J. Taminskas expressed strong disagreement regarding the potential introduction of an annual car emissions tax (ELTA) during an appearance on Lithuanian television’s “Radio News” on Thursday. According to Taminskas, he believes that imposing such a tax is premature and misdirected.
He argued that addressing environmental concerns through taxation is insufficient without fundamental economic and infrastructural improvements. Taminskas emphasized that the primary focus should be on increasing the general income of the population. He suggested that greater financial capacity would enable citizens to purchase newer, more efficient vehicles, alongside the necessary modernization of the country’s road infrastructure.
Furthermore, he stressed the need to assess environmental and economic situations across all regions, not just in major urban centers. The speaker cautioned against adopting policies based solely on external advice. He stated that it is easy to merely “talk” about what Lithuania should do, particularly when receiving directives from entities like Brussels.
Taminskas asserted that the appropriate measures involve supporting economic growth rather than punitive measures. He concluded that the government should prioritize boosting household income and upgrading infrastructure, rather than implementing a new vehicle tax that could negatively impact citizens who are already managing their current assets. His message was clear: the focus should be on enabling improvement, not imposing a prohibitive tax.
Topics: #not #tax #talk
