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I want to write a small article about the system of duty and taxes when importing goods from abroad.

When someone buys items from abroad, I say he is wise because most shops have ridiculous high prices compared to Europe and even USA (including taxes and transport). I rarely buy any expensive thing from Malta, namely electronics, computer staff and software. Now I want to comment a little about the taxation system in Malta which as I will explain it is unfair.

Lets take an example that we are buying a Japanese branded digital camera which cost 500 Euros (excl VAT), and there is 100 Euros shipping. For now we have to pay VAT locally at 18% but when we join Eu, this will be paid at the shop you are buying, according the tax of its country (if it resides in the EU). So buying from Scandinavia will imply an additional 22-25% VAT while from Germany it is 16%.

So lets say we are buying the camera now, before we join EU. When the camera arrives to the customs department, they add 18% local VAT both on the value of the camera and the transport charges (why also transport?!), thus on the total 600 Euros. Then on that resulting price they add a further duty (according to the type of item) which for camera is another 4.9%. The 4.9% is hence calculated on transport charges and added VAT!!!

It sucks!! why?...

1) Because it is unfair that you pay tax and duty on transport charges. They are not part of the value of the item.

2) Because the duty is calculated on the VAT-inclusive price, not simply adding 18% + 4.9% and apply that percentage on the final price. So it is like that we are paying duty of the VAT charges too!!

To see how much we are cheated let us assume our example and calculate it by the fair way (1) and by the cheaty goverment customs way(2):

(1) 18% + 4.9% = 22.9% (additive tax and duty rates)  
	   22.9% of 500 Euros (transport not included) = 114.50 Euros (VAT and Duty)

(2) 18% of 500+100 (transport included in calculation!) = 108.00 Euros (VAT)
 	   4.9% of 600+108(VAT fee) = 34.69 (Duty)
	   Thus total price of VAT and Duty = 34.69+108.00 = 142.69 (VAT and Duty)

So the goverment have gained (stolen!) us about 28 Euros (142.69-114.50)  

Now I want to arrive to my second and more important point. Why there is duty? It stands to protect the EU market against other markets, chiefly Japanese, American and Chinese, so as the prices of products from the latter countries are slightly higher and so the customer is encouraged to buy the cheaper priced EU products.

It make some sense, but for certain items it makes no sense at all. I am refering mainly to electronic and digital products. We all now that most well known brands in home consumer digital electronics are Japanese, and there is no comparison with any other European companies. Lets take cameras again as an example: Canon, Fuji, Sony, Panasonic, Nikon, Kodak, Minolta, Casio, Sigma, Leica (you name it) are all Japanese. So why there is duty on digital cameras if there is no much competition on these items from European brands. I think no body buys a European made camera (which sincerely no brand comes to mind right now) because the better Japanese brands have duty implied and are a bit expensive. We can apply this argument on many electronic items like HiFi, Synthesizers, Camcorders, to mention some.

I understand that the duty have its advantages on other type of items like food, textiles, fabrics, pharmaceuticals, detergents, and many other products from EU, but for certain electronic devices, it makes no sense and should be removed.

First of all I must say clearly that I do not fancy much emigrants from African countries (esp North Africa), simply becasue they have a history of bad deeds, like raping and fighting, or even more serious criminal activities, like stealing and few cases of killing. I know this is a very small minority, but when you hear on the news that one of these persons made such a thing, it sounds more amplified than if a Maltese have done the same crime.

I compare it with having a large rich family of 20 members living in your house, and you also have someone out of the family, say a maid or a gardener or a cook. If one of the family members steals some jewellery you get angry at him/her but not that much as if the outsider member, (eg: the maid) have stolen it. In the latter case you would surely get so much angry that you would kick it out of your house. The same psychology happens in the Maltese people when one of these emigrants make a criminal thing.

However, I want to talk further about more social problems that they inflict. First of all I want to mention 3 basic common characteristics of these people which affect us.

{1} They have escaped from a poor, so in Malta it is like heaven and do everything to stay here.

{2} They are used to work hard for long hours, sometimes like slaves, and don't mind extra efforts.

{3a} Since they have an unrich background, the minimum pay of Malta will be like a chest of treasures for them.

{3b} Since they have an unrich background, what is crappy and junk for us, it do fine for them

{4} They are used to have many many children, 4 to 8 average

{5} They cope well to live together in small spaces

{6} Psychologically, most of us feel somehow inferior, 'scared' or the need to avoid and not mix with them.

I think every Maltese will agree on these points. So putting the above ingredients in the bowl what will the final soup taste like - very bitter and toxic indeed. I explain what can happen to the Maltese society referencing the above points in { brackets }

Since our country is bankrupt, and employers mind only about their profits in the pocket, these people would not find it difficult to work - despite they are not highly educated and intelligent (well several Maltese are same level too thanks to the church old use of leaving people uneducated as much as possible so that they remain under her power). These negroes are however strong workers since they used to work very tough in the native land {1} and also do the job for less money than a Maltese would require {3a}. The stupid employer who minds only at his pocket, not the future of his country or to his Maltese fellows will happily employ a negro. He will gain the following 5 advantages over employing a Maltese

+ Pay less, even to half as much {3a}
+ Get a job done in less time {2}
+ Do tough jobs that a Maltese would complain about {2}
+ He may threaten him - that is if he does not 'obey' he will fire him. {1}
+ Not much quarrels and involvement of worker's Unions etc

Probably such an employment is illegal and I do not want to enter in this case, but both of them will take the risk since there is much to gain for both. So we start having these people working in place of Maltese workers. Although they will probably earn low salaries, for them is enough to live, settle and have families in our country.

To make up for their small income they economize a lot on many things that for a standard Maltese citizen are unacceptable. They economize from the flat rent, they usually take the cheapest on the island, which means flats that are small, dirty, not in good shape, near industrial estates - those type of flats which very few poor Maltese people would dare to live in but for them its fine {3b}. Additionally, they tend to share a flat between many members so each have to pay a less share. {5} Apart from this, they make economy on plenty of other things. They usually don't drive and use the public transport, buy cheap clothes, don't have expensive hobbies, eat normal food (rarely in restaurants), etc. What counts for them is that they can live freely, eat, and spend their earnings mainly to raise a family with plenty of children.

Talking about family raising, it is important to mention 2 points. Culturally, they tend to have as much children as possible, even if it means more sacrifice for them. I have not yet concluded that this is either becasue they want it or becasue they do not want to apply birth control (or both). The numerous children for them is not much a problem. The clothes which do not fit anymore the older child are given to the smaller one, in a daisy chain fashion so as to economize from clothes. Primary and secondary education in Malta is free for them too. For food they manage to cope well, even if some days they have to eat only bread with ketchup sauce - they are not fastidious at all {3b}!

Apart from having large families, they would also prefer to live in communities so as they can talk together, spend time together, and feel more at home rather than isolated with Maltese which do not speak much with them. So now we are starting to talk about several families, living together in the same zone. Such a zone will be treated as their own land and many Maltese would react " oh! don't walk from that area, there are a lot of negroes living there{6}" Such small communities imply more social problems.

I heard a case on TV that Maltese people at M'Scala find it difficult to catch the bus becasue it will be full of these emigrants going to work, since they don't drive. A small community of emigrants living in that area, will probably all walk it up to the bus terminus {1} and climb the bus there, so 3 or 4 bus stops ahead, the bus will be already full up. If they where English, Italian, German, or any European citizens, their way of living and culture makes it that more than half will owe a car because they used that they can't live without one their own. So this is the main thing about promoting a community of different culture and mentality.

So lets speak a bit about the future of what might happen. We start giving examples from something which can happen in short time, even tomorrow! I will ask these questions to reply yourself and reflect:

1) If there is a group of 100 dark-skinned emigrants swimming at a small beach, would you join and sit near them ? And if they where Europeans would you go?

2) If you go in a discotheque and find plenty of them dancing, would you stay or immediately opt for another neighbouring disco

3) If your boss tells you that your 2 Maltese colleagues in your office/work place that have resigned will be replaced by 2 dark-skinned emigrants how would you feel. If they where European would you feel the same ?

There is no need to write further examples and the answers speak by themselves.{5}

Now lets speak of distant future, say many years of time ahead. Since they live happily here, they would obviously write to other relatives and friends in the native land and suggest come and live here too. Probably they may even send them money (money which was taken from the Maltese worker) to cover part for the trip. Or worse, guided by the church and her charity, we would send money to them thinking that doing so we are feeding that small poor, ill child with large sorrowful eyes which we see on the TV advert for sending money to these people. Additionally they have lots of children and every generation they produce 4 times (8:2) as much offspring as us. The next generation would 16 times, and the next 64 ! So mathematically speaking, in 3 generations the family of the African (with average of 8 children per family) would be 64 times as large as a Maltese / European family (with average of 2 children per family) or 512:8. These are just theoretical figures but plausible. to make it look numerically worse, if you take 100 families of both races, stick to the ratio (1:4) and assume everyone lives up, thAfricanse race would produce 800 offspring, and the African race would produce 51,200 (one tenth of the Maltese population). offspring. Sounds weird but check it up mathematically and you would arrive to these figures.

Practically we would not arrive to this stage, but in more and more generations we would end up having a negro every 9, 8 or 7 Negro citizen, and hence as it is in Uk, Netherlands and USA today. What makes me even sad is that soon or after these will start marring with Maltese and we would literally end up having - Guzeppi Borg = a complete negro, Marija Vella also a negro... We loose our identity.

So in conclusion, it is really time to stop any more influx of more emigrants especially from the African region (due their culture not their skin colour) Furthermore I will be reasonable and do not say to send away those who already have settled here, but I limit myself and say that they cannot marry and those who make children will sent back to their native home both mother, father (if known) and newborn within 6 months. By these measures we safeguard our identity, culture and work to ourselves in an overpopulated country

If you have lived in Malta for quite a while, you will notice that there are two groups of people in our society, based on their basic type of character and mentality about living. These two groups are those who are 'POLITE' hence handsome, quite, try to stick to the rules, educated, good mannered, etc. while the other group - the "RUDE" - are usually ill-mannered, unrespectful, bullies, un-educated, egoists, and don't care much about the environment and others (unless they are their friends). I have not made any research about the proportion of the two groups, but I can estimate an arguable figure that there is a high ratio of 1:4, hence from every 4 random people, one is rude. It is quite a high proportion and you meet the 'rude' people every day in our lives which personally makes me sick.

Now lets compare the aims of these 2 types of people according to my observations The aims of the 'Polite' are usually the following :

+ To get good education - the climax being to finish a course at the University,
+ To have a decent, profitable job which gives them satisfaction and creation,
+ Find the perfect partner - the more kind, respectful, educated and interesting the better , + Plan a family and educate children,
+ Improve the position at work as much as possible for a larger income and so makes life easier,
+ Try to obey rules (traffic, environment, social, etc)
+ Care about their health to live longer to enjoy life further.

* Motto : "How can I improve myself, my family and my environment"


The aims of the 'Rude' are usually the following

+ To enjoy their young life as much as possible by spending their time on artificial things, drinking, partying, and have different partners - studying is a waste of time,
+ Try to have any sort of easy job, but anything will do until their is some salary coming up,
+ Find the perfect partner - cleans the house, cooks and the more sexy the better (or the stronger, money giving, macho-type for the female),
+ Have as much sexual relationships with different women as much as possible,
+ Increase their income by gaining 'dirty' money or valuable things by any manner, irrespective if illegal or not,
+ Take short cuts to make their life easier irrespective to the laws of the environment or feelings of others,
+ Rules do not exist,
+ Enjoy life in anyway until it lasts,

* Motto : X'ala Biebi "I Bib care else of myself and my house"

Summarizing the above features, we can conclude that the keywords for the 'polite' are: sacrifice, education, discipline and care. Those for the 'rude' is just "I" . The 'polite' try to obtain something by discussions and reasoning, while the rude obtain them by shouting, threatening, fighting and maybe beyond.

Such two populations cannot mix very well, especially for the 'polite' type who have the sense of care and respect, and so gets disturbed by the ill-manners and lack of respect by the rude to themselves and the environment. The rude are generally not much affected from the polite else that they mind a lot to see the polite to be richer, have more pretty clothes and more 'luxurious' cars, more decorated houses, and eat in fine restaurants. Psychologically, they want to live like them even if they cannot allow it. So in way or other, both types disturbs each other, but at least they can co-exist.

But the question is: Why in modern times there is plenty of rude people in Malta? In the few European places I travelled, I have not seen much rude type people as much as in Malta. They are present but in very small to negligible proportions.

Unfortunately the answer depends a lot on the education these people get when they were young from their parents, which in turn, are also somehow rude due the type of education they have got. So it would not be difficult to guess that their children will also be rude. Same applies for the polite, if you have received proper education, and when young you see your parents respecting others and the environment, most probably you will grow like them.

Another but smaller percentage of rude people may develop from polite families, but they have become rude during their teenage when choosing wrong friends combined with lack of support and communication with their parents. These persons, if they really want, can turn back to the normal polite way of living, because their roots are coming from polite education, but the more years it pass, the more difficult it will be for them to convert.

Unfortunately, it is very difficult for the other way round to happen. For one who has spent his childhood with rude parents who do not care about their education, they use to fight and swear in front of them, talk with 'rude adult language' with their children or beat them for anything, the result would automatically be that they grow like them, and it is difficult they convert to the polite form, unless in their teenage they understand all this and develop a different mentality.

Another psychological affect that bring such a mentality is also the way the parents educate their children. How many parents we see shouting and then beating 'gently' their children to obey them. That child will grow up with the mentality that he must be punished to obey, and so again welcome to the Maltese culture: no severe punishment; then no problem - I don't care.

When I was in Sweden and Finland I literally never seen any shouting or beating towards their children. I know what I am saying because occassionally I go to live with the family of my girlfriend in Finland for a week or two. Her brother and his wife have a cute 5 year old boy. When he un-behaves, his parents will talk with him gently and tell him with reasons why he should not do that again. A very impressive thing is that the boy will listen, think and understand. I never seen this boy crying. That boy will grow up with the mentality to observe, think and understand and so when he is adult he will automatically not disturb his neighbour - becasue he understands it is impolite, he will not throw a bag of crips on the ground, becasue he understands that would dirt his environment, he will stick to the rules, becasue he understands that they are there for the purpose of keeping the system running smoothly and safely.

So if it all comes from education, is there something that can be done to have a more mature and polite population? The media can make some effort to emphasize proper manners in front of our children, and how to educate them, but other from that noting much can be done. This may help a little but still will not have a big effect in a short period of time, because it will fall on close-minded Maltese parents. But on the other hand, young adults which are usually open minded may learn from it.

In my opinion, enforcing severe punishment (in form of heavy fines) to whom infringe public order, cultural damage, traffic rules, etc and higher needs of education over a large period of time, will educate most of these people. At the moment we are a culture that needs to be punished to get educated, since many of us has grown up in this method of "shout and beat" to obey. The rules will only effect those poison-minded persons, becasue educated persons would not dare much since they. The

Little by little the number of these rude people start to diminish because their attitude and behaviour will make it difficult to exist in such oppositely-minded population that make them feel outdated and in minority. For example how many people say "I do not use indicators while driving because 'nobody' use them." Imagine this effect will be the other way round. Despite all what has been said I believe it is difficult to change culture and mentality, it would require lots of time. But still, we should do something to have an educated population in the future and increase the quality of our lives. But maybe even the politicians have the Maltese mentality, they say - by that time the effects are seen I would be dead so "I DON'T CARE" !!!

First of all, when the word 'church' is mentioned it does not imply God, and one's belief about religion but it implies the whole catholic institution or organisations as a physical thing or activity.

To answer this question we have to overview the history of church, at least for the last 200 years. For many ages, the church was the most important institute of many Catholic countries of which Malta is no exception. The church preaches about almighty God, how powerful he is, how many miracles he performed, how many sick people he or 'saints' with the power of the holy Spirit have been cured, and how beautiful is Heaven and to live with this God after we die. With this ingredient she added that of terror, so she preaches about the brutalness of the Devil, how painful is to be burning in hell, if we sin (that is not obey the rules of the church at a particular era) we can go to hell etc etc. The third and fundamental ingredient of the scenario, this time not introduced by the church, was that of poverty and ignorance that ruled in the world at that time, or in another word misery

So in the mind of poor man, the church was something very important, divine, and of comfort to the mind of most poor people. What a poor man wants to hear - that the perfect and beautiful heaven is place for the poor not for the rich. What a sick man wants to hear - that God may make a miracle and heal him, and there is no pain in heaven. What someone facing a hard time, such as facing a battle, would like to hear - that God almighty will help them to win their battle or any difficult situation. What someone who faces injustices in his life wants to hear - that those who suffer goes to heaven, and the 'bad' ones will be condemned to the fires of hell.

So most people considered the church to be extremely important and so it was popular. And as anything in the world, something which is popular becomes powerful. People where so brainwashed with this type of system, that they did not even permit themselves to observe and think about the situation. I cannot picture myself being poor and have a very hard way to earn my living and then give donations to the church, a church which is all decorated with gold and richness and have plenty of land and invaluable artistic masterpieces. Many high members of the church, such as the bishop are always carrying several silver or golden stuff such as rings, crosses, gold embroidered garments, and other 'stuff'. Maybe the people at that time accepted this fact as the norm without pondering about it.

With time, few people had the virtue of science, that is they are able to observe their surroundings, think and ask questions why and how a certain thing happen, speculate some ideas about it, make experiments to prove or disprove their speculations and from the results obtained they can formulate and dictate theories about a particular scientific aspect, whether it is in physics, chemistry, astronomy, mathematics and other subjects. Then they would be very proud to state their new discovery even if this would go against the beliefs of the public or in other words the church.

The church did not like such people with contradicting theories, which could be proved by scientist. The theories of the church are all based on faith with no proof. The classical example is that stupid philosophy of the church that the world is the center of the universe, and everything goes around it. They preached that God created it like that becasue the world was the most important of his creations and everything els would go around it. When Copernicus prooved that the sun is the center of our galaxy, hence contradicting what's was written by God, they threatened him to dis-proove what he said else he would be killed. There are more similar episodes in the history of church vs science or faith vs proven facts.

Slowly with time, the theories of science showed to be right and in many cases beneficial to people taking for example chemistry and medicine which helped against many diseases, that before some of such deadly diseases where considered by the church as a bad spell from Satan. Also evolution made people to become more open-minded and intelligent and the curse of the church's brain-washing started to loose its strength. The third and fundamental ingredient of the church's power - ignorance - was fading.

People started FINALLY to think with their own minds and so ask questions and come to their conclusions - not conclusions injected in their minds by the church. After thinking about all aspects, one arrives to his own conclusion and can decided that the church is correct and sympathises with it or on the other hand can conclude that it is all a fake institution and do not care about it. What's important is that in both cases the decision was made on the person's free will not brainwashed.

As a matter of fact, many are arriving to the conclusion that this is all a fake thing, using God and Jesus to make a powerful and rich institution. Many Maltese, do go to Mass at Sundays just (as we say) to warm the seat. I used to go to mass and most of the people are staring, lost in their thoughts, not participating, and waiting anxiously the 45minutes to pass to go out. So why do they go if they show that it is a waste of time ?!? In their subconscious, they already decided that this is a fake thing, but they do not admit it with themselves - but still go to mass just because that is the use or tradition - to go to church every Sunday. Very few are truly devoted and goes to church to hear and participate in mass and activities held by the church (except the feast of course heh!) seriously.

I think the crucial turnover; that people started to dis-credit church; began and continued to take place the last 70-50 years, and in Malta perhaps the last 30 years. Today many of us are intelligent and are not affected by any of the ingredients of the church that is - Church is God almighty, Terror of Satan, and Ignorance. Church is not anymore popular and it is loosing its power rapidly. I predict that in few decades the church makes it possible that married people (even women) can become priests becasue otherwise there will be serious lack of them. Few decades more and this also will not be enough - people would just not care anymore about church. The great Empire built from the stealing (in the form of donations!) of the many poor by influencing their minds over many centuries would have finally collapsed.

I could not leave out a shameful example of what I mean by "stealing (in form of donations)" that took place in Malta; the climax perhaps being this last or 2 centuries. The church used to preach that those who leave their riches (and land) to the church would easier find a place in heaven near God Almighty and the graceful holy Mary rather burning in the purgatory for long time, since with the donations the church will pray alot for his soul. At the moment of weakness, pain and anguish of his disease, the person would not care much about his money, and in that condition he would of course start thinking of all sins he did and that burning and painful sensation he would pass from the purgatory - so he would donate his possessions without much thinking. This was the Maltese church and probably the same in other catholic countries such as Italy, Spain and South America.

Well, saying that the church would soon or later vanish does not mean that people loose their faith in God or everyone becomes atheists. instead, everyone will have his own way and place to communicate with God without the need of churches and priests dictating who is God and where to find him and what you should do and America. My idea is that not even religion should be educated in schools. Everyone will grow up from and make his own belief of who is God and how to be in contact with him. When an individual grows up, there is plenty of modern ways to learn about the different traditional religions in the world, and he would be free to choose anyone if he wish, or just make his own religion. The churches should not be destroyed or anything like that but instead they should be well kept both for their artistic value and for those who decide on their free will that the best way to communicate with God is to stay praying inside a church, light candles for the souls, and anything according his beliefs that should be respected the same way as for instance an atheist or a Muslim.

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