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TG ‘dismayed’ over Govt policy ‘blunders’

The Chief Minister’s clarification regarding the imposition of a blanket import duty of 10% on imported personal goods amounts to a “substantial modification” of the policy, a “dismayed” Together Gibraltar has said.

The party said this was the latest in a “long list of blunders” from the current administration and the latest “rectification” showed the GSLP/Liberals are the “true populists” of Gibraltar.

In a statement, TG said these blunders follow a pattern of “incompetent policymaking / public backlash / rectification dressed as clarification.”

TG said this “obvious flip-flopping is concerning for two reasons.”

Firstly, it said, it shows a complete lack of conviction and foresight in the way policies are drafted and implemented, and secondly, it continues to feed the “culture of entitlement” that the Government is purporting to combat.

Party Leader Marlene Hassan Nahon said: “If an administration has a well thought out, long-term plan, it has to have the courage and conviction to stick with it even if some elements of society are resistant to change, and this government has a strong and recent man-date that allows them to do so. If, on the other hand, they are not working on a long-term vision for the community, then what we’re seeing is just incompetent Governance and that is even more worrying.”

“Together Gibraltar believe - and it has become obvious in light of this ‘clarification’ – a euphemism for yet another retraction - that the introduction of the 10% blanket import duty was a terrible idea that was punitive to the consumer and ineffective in providing a real stimulus for local commerce, but it finds it even more worrying to see a Government bending to every whim of the electorate, without principles, conviction or long-term vision.”

“We have many recent examples of this populist Governance, such as the rectification on Midtown parking fees, the changes in the Line Wall traffic restrictions, the modifications in the Queen's cinema building site, the enlargement of Parliament, or this sudden change in import duty exemptions.”

“Together Gibraltar believes that this administration lacks the courage and honesty to execute a real agenda that can secure our public finances, tackle cronyism and corruption, bring on a green economic transformation and provide real social justice to this community.”

“It will continue to practice a culture of Government irresponsibility, hustling for votes without a coherent, long-term vision for Gibraltar.”

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