PN says a 'new tax on medicines' has been introduced by stealth
New Medicines Authority charges were slipped in quietly through a legal notice, Opposition says
The PN slammed a "new tax" that was introduced by the government through a legal notice and which it said will result in increased medicine prices for patients.
In a statement the Opposition said the medicines authority fees, which were "quietly introduced" through LN 254 of 2025 will hit vulnerable people and the elderly who rely on healthcare.
The rising costs will also increase the burden on those who are forced to pay out of pocket because the medicine they need is out of stock, the party added.
"These new tariffs, introduced without any consultation with agents or stakeholders, are nothing less than a new tax.
"The direct burden will fall on companies that import medicines into Malta, and this will inevitably be reflected in the retail price of medicines used across the country."
The PN said that the legal notice increased the application and registration fees for new medicines entering the Maltese market – in many cases by exorbitant amounts – and the annual licensing fees for pharmacies.
"But, of course, the government boasts about giving people a €4.66 weekly increase, on which they still have to pay tax.
"And the government brags about giving pensioners €10, half of which is simply the COLA increase – while now expecting them to buy medicines at even higher prices," the PN adding.
While the government had claimed this year’s budget had introduced no new taxes, between one budget and the next it was introducing "hidden taxes" that continued piling pressure on those who depended on the public health services, it said.