cascading effect on the general property market?
Will the new citizens be required to have a private medical insurance for them and their dependents or does the EUR 650,000 include access to free public health care for life for the lot?
Will the new citizens and their dependents be eligible to free education up to University level?
Considering the two questions above, what is the net “profit” of the original EUR 650,000 say after 10-20 years that such a family group has been living in Malta?
Will there be due diligence on the provenance of the EUR 650,000?
This is a matter of great concern. We have the right to know who has become a citizen of Malta.
And, with transparency in mind:
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/budget2014/Tax-departments-merger-plans-on-target-finance-minister-20131019
The cardinal point being “the Minister shall have the power to change the rate of interest applicable on late VAT payments”.
Ministerial discretion in everything….. soooooooo Lorry Sant
Have you seen the WWJD signs?
Labour must have their own signs plastered in their policy forums:
WWLSD?
Then they go ahead and do it. So it would seem immortal life is not speculation, Lorry Sant is alive and well and governing Malta.
This secrecy cannot be justified unless government feels that publication, as has been required up to now, could harm Malta’s or the applicant’s image.
That is transparency for Joseph Muscat.
http://www.maltarightnow.com/?module=news&at=%22I%26%23267%3B-%26%23267%3Bittadinanza+Maltija+mhix+g%26%23295%3Ball-bejg%26%23295%3B%22&t=a&aid=99851529&cid=19
So this Government issued and awarded a tender for a company to implement the law on the sale of passports without this law having been discussed, let alone approved, by Malta’s Parliament. Utter disregard to Parliament..and not less to Maltese Citizenship and to all it stands for.
Kim Jong-Un becomes a Maltese citizen, and can now travel freely throughout Europe.