Up In Arms Protest

its a closed group on facebook, so only members can see the event details

Sorry, I'm not very techno savvy.

Basically, there is a protest in Valletta in Sunday, 29th June at 3pm to protest ARMS double rate billing and landlord refusal to sign form H.   All are welcome.  I highly recommend joining this group to keep informed of practices and also inviting yourself and others along.

Thanks George. X

quite a few people have been denied access to the group

I'm surprised!  I'll see what I can find out, I applied and was a member straight away????

Maybe they were 'known' offending landlords. 

I was refused access, after giving advice early on to the group. They wouldn't listen to me, even though a year later their lawyer agreed with everything I said, and they then changed their approach. I know several others who were also kicked out.

I had suggested, amongst other things
1. broaden the appeal of the group to non foreigners as its not a foreigners v locals issue
2. stop signing up tenants whose names arent on the ARMS bills as they have no contract with ARMS

I think its great what the group has achieved, now they have refocussed, but there is still an undercurrent of foreigners v locals - if you look at the list of their claims of discrimination on their website, many are either wrong or overstated. Their case is strong, so there is no need to exaggerate, at least that was my view

ARMS protest - public

Hi George,

How strange, but I don´t like to comment on something I have no knowledge of... (my husband would however, disagree)...

I have now attached the ´public´ link and hope it works.  I´ll still try to find out more though and this behaviour makes be uncomfortable.

jules

In the meantime, I hope to see some of you guys there... just to make our voices louder.
x

from the link

"No more Domestic rate for tenants residing in their Primary residence as decreed by ARMS, No more begging Landlords to endorse Form H No more two tier tariffs for those living, working and contributing to the economy of Malta. Bring you own banners, balloons whistles"

great :-) no more foreigners v locals rhetoric, just how it should be :-)

however, its not ARMS who decree it, its the government - ARMS is not the right target

I know what you mean, it seems to be more focused on doing it properly now, calming of the 'burn them out' brigade seems to have taken place and it is heading along the right direction.

Will we see you there on 29th.

It is difficult, ARMS are the ones who have been digging their heels in for so long and have recently changed the form H so as not to exclude non Maltese.  I do believe however, that they are now hiding behind 'less than tax honest' landlords and conveniently saying it is up to the landlord and out of their hands..  I think both need to be dealt with and forced to accede to both local Tax law (as we are) and EU law as they have the fingers in the purse.

Sadly, we can´t have it both ways people..

Its really up to the government to scrap the two tier pricing, as they did with the buses. Arriva weren't to blame for the two tier pricing on buses, and neither are ARMS on utilities.  Its all about choosing the right opponent :-)

As far as I am aware it has been scrapped but getting it implemented seems to be the problem!,

the 2 tier utility price is still very much in existence

it is very much in existence  - for sure - arms have stated quite clearly that it is the landlords responsibility to inform the tenant of the tariff.... and its the landlord that refuses (because he can) the residential tariff to the tenant (despite their right to it) for his own reasons  - mainly tax evasion.

Arms sadly cannot enforce the landlord to change the status of the property  - despite the signed declaration by the landlord that it is empty - but then why should they - arms / enemalta are getting more money  - once again cash before anything else  - that is Malta

And this is why we have to be heard people.

Come on the 29th and lets force this to be rectified.

We are EU citizens, we have the right.  The landlord tax avoidance is illegal in so many ways.

Can we calculate how much unpaid tax revenue the Government is losing do you think... maybe they will take this issue into hand then?

the government already knows and accepts the tax evasion of these shyster landlords... and are unlikely to chase them as "it would be seen to be hurting the very people they are trying to help"

Many tax evaders have been reported to the TCU and nothing gets done

toonarmy9752 wrote:

the government already knows and accepts the tax evasion of these shyster landlords... and are unlikely to chase them as "it would be seen to be hurting the very people they are trying to help"

Many tax evaders have been reported to the TCU and nothing gets done

Its all down to votes, it always is in Malta!

Terry

agreed Terry  - and the foreigner doesnt have one.

Doesn't a resident have a vote?

a non-Maltese EU citizen residing in Malta can vote in council and EU elections, but not general or referendums

not national elections....

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