The Malta Chamber welcomed Minister Leo Brincat for a meeting on Friday, Malta Chamber President David G. Curmi led the meeting, accompanied by representatives of the Malta Chamber’s Energy and Environment Committee.
Minister Brincat acknowledged the role of the Malta Chamber as a principal stakeholder in the representation of business, for consultation purposes with his ministry.
The Malta Chamber appreciated the Minister’s disposition to listen to its views on a number of issues such as; eco-contribution, waste packaging, waste electrical and electronic equipment, the role of Wasteserv, landfill fees, MEPA, green jobs, energy efficient buildings and emission trading schemes.
On the subject of eco-contribution, Mr Curmi stated that “this was clearly not functioning and neither was it serving its intended purpose in terms of businesses’ environmental obligations. The Malta Chamber is therefore calling for the removal of this tax in favour of participation in waste management schemes. The loss of revenue from eco-contribution could be neutralised by efficiency gains resulting from future private sector involvement within the country’s waste management strategy.”
The Malta Chamber pledged its full cooperation to the Ministry to ensure workable schemes for its members and which should also cover electric and electronic products and batteries. At the same time, the Malta Chamber shall also be insisting for the immediate resolution of outstanding refunds on packaging waste related to 2009 and 2010.
During the meeting, the Minister announced that a comprehensive study has been commissioned on various aspects related to Wasteserv’s operations. Both sides expressed their commitment towards open discussions on the future of Wasteserv once the conclusions of the study are made known.